In 2009, Melinda co-founded Connecticut Experiential Learning Center (CELC), which served for fourteen years as an experientially-based middle school, now provides academic coaching/tutoring and a variety of hands-on experiences for students of all ages. Melinda became certified as a Level One Kingian Nonviolence trainer in 2009 at University of Rhode Island, under the direction of Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. former strategist for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She is a founding member of the Board of Directors of CT Center for Nonviolence (CTCN). Through CTCN, Melinda shares the teaching of nonviolence to inspire people to learn to live and work together with reverence and respect.
Combining her experiences as an educator with a lifelong passion for travel, Melinda is a Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) with The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and Signature Travel Expert. Doing business as, With Heart Travel, she puts her heart into creating meaningful and memorable experiences for families, couples, groups, and individuals. Melinda offers to incorporate a With Heart travel experiences for her clients through a “giving exchange” designed to connect traveler with those in the local area. As a Pickleball player and travel expert, Melinda also runs Carpe Dink’em Pickleball Vacation Adventures, designing pickleball-focused trips for groups and individuals. Often these trips also support Doctors without Borders and other valuable causes.