Knicely

Melissa is the Communications Manager and Senior Public Information Officer for CharlotteMecklenburg Police Department Animal Care & Control Division. She has been in this position for sixteen years. She is responsible for media relations, promotion, public relations, marketing,
oversight of grant applications and reporting with research and planning and works on special projects for the Division. She manages a team of three, which includes a Development Specialist, a Social Media Specialist, and a Events and Outreach Services Specialist. She serves as the
Public Information Officer for the Division, which also includes the Emergency Response Team. Melissa has obtained over 30 FEMA Certifications for Public Information Officer training and Emergency management for responding to disasters on a local, state, and national level. In addition, she has received training certificates from three different universities with a focus on epidemiology, zoonotic diseases, and nutrition. Melissa is a member of the North Carolina Animal Federation and a former executive board member and Communications Chair of 10-plus
years.

Melissa majored in Mass Communications and holds a master’s Level Certificate in Community Preparedness and Emergency Management. Prior to employment with Animal Care & Control, she spent 20 years in the television broadcasting industry working at local television stations in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina as well as positions with the NBC Network, ESPN, and The Carolina Panthers.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her three Siberian Huskies, and outdoor activities. She is also an avid Carolina Panthers, JMU Dukes, and UNC Tarheels fan and works
on the weekends as a freelance graphic designer for ESPN’s SEC Network based in Charlotte, NC.

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