Melissa brings more than 25 years of business and leadership experience to Studio501, having held various corporate leadership roles before transitioning to nonprofit finance in 2018. She holds a B.S. degree in Marketing and a Masters degree in Business Administration. Melissa is passionate about people, the arts and supporting nonprofit organizations that are working hard to accomplish great things within their communities.

After moving into the nonprofit sector, Melissa discovered accounting and the joy of balancing numbers! Melissa is energized by helping nonprofits make good business decisions and by enabling each client to tell the story of their organization through solid financial reporting.  Nonprofit accounting is a great way to use a variety of business skills and experiences to support a powerful mission. She lives by the mantra “We rise by lifting others”.

When Melissa isn’t working for clients, you will find her spending time in her garden (always looking for new and better ways to preserve fruits and veggies!) or experimenting with bread baking in her kitchen.  She also loves hiking and has experienced some incredible trails across the U.S. and beyond. But there is no place like home! Melissa’s favorite hiking location is near her own back yard, Frontenac State Park.