Meet-up with Melanie Curtis, Co-Founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team

Program Coordinator Altana “Tane” West came to the Alice Paul Institute in 2019 to support Centennial celebrations for 100 years of women having the right to vote. New to the world of non-profit work, West became passionate about equality through her escapades in over thirty countries across six continents.

With a B.A. in Law and Justice from Rowan University, she hopes to one day pursue policy writing at the local level. Alice Paul is her inspiration and she could not feel more honored getting to hold this position with API.

Melanie Curtis has jumped out of an airplane over 11,000 times. She has competed at the highest levels in the sport of skydiving, has set world records with her team and has worked around the world as a headlining professional skydiver. A sought-after speaker, Melanie believes that courageous self-expression is one of the most powerful avenues to our deepest healing and highest contribution to others, ourselves and the world. Melanie is a fierce champion for growth, kindness and inclusion. All of this has led Melanie to a powerful position of positive influence in her expanded career as a life coach, speaker, author and artist. She has authored 3 books: One Positive Thought Can Change Everything, With Our Whole Broken Hearts and How to Fly: Life Lessons from a Professional Skydiver. Melanie also co-hosts the Trust the Journey podcast and now co-leads an all-female demonstration jump team called Highlight to inspire women and girls to live a bold brave life of their own design and elevate conversations of equality and social justice. Last, but certainly not least, Melanie loves comedy, her friends and spending time with her family.

Operations Director Colleen Tryner came to the Alice Paul Institute in early 2016. In her time at the Alice Paul Institute, she has served as an intern, a Development Associate, and Lead Coordinator for the Girls Leadership Council (GLC). Colleen now applies her holistic knowledge of the organization and passion for coordinating to manage various day-to-day processes and projects for staff, interns, and volunteers. Colleen is a graduate of Rowan University with a B.A. in History and Art, minors in Art History and Business Administration, and a concentration in International Studies.