NSPRA is excited to welcome Melissa McConnell as the association’s new manager of professional development and member services.

In her role, McConnell, who recently retired from Belton (Mo.) School District #124 after 25 years of service, will manage and provide strategic development for NSPRA’s major professional development programs as well as oversee member engagement.

A longtime member of NSPRA, McConnell most recently served as the communications specialist for Belton School District #124, where she was responsible for the development and execution of the district’s communication strategy and outreach efforts. An advocate for the advancement of the school public relations profession, McConnell also served as the South Central Region vice president to the NSPRA Executive Board from 2020 to 2022, a position from which she has resigned to take on her new staff role.

McConnell will be the first to serve in the new role for the association.

McConnell has presented at both state and national conferences on the topics of stakeholder engagement, social media strategies, online professional development and more. She served as the Missouri School Public Relations Association (MOSPRA) Western Region director in 2018-2019 and the MOSPRA social media co-chair in 2018-2020. Prior to her tenure in school public relations, McConnell served as a technology integration specialist and library media specialist for Belton School District #124.