Martin brings a wealth of experience and solid understanding of the district's operations to this role. She joined MACS in 2014 as a cafeteria employee. In her 10+ years, she has served as a bus driver, data manager/receptionist, workers’ compensation associate, health benefits representative, and school nutrition supervisor for the past nine years.
Executive Director of Operations Emily Hardy expressed, “Melissa has been an integral part of our school nutrition program for many years. She has an exceptional work ethic and a passion for this program. As a strong and promising leader, we are confident that she will guide our school nutrition department with vision and purpose, ensuring our students and staff continue to receive the nutritious meals they need to succeed every day.”
While she has mastered various aspects of reporting, accounting, and software applications, Martin can often be found assisting others. She jumps in when needed in cafeterias, has been a bus driver for athletic teams in the evenings, and recently spent time with students to discover what they like and dislike about food choices across the district. She supports managers and employees who serve nutritious meals to students and staff. Her hard work and dedication earned her the 2018-2019 School Nutrition Employee of the Year and the 2024-2025 School Nutrition Employee of the Year by her peers.
Martin shared, “God has truly opened up a new journey in my life (Faith over Fear). I'm so thankful and blessed beyond measure to work for Mount Airy City Schools. I just want to thank everyone for the help and encouragement along the way to get where I'm at. My goal is to feed the students and staff a healthy meal with a smile on my face and a wonderful environment to work.”
She will continue to work closely with Watson in this transition period and officially begin her role on July 1, 2025.