By Lyn Berner
By way of Brigham Young University-Idaho, we welcome 22-year old business management major Melanie Dickson into our museum family. In a few short months using a variety of skills, including marketing, her college minor, she has researched and created proposals to bring us more up to date with visitor tracking software and supported the administrator in financial matters. In addition, she has proven to be an able assistant to Susan Bapty, our director of education outreach and volunteer programs. She also helps Camelia Caton-Garcia, administrative assistant, with archival duties, and Larry Malick, administrative assistant, with front desk responsibilities, which include greeting visitors and explaining exhibits.
An avid camper and hiker, Melanie grew up in a large Oregon family, which consists of three brothers, two sisters, and mom and dad. She is the fifth of the six siblings. No wonder Melanie fits in well with our myriad staff and volunteers.
At the university, she started, man-aged, and operated a small profitable company on cam-pus for 14 weeks, playing a key role in employee morale and obtaining a campus-wide presence. As a teacher assistant, she analyzed real and potential business case studies with 105 students, providing guided feedback.
“I’ve always loved organizing and being in leadership roles; in business management,” she said, “I hope I can really help people strengthen their talents on an individual and team level.”
She has had museum experience, too. At the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville (Oregon), Melanie served as the first point of contact for customers and trained new employees. She has become a valuable member of the team and will be missed when she leaves us in April.