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Melissa Felder is responsible for the museum’s earned revenue and marketing strategy, including branding, design, advertising, communications, sales programs, membership, retail, dining, as well as exhibits. She leads a dynamic division that drives museum attendance and strengthens recognition and understanding of all that the Academy has to offer its diverse audiences. Through digital communications channels, including web, email, and online publications, and on-site museum product offerings, her team provides critical ongoing financial support to further the institution's mission to explore, explain, and sustain life on Earth. Drawing upon the Academy’s one-of-a-kind exhibits, educational programs, and scientific authority, she aims to inspire curiosity about science and the future of the natural world among all who encounter the institution. Felder contributes her expertise outside the Academy as well, serving as the Museums & Science Center Chair for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and on the host committee for the American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) 2020 conference in San Francisco. She is also a frequent speaker on marketing, branding, pricing, and revenue optimization at trade association conferences around the country.

Felder joined the Academy in April 2012, bringing an extensive background in consumer marketing, sales, and operations with a variety of large corporations as well as start-ups. She has driven significant revenue and deepened consumer engagement for leading brands in the financial services, packaged goods, and technology sectors. Most recently, Felder was Vice President of Sales and Operations at AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah, where she was responsible for the strategy, marketing, and sales for membership, travel, and insurance agency operations. There, she led the transformation of sales and service staff effectiveness at over 100 retail locations, resulting in growth, improved productivity, and customer satisfaction. She began her career in market research with Kraft and then moved through marketing positions with Nabisco and Tropicana-Dole before becoming a Vice President of Marketing with Del Monte. After Del Monte, she led marketing for successful start-ups Snapfish.com and Posit Science.

Felder earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she also received her Masters of Business Administration in Marketing.