Melissa McDonald
Director of Development
Brighter Bites
Melissa comes to Brighter Bites after many years with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a national nonprofit working with schools, youth-serving organizations, businesses, and communities to empower kids to develop lifelong healthy habits. At Healthier Generation, she started in the programmatic area working with schools in Kentucky to implement the Healthy Schools Program. Melissa then shifted gears and moved to the development world, focusing on co-creating an earned revenue division of the organization, managing federal and foundation grants. It was here where her volunteer fundraising skills were able to crossover to her professional role allowing her to bring funding to better the health of all children.
The public health world is also a passion for Melissa. She serves on the steering committee for the Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children along with SCAPA Bluegrass school wellness committee. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in exercise science, jumpstarting her desire to advocate for healthy food and physical activity.
If Melissa isn’t in the kitchen trying out new recipes for her family, then she is likely either on her spin bike, reading a good book, or her ultimate favorite- playing games with her husband and two teenage daughters.