Leading Edge is thrilled to welcome Melissa Walters as our new Program Associate. Melissa has been working with us as a Survey Associate since early 2020, and we’re thrilled she's now on board full time to support our survey work as well as our communities of practice for talent professionals. Melissa previously worked as a fundraising manager at OPERA America and as a fundraising associate at Surprise Lake Camp. With a degree in sociology, Melissa co-designed and administered a workplace satisfaction survey among faculty at Moravian College, the findings of which she co-presented at the Eastern Sociological Society Conference in 2014. She completed a certificate in Data Analytics from Cornell University in 2020. She finds the work of Leading Edge to be a fascinating union of her interests in data and social science.

Here are a few Q&As to help you get to know her.

What drew you to Leading Edge?

I’m inspired by Leading Edge’s commitment to improving workplace culture through research, data, and relationships with people. 

What does a “great place to work” mean to you?

It’s a place where you feel safe to show up as your full self, both physically and mentally, and where you’re challenged to grow as a person and a professional. If there are shared cat memes, even better.

What do you enjoy most about your work with surveys and data analytics?

It’s exciting to aggregate data and see common themes that come out of workplace surveys because then it’s easier to see what next steps an organization can take.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 

Find and remember your values. They will guide you.

What’s the best TV show you’ve seen in the last year?

The show Little Fires Everywhere. I read the book first and loved it. The show took some creative liberties, as they often do in book adaptations, and I thought it worked really well. I recommend both!

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’ve been singing and writing songs since I was a kid.