the goods:
Melinda was born in the south, but technically hails from Detroit, Michigan. A true nomad, Melinda lived in 14 cities in 7 states from 1994-2004, until she planted roots in Chattanooga where she currently resides and works as Senior Designer at CreateHere.
Melinda's passion for design began when she was just 9 years old, after spending several summers at a family friend's design studio in San Francisco. She was given her own drafting table, marker set, and had access to the glorious wax machine (back in the days of true cutting and pasting). When a penguin she drew for the studio was used in a billboard advertisement and other print materials, she knew she was hooked.
Upon her arrival in Chattanooga in 2004, she enrolled in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's graphic design program where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. During her time at UTC, she was selected to sit on the Student Advisory Board and act as editor of the University's literary arts magazine, Sequoya Review. While juggling school and an internship at Widgets & Stone, Melinda maintained a place on the Dean's List each year, and received the Author's and Artist's Scholarship, as well as merits for two works in the 2008 Ten Show.
Melinda came to CreateHere looking for a collaborative atmosphere. In her short time with the organization, Melinda has made large strides and was promoted quickly because of her tendency to share the many ideas pulsing through her creative brain (in other words, she has a big mouth).
Melinda sits on the Youth Advisory Board for River City Company and preaches what CreateHere practices to large groups who come to learn how the CH team works to make Chattanooga a more dynamic city. On a daily basis, she manages all aspects of CreateHere's brand identities and movements, from conception to production.
