Melissa recently turned her strategic eye back to politics. Her role in each campaign depends on the organization, but strategic and communications consulting is her focus.  Select clients include:

PAST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Melissa has more than a decade of experience in political communications, high-tech agency marketing, analysis, media training, events, and media relations. An accomplished web content developer, she coined the "serve and suggest method" of web design and has written a white paper and several articles on the subject, in addition to teaching seminars to fellow marketers on how to incorporate it into their work. Highlights of her professional career include:

FEDweek, Richmond, VA, 1997-Present
Served as webmaster, designer and interactive marketing and media specialist for FEDweek, Federal Retirement Institute, Armed Forces News and other interactive vehicles for the leading publisher of federal pay and benefits handbook.

Crosby Marketing Communications, Annapolis, MD, 2000-2002
As the founding Director of the Interactive Services group for Crosby, she set the standard for web, electronic and multimedia communications services provided for all clients. As director she was responsible for strategy, budget, internal training and hiring.

AP Partners, Arlington, VA and Annapolis, MD, 1997-2000
As founder and principal of a communications consulting partnership with an "anything's possible" approach, she provided marketing and interactive strategy consulting services, including web design and development.

NetReference, Sterling, VA, 1996-97
As analyst and marketing director, she performed multiple duties including technical editor, Webmaster, strategist and salesperson for NetReference's award-winning, web-based subscription service for network architects. She also headed message momentum efforts including collateral materials, direct mail, sales strategies, trade events, and ongoing trade and business press relations, earning NetReference feature coverage in numerous national and international trade publications.

Neva Group, Cambridge, MA, 1995-96
A business press specialist in a niche-marketing firm founded to promote technology start-ups, she had a hand in many pre- and post-IPO accounts. As counsel to Cascade Communications Corp. (bought by Ascend Communications, which was in-turn bought by Lucent Technologies), she helped Cascade to earn feature coverage in Fortune, Forbes ASAP, Red Herring, Upside, The Wall Street Journal, and other major media outlets including CNBC and CNN.

Shandwick Public Affairs, Washington, DC, 1994-95
As a member of the Technology and Telecommunications team, she was active in the launch of the nation's first PCS system, Sprint Spectrum. She also worked with the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA) as counsel to the members of the Paging Services Council, a group comprised of marketing executives from the major paging and wireless companies, which is responsible for developing messages for the wireless industry as a whole. Her responsibilities included message development, collateral materials, competitive analysis, benchmark surveys, executive media training, celebrity endorsements, events, and media relations. Before joining the high tech group, Melissa worked on issues research, media relations, events and collateral materials for other Shandwick clients including Monsanto, Perkins Coie, the United States Mint and the United States Department of Energy.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Melissa has taught political technology seminars in the Campaign & Advocacy Schools at the Leadership Institute and political communications at Leadership Anne Arundel. She has also lead discussion programs for summer fellows at the Ronald H. Brown Foundation in Washington, DC.

EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts, International Communications
The George Washington University, 1994
Elliott School of International Affairs

PERSONAL: Melissa and her husband C. B. moved to Annapolis in 1999. They recently razed and re-built their home in Hillsmere on the South River, where they now live with their Great Dane and Manx.  An active sailor, Melissa and her husband are members of Severn Sailing Association, Eastport Yacht Club, International Lightning Class Association, and the Alberg 30 Association. Melissa also serves on the Board of Trustees for Tilton School, Tilton, NH, and as the Vice Chair of the 2006 Chesapeake Bay Women's Challenge and CBYRA Adams Cup Qualifier, benefiting Anne Arundel County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).