Linda J. Melconian is a former American state legislator who served as the first woman Majority Leader in the history of the Massachusetts Senate.

In 1971, she began her public service career as legislative assistant counsel to U. S. House of Representatives' Majority Thomas P. Tip O'Neill (D-MA).

In 1974, Melconian assisted then Majority Leader Tip O'Neill in his efforts to assure the integrity of the U.S. House of Representatives during the constitutional crisis of the historic Richard Nixon impeachment hearings.

[9] As Senator she authored numerous groundbreaking Massachusetts laws including the right of privacy and anti-discrimination in genetic testing, a nationally pioneering, comprehensive and far reaching initiative.

[13] and she was inducted into Suffolk University’s Chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Public Administration for “Scholarship-Leadership-Excellence.” In 2018 she was honored with the Dean John Brennan Award for “Outstanding Instruction to Graduate Students” by Suffolk University Student Government Association.

Her most recent published scholarly articles include: “Gender Pay Equality: Effectiveness of Federal Statutes and Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decisions,”[15] “Health-care Nonprofits: Enhancing Governance and Public Trust,”[16] "Evolving Corporate Governance Standards for HealthCare Nonprofits: Is Board Compensation a Breach of Fiduciary Duty?