Braid, Melissa Director, Public Affairs On April 7, 2025, Melissa was appointed Director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Melissa most recently served as the Communications Director for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee for Chairman Ted Cruz, where she led the communications team in developing messaging for the committee. Prior to this assignment, she was the Communications Director for U.S. Representative Bob Good and for the House Freedom Caucus. Earlier in her career, Melissa was the Director of Digital Strategy for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She also worked with the U.S. Department of the Interior as the Deputy Press Secretary and later as the Digital Director. She has held senior communications roles in various U.S. House offices. Melissa began her career at FP1 Strategies, where she was the Deputy Digital Director. Melissa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications from the University of Kansas.