Melissa Ford.
SENIOR TALENT SCOUT
Melissa brings an intentional, relationship-driven approach to her role as a Senior Talent Scout at Chief of Staff. She is energized by the opportunity to connect great talent with meaningful opportunities across the organizations COS supports, building strong relationships with both clients and candidates along the way. Melissa is passionate about understanding what success looks like on both sides of the hiring equation and creating matches where individuals can thrive, and businesses can grow. She finds the greatest motivation in knowing her work directly impacts careers, teams, and long-term organizational success. A previous accomplishment Melissa is proud of was contributing to initiatives that strengthen the employee experience, including helping develop and launch an Education and Development program and partnering on the creation of a new onboarding program designed to better support new hires and improve the overall hiring process.
“Chief of Staff has been amazing for me. I have a unique niche of a skills set that is rare to be utilized in the metro area. They helped me find a key match and guided me to a fantastic match. I highly recommend.”
– K. Deere (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Originally from Topeka, Kansas, Melissa spent most of her childhood growing up in Marysville before heading to Manhattan to attend Kansas State University. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Ecology from K-State and later completed a nursing degree from Manhattan Area Technical College. After college, Melissa remained in Manhattan for several years before her husband’s career took their family on a series of moves to Springfield, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee, eventually bringing them back home to the Kansas City area. Today, Melissa lives in Overland Park, Kansas, where she’s grateful to be close to family again and part of a community she loves. A proud Wildcat at heart, she still cheers loudly for K-State whenever she gets the chance.
Melissa values staying connected to her community and family. She has volunteered at her children’s schools, helped organize events through her neighborhood social committee, and spent many seasons alongside her husband coaching their kids’ baseball, softball, and soccer teams. She is also closely connected to Ronald McDonald House Charities, serving on the Parents Committee in Kansas City and previously on the Associate Board in Nashville. The mission is especially meaningful to her family after spending many nights at a Ronald McDonald House when her son was battling cancer as a baby. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys cheering on her three kids at their games, staying active, tackling DIY projects, traveling, and spending time outdoors, all while keeping up with a lively household that includes two standard poodles, Teddy and Ollie, and a cat named Leia.
First Job:
Carhop at Sonic
Favorite Paid Holiday:
Christmas
Favorite Job:
Being a mom 🙂
First Concert:
Brooks & Dunn
Favorite Workday Lunch Spot:
COS lunchroom
