Welcome Melissa Fried!

Melissa Fried has worked with various Nonprofits for most of her life. At a young age, she was involved in various camps as a camper, wrangler, counselor, and program creator. At the young age of 16, Melissa worked as a wrangler with the YMCA and assisted in developing the first Cowboy Camp program that is still running today. It was then that her love for the nonprofit world began.

Over the past decade, Melissa has worked for several nonprofits as a parent educator, life skills coach, and resource coordinator, leading efforts in achieving blue ribbon status. Additionally, Melissa owned an operated her own business for many years where she had the pleasure of managing volunteers and staff while organizing events and fundraisers.
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Melissa completed her bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management with an emphasis in community recreation and her masters degree in Family Life Education. In 2022, Melissa earned her doctorate in Leadership in Innovation and Continuous Improvement.
Melissa has been married to her husband, David, since 2002 and they have four beautiful and intelligent daughters, Chloe, Layla, Glory, and Paisley. She was born and raised in Arizona and after spending the last 4 years in Washington State, she is happy to be back in the Valley of the Sun. Melissa is both excited and proud to represent Swift Youth Foundation and looks forward to the future.