Melissa Figueroa (pictured at left) helps local business owners connect with the Norfolk community.
Why would someone leave behind the beaches, climate, and glamor of L.A. to move to the middle of the country? That’s a question Melissa Figueroa can answer from firsthand experience. A licensed attorney in both California and Nebraska, she’s decided to put down roots in Norfolk—a small city in the Cornhusker State.
Figueroa originally moved to Nebraska to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) after finishing her undergraduate degree in Los Angeles. She applied to many different postgraduate programs throughout the U.S. but chose UNL, partly based on the recommendation of a tour guide at a different state university outside of Nebraska. “He was the one who told me, ‘Hey, with your LSAT scores and your GPA, you should definitely look into UNL. It’s a great law school,’” she explained.
While studying at UNL, she visited Norfolk regularly because her then-boyfriend worked at Nucor Corporation’s Vulcraft Group, a local steel manufacturer. “I would come here to visit often on the weekends. I spent quite a bit of time in Norfolk, especially when the weather was nice,” said Figueroa. They would go tubing on the Elkhorn River, explore the downtown, and enjoy the different attractions Norfolk has to offer. Though the dating relationship didn’t pan out, Figueroa fell in love with Norfolk.
The longer she lived in Nebraska, the more Figueroa felt she didn’t want to return to L.A. Upon graduating law school, she decided to make Norfolk her home. “L.A. and Norfolk have two very different qualities of life,” said Figueroa. “I remember being an undergrad in L.A. and driving to school. It took two hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic. That’s if it was a good day and not raining or there wasn’t a car accident, because then it could be so much worse.”
In many ways, day-to-day life where Figueroa grew up is the opposite of what she experiences now. Along with her short commute in Norfolk, she has enjoyed being able to make an impact in the community. She now works as the business resource specialist for the City of Norfolk. This includes researching and exploring economic development initiatives for the city, as well as assisting local businesses in accessing the necessary resources to grow.
When someone is looking to start a business in the area, Figueroa is a good first point of contact. “I usually try to have a chat with them, see where they’re at and what exactly they’re looking for,” she explained. This helps the business owner gain valuable information about what is available and directs them to those in the community who can assist in the process.
She also makes sure to stay connected with local businesses. As a member of the Norfolk Area Chamber Ambassadors, she regularly interacts with small business owners around Norfolk and helps celebrate ribbon cuttings. “I don’t want to say it’s easy for us to do our job, but in a sense it is because we are all very passionate about Norfolk,” said Figueroa.
She also helps the community secure grants for the many development projects taking place in the Norfolk area. “As the business resource specialist, I keep an eye out for different grants and other opportunities—whether incentives, tax credits, or other things like that,” she explained.
While living in Norfolk, Figueroa has seen firsthand many of the positive impacts these grants have on the community. She saw the Johnson Park revitalization turn from an idea into a six-acre park with an amphitheater, new basketball court, and seasonal ice-skating rink. She’s also witnessed the creation of North Fork Whitewater Park. “We’ve had kayakers and tubers utilizing it, which is very cool to see. It’s really popular,” she said of the whitewater park. Both parks are now finished; a ribbon cutting ceremony took place September 26, 2024 to celebrate their completion.
Figueroa could sense the energy that’s enlivening Norfolk before she accepted her economic development position in 2022. She has carried on this momentum in her current job, helping the city secure a Civic and Community Center Financing Fund (CCCFF) grant for the Illuminate Norfolk project. It’s a collaboration between the city and the River Point Creative District to create a corridor of lighted trails and walkways, connecting Johnson Park to downtown.
Norfolk has become home for Figueroa, partly because she realized the many opportunities Nebraska offers. She said that if she returned to L.A., she knows her quality of life would change dramatically. “I get to work now in five minutes. I sit on a couple of boards. I feel like a welcome part of the community. For me, those things outweigh living in Los Angeles.”
Figueroa said people sometimes ask her if she misses the California beaches. “The truth is, even when I was living in L.A. I hardly went to the beach. It takes an hour in traffic, then you pay $20 to park, then you sit on a crowded beach and the water’s cold.”
A community that is well-connected and offers opportunities to lead is more valuable to Figueroa than proximity to big-city entertainment. The welcome and sense of belonging she’s found in Norfolk are available in communities across Nebraska, making the state an appealing landing place for people from across the country—even as far away as L.A.
