Mayor
I have served as Mayor of the Town of Oak Creek since April 2024, bringing direct experience with the responsibility of local government and community decision-making.
Meet Melissa
Mayor, neighbor,
and community advocate.
Twenty-plus years of life experience, two and a half years serving as a Town of Oak Creek Mayor since April 2024, and a deep commitment to the place Melissa and her family call home.
Getting to know the person behind the work and the community she calls home.
Melissa Dobbins
Oak Creek community member & Mayor
Her story
Local experience.
A personal connection.
Greetings, my name's Melissa Dobbins, and I'm serving as Mayor of the Town of Oak Creek and running for re-election. In my twenties, my father once told me I should get involved with local government, and back then, being young and naïve, I brushed him off.
With twenty-plus years of life experience and two and a half years currently serving as Mayor of the Town of Oak Creek, I'm learning our town's preservation, sustainability, and growth can't occur without active attention and involvement.
Beyond the title
Experience that comes from showing up.
Local roots
As a small business owner of South Routt Collective, I bring a local-business perspective to conversations about Oak Creek's growth and economic future.
Connected to town life
My family participates in town programming and shops locally, with the Oak Creek Labor Day Festival among their favorite annual traditions.
Leadership approach
Calm, collaborative,
and open-minded.
I approach the role with an open mind and awareness of bias, with a focus on listening and collaborating across Oak Creek's community institutions.
Work across the community
I am eager to collaborate with local businesses, schools, and medical and fire districts as Oak Creek considers its growth. I describe socioeconomic change as requiring a delicate balance.
Prepared for emergencies
I have technical training in outdoor emergency care and Cave Rescue 1 and volunteered with the Slatyfork Fire Department in West Virginia. I describe these experiences as focused on emergency-management systems and processes.
Listen before leading
I respect the responsibility residents place in the Town Board and want to create space for open communication with residents and the Board of Trustees.
Keep Oak Creek authentic
A central theme for me is balancing growth with preservation of the local, small-town character that makes Oak Creek home for residents and families.
Keep exploring
Explore what I feel matters most to Oak Creek.
Read the published priorities, then explore the work described in Moving Oak Creek Forward.