Meet the Mel behind MelEdits

Am I a freelance editor?
Or am I a freelance writer?
Do I have to choose?


I am a true word nerd who thrives on the diversity of projects. My specialty is working for membership associations and/or writing about health care. On any given day I might be interviewing clinicians and patients for a health care magazine feature, proofreading a membership association magazine, preparing to cover an association’s conference sessions live (on-site or virtually) and serving as a managing editor for an association magazine.

After starting my career as a newspaper reporter in my home state of Indiana, I remain a journalist at heart, and journalism is behind everything I do. I use my reporter’s research, interviewing and storytelling skills every week, and I remain true to the journalism ethics instilled in me 20 years ago.

Growing up in a family of teachers, I dreamed of being an education reporter when I moved to the D.C. area, but when you’re offered a job your first week in a new city, you take it. Smart decision—as the assistant editor for The Nation’s Health newspaper at the American Public Health Association, I fell in love with health care reporting and working for and with members.

That experience prepared me well for my eight-year stint as the newsletter editor-in-chief for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. I also spent two years as a health care managing editor at the content marketing agency TMG (now Manifest), where I was the managing editor of HemAware magazine and hemaware.org for the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) and Lupus Now magazine for the Lupus Foundation of America. I also managed NHF’s social media strategy.

I am known for my reliability, can-do attitude, extreme organizational skills and ability to work collaboratively.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT ME

  • I created my first newspaper in the sixth grade.
  • I traveled to 19 countries before I ever visited Florida.
  • My first writing award was the “Young Authors Award” in sixth grade for a semi-autobiographical tale about my beloved cat, “The Day Frisky Died.”
  • I earned my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate while living in Prague, Czech Republic, for one month.
  • I’m a conference nerd, attending at least four conferences a year for networking, education and bonding with “my people.”

MEET THE TEAM

Slinky (aka “Snugglepuss”), head of HR
Bella (aka “Monster Kitty”), head of security