I currently serve as Assistant Dean for Operations at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's College of Public Health in 2019. My primary responsibilities include overall college operations, strategic planning, marketing, human resources, administrative support, and IT. Prior to that, I was Chief Executive Officer at West Holt Medical Services, where I led the overall growth, development and operations of the organization with a steadfast commitment to the highest level of quality, customer service, and transparency.

I earned a master's degree in healthcare administration and hold an Instructor appointment with UNMC's College of Public Health, teaching within the Masters of Healthcare Administration program. I have a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL). I am board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives, and have held various board positions, most recently as Regent for the Nebraska & Western Iowa Chapter. Additionally, I serve on the board for Partnership4Kids, a youth development non-profit with over 30 years of experience providing college‑bound mentoring and goal‑setting programs for Omaha youth.

On a personal note, I have a wonderful spouse, six children, a Yorkie/Papillon dog, love music, golf and all things Husker Athletics!

I am currently enrolled in UNMC's Masters of Healthcare Administration where I hope to one day be a clinic manager or nursing home administrator!

Interesting Fact #1: I recently graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan a semester early with a degree in Exercise Science as well as a minor in Business Administration!

Interesting Fact #2: I grew up in Hastings, Nebraska where I developed a love for small towns and country music. I have to many different country music concerts such as Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Scotty McCreery and will get to see Zach Bryan this spring as well!

I lived in Hawaii for a few years and worked as a family planning health educator under a state health department grant. I worked with homeless/houseless, runaway youth, and sex industry workers. I provided STI and bloodborne pathogen education at a juvenile detention center and participated in street outreach to check on the youth that we would often see in the program. This was an interesting and great learning opportunity as a new grad (Bach. in community health). The exposure to different cultures, beliefs, social norms, and harm reduction programs are opportunities I am thankful to have had early on in my career.

I have never been to Nebraska (and actually have only seen very small amounts of snow 2-3 times in my life). I would really like to visit the campus before I finish the program (est. Spring 2025). I would love to visit the biocontainment unit. When we started preparing for Ebola in 2014, UNMC provided infection control resources that I was able to use at the time. My recollection of that lifeline was part of what influenced me to choose this school for graduate studies.

I’ve gained experience in several industries throughout my life including direct patient care, finance, title insurance and closings, disability claims, a non-profit, medical education, and healthcare compliance where I was auditing ahead of JCAHO. What I did without intention was build an array of skills, all applicable to healthcare administration. I had originally intended on becoming a clinician but am quite passionate about advocacy work, having already volunteered with organizations and personally spoken with government officials to improve circumstances for certain demographics. When I discovered the Master of Public Health program at UNMC and my present concentration of Public Health Administration and Policy, it was a light bulb moment for me. This field is where my life experiences have been leading all along and I could not be more excited to finally begin this journey. 

Trying to recall interesting facts about myself did not take long as I always have fun stories about the most random things that have happened. It’s all in how you tell it. I suppose that is a good place to start as my #1! I love making memories and telling stories about them, so much so I have been told I should add "write a book" to my bucket list.  

As my #2 interesting fact, I’ve attempted AND completed 18 half marathons, one of which was just outside of Paris, France. I took a train into the city and explored Paris on my own despite not speaking French beyond what I learned on Duolingo. I wandered around without any real plan; eating croissants at the Eiffel Tower, taking a boat ride up the Seine, and seeing the spire on Notre Dame less than 7 months before it burned. I fully believe everyone should get outside of their comfort zone and travel to a country where they don’t speak the language, experiencing other customs and cultures while developing an appreciation for those different from ourselves. 

Melissa

I have 4 children and a cat and a dog. I enjoy working out, playing with my kids, cooking, walking my dog & reading-that’s all I really have time for.