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 connections “from local schools and community centers to far-flung corners of the world. It is perhaps the most inclusive sport I can imagine.” Outside of chess she says, “I love yoga and kirtan (chanting), writing, playing the clarinet and harmonium, and traveling to new places. I am a total foodie and a proud crazy cat parent to rescue cats Gia and Jules.” Before coming to US Chess, she 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. “Planning is another avenue toward building strong communities, a theme that seems to run through my life.”
