Melinda joined US Chess in April 2017 as an assistant editor and is currently managing editor for all print publications. She served as the second female editor for Chess Life before stepping down in 2020, edited Chess Life Kids before moving into the managing editor role, and has been a freelance writer for both CLO and Chess Life since 2010. For her, chess is about forming connections and embracing its potential for inclusivity. Outside of chess, she enjoys yoga and kirtan (chanting), writing, and traveling. She's also a total foodie and a proud parent to three (now adult) children and rescue cats Gia and Jules. (Her middle child, Nicholas Rosenthal, was active in scholastic chess and served as the catalyst for her current path.) Before coming to US Chess, Melinda was an AmeriCorps VISTA and remained with her volunteer organization as a grant writer when her AmeriCorps term ended. Her background and education as both a journalist and an urban planner have shaped her career choices. She says, “Planning is another avenue toward building strong communities, a theme that seems to run through my life.”
