Melanie O’Keefe

Senior Consultant

pronouns: she, her, hers, they, them, theirs

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As a Senior Consultant at Development Guild, Melanie draws upon her consulting experience and her passion for mission-driven organizations to support our clients in hiring exceptional leaders and growing philanthropy to further their missions. Her client projects include: Cambridge Health Alliance, Friends of the High Line, Noble & Greenough School, Open Medicine Foundation, Rosie’s Place, The Trustees.

She previously held roles at the Italian Home for Children, where she began as a Therapeutic Mentor before becoming a HR/Recruitment Specialist, and with the Peace Corps, as a Community Health Specialist in Paraguay.

Melanie earned her B.S. in Exercise Science from Elon University and her M.B.A. in Social Impact from The Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. While at Brandeis, Mel consulted to Mass Audubon to develop recommendations to meet the organization’s environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality goals.

Outside of the office, Mel volunteers with HeadCount, a national nonprofit that promotes voter registration through the power of music, and serves as a board member at The Superkids Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching leadership, life skills, and literacy to young people in Paraguay. Mel enjoys spending time in nature and the kitchen – whether she’s finding plants to propagate, brewing her own kombucha, or refining pickling recipes. She’s also an avid traveler – her last solo trip included Brazil, Colombia, Panama, the San Blas Islands, Costa Rica, and Guatemala!