Melinda became a member of the team in early 2023 and is thrilled to be leading the effort to engage students and teachers in ORF’s Education Programs. She comes to us from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Education Department as their Senior Manager with many years of experience in leadership and Environmental Education.

Her leadership style is focused on cultivating a culture of shared vision, adaptability, stamina, innovation, trust, and most importantly fun! Her approach to environmental education begins with instilling a sense of wonder and empathy for nature with audiences, then imparting knowledge and inspiring action and environmentally significant behavior change.

Melinda has also led Master’s courses with Miami University’s Earth Expeditions program taking her to in-situ conservation field sites all over the world including Kenya, Namibia and Baja Mexico.

Melinda and her family live on the west side of Cincinnati on their 4th generation, low-impact, regenerative farm. In her free time, she loves spending time in the fields, woods, and streams with her two young children as well as gardening, riding horses, and goofing off outdoors.