With more than 20 years of experience in helping high-net-worth families pursue their goals and aspirations, Melissa knows that the cornerstone of a successful relationship is the mutual trust and respect that develops over time, stating, “In my experience, trust is the essential ingredient to any successful relationship. This takes time, commitment, a deep understanding of a client’s situation and open and honest communication.” She goes beyond finances to understand a client’s life goals and what truly matters to them with a goal to be an active partner in every dimension of a client’s financial life and pledges to “respond creatively and resourcefully with analysis, thoughtful judgment, and follow-through.”

She formed FullCircle Private Wealth of Raymond James in 2019, drawn by the fact that the firm’s values aligned with hers: a focus on the client experience, integrity, long-term thinking and a planning-centric culture. Before that, she spent four years as a principal on the senior management team at Blue Heron Asset Management, a private equity real estate firm, where she led business development, capital raising and investor relations raising over $120M from family offices and endowments for the firm’s funds and collaborated on senior-level business decisions including investment committee meetings and strategic planning for the firm’s growth. Prior to Blue Heron, she spent18 years as a senior relationship manager and city executive at Wells Fargo Private Bank working specifically with high-net-worth families on investment planning, family governance and philanthropy, risk management, and credit needs. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill.

Giving back to the community is a core value for Melissa. Her mission is to empower women and minorities by helping them achieve financial understanding and ultimately financial independence. She currently serves as finance chair for Dress for Success Triangle. Prior to that, she served the Chapel Hill Public School Foundation as a board member, serving as chair of its development committee and a member of its finance and investment committees. She is also active in supporting Dress for Success, Junior Achievement, reading programs at local schools, and mentoring women at the UNC-CH business school.

Originally from Asheville, North Carolina, she lives in Chapel Hill with her husband, Greg. They have three children, Danielle, Emily and Ethan. In her free time, Melissa enjoys the simple things in life like good conversation with family and friends, listening to music, learning to play the electric guitar, watching soccer, reading books that provide new ways of thinking, and finding solitude in the outdoors through running, yoga, kayaking and hiking.