Alba Melgar-C'De Baca

Athlete, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Consultant, Doctor, Explorer, Idea generator, Life mentor, Musician, Public servant, Social entrepreneur

Dr. Alba M. Melgar-C’De Baca began her career as an Air Force Air Traffic Controller in early 1989 and commissioned in the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG) as a Chemical Officer in August of 1993. She was assessed into the AGR program as the first Survey Team Leader in the 6th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team where she helped develop the curriculum and stand the unit up 21 months before 9-11. Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Melgar-C’De Baca deployed with the 36th Infantry Division as the Deputy for Civil Military Operations for multinational Peacekeeping Kosovo Force. Throughout this mission, she played a key role in General Officer engagements and supervision of critical Civil Military Operations including Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Information Operations. LTC Melgar-C’De Baca was personally responsible for managing the support and retrograde of all military equipment and personnel in Southern Iraq. All while managing sustainment of forces within the sector. In 2011, after returning from Iraq, LTC Melgar-C’De Baca was the Director for Family Support Services where, through her testimony to the Texas Congress, she secured over $2 million for suicide prevention. In this position, she created an extensive public/private partnership network to increase the viability of a strong career transition for Soldiers and their families. For her final Military operation, LTC Melgar-C’De Baca was selected to develop a team of decidedly experienced senior advisors to deploy to Afghanistan. While in Afghanistan LTC Melgar-C’De Baca served as the Chief of Staff for Task Force Anvil where she led the rebuilding of Forward Operating Base Lightning and directed a joint service, multi-component team of Military advisors, government, contract civilians and a Ugandan guard force. Dr. Melgar-C’De Baca’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal w/4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal w/3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Texas Business Women’s Woman of the Year and many others. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Biology from the University of Texas, a Masters of Science in Quality Systems Management and a Doctoral Degree in Business. Post-Military, Dr. Melgar-C’De Baca led the VETTED Foundation, as its COO where she created transition service platforms for thousands of Soldiers and MilSpouses. She also created an on-boarding and training platform geared towards Latinas in business for which she was named a top 50 in the USA, Hispanic leader by Latina Style magazine. Alba came to the United States as a young child, and has become the epitome of the American Dream. She credits her success to the opportunities this country has given her to achieve, with hard work and dedication. She mentored many of her relatives who came to America from a war-torn country of whom 65% of them have also served in our Armed Forces as well. Dr. Melgar-C’De Baca continues to serve veterans and her community as the Executive Director of the Central Texas VSO Alliance and Board Chair for the F7 Group. Alba is happy beyond belief living just outside Austin with her brilliant wife, two Yorkie sisters, and 83 year old mother. She and her wife Cassaundra recently began new graduate programs. Dr. Melgar, a Masters in Library Science, Archival Studies and Imaging Technology and her wife in groundbreaking Integrated Agricultural Studies. Keep an eye out for this power couple!

Education, lifelong learning, and sustainability in all its forms.

Life happens in cycles and as we grow we can evolve or stagnate. We must all struggle to evolve for our good, the good of our fellow human beings and our planet.

After a lifetime in the military I wanted to continue to serve. I’ve laughed, cried, learned and loved with inspiration from TED. When I retired from the Army I was grateful to be able to co-organize TEDx LadyBird Lake.

Building positive climates in organizations and…. crewing a hot air balloon.