Melissa Bonner, a distinguished HR veteran and founder of NexTier HR, Inc., brings over 15 years of diverse Human Resources expertise to her role, bolstered by a solid tenure in the banking industry. Melissa's professional journey has seen her successfully establish and nurture HR departments from the ground up, particularly in startup and high-growth environments.

Prior to launching NexTier HR, Melissa co-founded The Higher HR, a consulting firm dedicated to providing executive-level HR and legal services to companies navigating growth, compliance, and workforce strategy. Through this venture, she partnered with businesses to build resilient HR infrastructures, lead organizational transformations, and implement tailored solutions across a wide spectrum of industries.

Her most recent in-house role as Chief Human Resources Officer at a Las Vegas tech financial infrastructure company underscored her ability to lead, develop, and coordinate HR policies, steer people management, uphold legal compliance, and drive the organization’s mission and business objectives.

Melissa's earlier experience also includes an 8-year tenure with a Las Vegas civil engineering firm, where she build the HR department from the ground up, playing a key role in its sustained success and eventual acquisition. She attributes her repeated successes to her ability to align HR strategy with broader business goals while maintaining a people-first focus.

Her credentials extend to academia as well. A holder of a Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Phoenix and a Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University, Melissa’s educational background fortifies her role at NexTier HR. Moreover, her Chief Human Resources Officer certification from Wharton Executive Education, University of Pennsylvania, underscores her commitment to continuous learning and growth. A sought-after guest on numerous HR-centric podcasts, Melissa frequently shares her insights on compliance, culture-building, and leadership development with the wider HR community.