Sessions
Cooperation: Farmers Working Together
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Fri
Melissa Whitt is a Program Specialist with The Ohio State University South Centers and is a southern Ohio native. She brings over sixteen years of leadership experience in communications, marketing, community engagement, and business development to the team. She earned a B.S. in Organizational Communications and an A.A.S. in Electronic Media, with a concentration in video production, from Ohio University Southern Campus, as well as a Marketing Certification from OUS. Melissa has a talent for building successful relationships with diverse organizations to facilitate cooperation and help bridge gaps in communication and program development in the Appalachian region.
Her previous leadership roles include, business development, strategic planning, and human resources for a plastics recycling startup, where she helped develop the operations team, develop and manage onsite business operations for the entire manufacturing facility, coordinate, develop and manage company and community events, engagements and dinners; community relations and development for a regional FQHC behavioral health center, where she worked on public relations and marketing projects, including chairing major fundraisers for youth outreach and prevention programs and setting record breaking numbers for awareness, net profits and engagement. Melissa also successfully managed a University of Kentucky Research Lab pilot project, focusing on tobacco cessation for teens in Appalachia. She resides in Wheelersburg with her husband Jason, and their two children.