Melanie, a life-long N.C. resident, began her career in 1995 as a foster care social worker with Gaston County Department of Social Services and advanced through progressively responsible leadership positions during her 30-year career. Her subject matter expertise spans leadership, systems improvement, continuous quality improvement, child welfare practice in all program areas, and community initiatives that impact the social determinants of health. She served as a supervisor overseeing all areas of child welfare, a program coordinator managing both Child Protective Services and Permanency Planning, a coordinator in Child Protective Services Investigative Assessments, and later as a program administrator responsible for all child welfare services.
Melanie was a principal leader in guiding the county’s transition to the Child Welfare Information System NC FAST programming and developing innovative solutions for the Department of Social Services. As Special Projects Manager, she spearheaded initiatives including quality assurance, agency culture assessments and improvement, and staff safety improvements. These efforts resulted in higher workforce retention, quality service delivery, and advancement of child safety, permanence, and well being outcomes.
In her most recent role as an executive leader in the Gaston Community Support Services Department, Melanie managed the county’s opioid settlement funds. This resulted in the GEMS Community Paramedicine Program, Peer Support in Child Welfare, and Medication Assisted Treatment, among other initiatives.
Melanie also focused on child welfare system improvement by leading critical teams addressing community child protection and child fatalities. She facilitated a countywide coalition to tackle homelessness and implemented reentry programming for local jail and prison systems. She also established a comprehensive data tracking and reporting system to share essential data with the community, ensuring transparency and accountability.
In addition to her public service roles, Melanie served as an adjunct professor of social work at the University of North Carolina Charlotte for 10 years. She taught the North Carolina Child Welfare Preservice course to BSW and MSW students.
Melanie joined Allies4Outcomes (A4O) in 2024 as a System Improvement Coordinator. In this role, she partners with county teams and A4O colleagues to lead capacity-building initiatives focused on strengthening organizational health, cultivating trust, and fostering psychological safety. Her work supports both frontline teams and leadership, helping to align practice with values and sustain high-performing, resilient systems.
Melanie holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Appalachian State University, a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She brings a deep commitment to public service, innovation, and community impact, which drives her work in supporting systems-level change that benefits children, families, and the professionals who serve them.
