Rockville, Maryland, June 25, 2024—MELE Associates, Inc. (MELE), a veteran-owned (VOSB), minority-owned small business with more than three decades of success in the government contracting space, announced today that it has hired Teresa Fiore as its new Director of Human Resources.
Fiore is returning to MELE as the company’s HR Director. She previously held the role from 1997-1999, joining the team shortly after the company was founded in 1993. Fiore has 29 years of HR experience and brings a proven history of strong HR performance to the role. She spent the bulk of her career in the biotechnology industry and in the federal contracting space where she worked for both small (8A) and large global businesses. She will leverage significant coaching and development, employee relations, policy development, benefit plan design, and talent acquisition skills to enhance MELE’s HR performance and augment its employee experience.
Prior to her return to MELE, Fiore was a Human Resources Manager at Charles River Laboratories, a well-regarded Contract Research Organization (CRO) serving the biotech industry. She has also held HR leadership positions at the transportation technology company Nomad Digital and SAIC, a large technology company that services the government.
Fiore replaces Kiersten Harris, who had to step down from the HR Director role due to a serious medical condition.
“We are thrilled to have Teresa back with the MELE family. We have grown quite a bit since she was last here, but I think she will find that the same small business values and vibrant culture still thrives here 25 years later,” stated Kimi Murakami, MELE’s Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary.
“Teresa has a wealth of HR experience across an impressive range of disciplines, which will help our HR team remain agile and effective as MELE continues to grow,” added Murakami.
MELE is actively seeking to expand its strong partnership with the Department of Energy while growing its award portfolio to include new federal, state, and local contracts. The company is poised for growth in 2024 and beyond, making talent acquisition and retention a key focus area for the near future. Fiore’s HR team and MELE’s expanding internal talent acquisition group will play a critical role in ongoing hiring efforts that will be critical to MELE’s success.
“Teresa’s significant experience in federal contracting and the wide range of HR skills she brings to the table are a real asset for our team,” stated President Al Chiogioji. “It’s very satisfying to see a successful professional choosing to return to our organization. I’m excited about what that says about our culture and the company’s future.”
With over 275 employees and offices in Rockville, MD, Washington, DC, and Albuquerque, NM, MELE is a veteran-owned (VOSB), minority-owned small business empowering its customers with innovative solutions for more than three decades. MELE has team members located across the U.S. and has served more than a hundred countries across hundreds of project locations. The company offers technical, engineering, and programmatic support expertise to a host of U.S. federal and international agencies, including, but not limited to, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, INTERPOL, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. MELE’s services include national security, intelligence, IT/cybersecurity, facility management and engineering, CBRNE defense and nuclear security, emergency response training/management, and mission and program support.
Media Contact:
Steve Surdez, Communications Specialist
