Biography
she/her
Principal and founder of iMarketingMix LLC, Melissa Farmer Richards, MPA, APR, CPC, is an author, teacher, consultant, facilitator, and leadership coach. Dubbed The Checklist Guru, she authors The Weekly Leadership Checklist and designed The Three Fundamentals of Leadership proprietary coaching curriculum.
Melissa’s 32-year career spans corporate industry, technology, small business start-ups, nonprofits, and higher education administration. She has held senior positions at start-up software companies and global technology organizations and later led in such roles as chief of staff and vice president for communications, marketing, and enrollment, serving liberal arts colleges and a large public university. She founded two small businesses and co-founded two nonprofits–a children’s museum and a genetics research foundation.
Melissa earned a Master of Public Administration at Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Virginia. She is a Certified Professional Coach, has achieved the Accreditation in Public Relations credential (iPEC/ICF), and earned the Association of Governing Boards Board Professional Certificate. Having led award-winning creative teams, she was nominated for the American Marketing Association Nonprofit Marketer of the Year 2022 and named one of 30 Vice Presidents to Follow by Leadership in the Digital Age.
A natural public speaker and experienced writer, Melissa has spoken at dozens of national conferences and authored more than 100 papers and articles. Her book, “The 30-60-90 Day Handbook: Checklists for Communications and Marketing Leaders in Higher Education,” is now available from the Council of Advancement and Support of Education. She has collaborated to organize four major TEDx events — including pitching the event and mentoring dozens of speakers —and led numerous conference planning committees. Throughout her three decades of leading internal teams, she developed many small and large professional development events, including a 10-course brand ambassador certificate program. She has contributed her leadership of communications strategy to significant fundraising campaigns, the largest of which was $400 million.
Melissa serves as chair of the Public Relations Society of America Northeast District and immediate past president of the Central New York Chapter. She teaches part-time as an adjunct instructor for Aurora University.
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