MELISSA RICHEY
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Working with GYC’s executive director, Melissa provides strategic coordination and leadership across GYC’s program, development, communications, finance, and operations departments and directly supervises the finance and development teams. She works with and supports GYC’s Board of Directors and builds and maintains relationships with major donors, foundations, and external partners. Melissa is also a member of GYC’s Leadership Team.
Melissa grew up in Kentucky but has a long connection to Bozeman and the Intermountain West. Her great, great grandparents moved their family to Bozeman in the early 1900s and she still has distant relatives in the area. Melissa has more than two decades of experience in conservation nonprofit and higher education major donor fundraising and worked for great organizations like Duke University School of Law and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Global Conservation Program before coming to GYC. Melissa has a B.S. in Biology from Centre College, an M.P.A. from North Carolina State University, and a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University.
When she’s not at work, Melissa can be found trying to keep up with her husband and son on skis, bike, or foot. She is also perpetually trying to grow tomatoes in Zone 4.
Favorite Greater Yellowstone Animal: Badger
Favorite GYC Conservation Win: GYC’s partnership with Yellowstone Forever and Yellowstone National Park to expand Yellowstone’s bison quarantine facility. The expansion diverts Yellowstone bison from slaughter and relocates brucellosis-free bison to Tribal and public lands.
Favorite Season in Greater Yellowstone: Summer in Greater Yellowstone is magnificent. I love the wildflowers and getting out in the mountains. We also do an annual backcountry kayak trip in Yellowstone, which is super special.
