Melissa Roberts
The Board of Directors of Birthplace of Country Music announces the appointment of Melissa L. Roberts as the organization’s new executive director. An experienced leader in the community, Roberts most recently served as executive director of Appalachian Promise Alliance, based in Bristol, and previously held the executive director position at Symphony of the Mountains in Kingsport, Tennessee. BCM is the parent organization of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, and WBCM Radio Bristol.
“On behalf of the BCM Board of Directors, I am happy to welcome Ms. Roberts to BCM,” said Brent Treash, chair of the BCM Board. “Melissa is an outstanding leader with deep experience and a proven history of driving results in the nonprofit sector. We are excited to have someone of her caliber join our team, and we are confident that her vision, dedication and knowledge of our region will help us continue to foster sustainable growth, elevate our programs and create new opportunities for the organization’s continued success.”
While at Appalachian Promise Alliance, Roberts expanded the organization’s service area to include eight counties in Northeast Tennessee, five counties in Southwest Virginia, and partnerships in 54 out of 55 counties in West Virginia, helping them to achieve Silver Level Recognition in the state of Tennessee as a “Better Workplace.”
Roberts earned her M.S. in nonprofit administration from Louisiana State University, graduating with a 4.0 GPA, and graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in mass communications from Emory & Henry College. She has held seats on a number of boards and committees, including serving as Board Vice-Chair at Bristol Regional Medical Center and Co-Chair of Regional Resilience Committee for STRONG Accountable Care Community. Roberts is also a member of Rotary and National Society of Leadership and Success.
“I am honored to join BCM at such an exciting time,” said Roberts. “I have long admired the work of BCM and everything the organization has done to contribute to the growth and prosperity of Bristol’s downtown and the region. I am eager to contribute my experience to the growth of the organization, which includes completion of the expansion of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and looking ahead to the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. I look forward to working with the dedicated staff, board and community partners to continue to serve our region and advance our mission of music.”
BCM looks forward to the leadership and strategic vision that Roberts brings to the organization as it continues to perpetuate and promote the legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings.
For more information about BCM, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.
