As the Founder and Chief PR Maven of Tadpole Communications, MELISSA SANDERS specializes in entertainment and lifestyle PR, and also works in industries including non-profit, education, and professional services. She is a master storyteller who is also a solution-oriented, creative and highly-driven communications strategist accustomed to working with teams across complex organizations to achieve goals.

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS

With an extensive career in public relations and marketing, Melissa has lived in markets including New York City, Atlanta and the San Francisco Bay Area. Since opening in 2015, her PR agency has provided public relations services for clients and projects including ESL FACEIT Group (DreamHack, ESL, DreamHack Sports Games), the Olympic Virtual Series, Politan Row, Fox Theatre, PC&E, People Store, Crafty Apes, Moonshine Post-Production, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industry Institute, University of Georgia, CAMP stores, Fine Hygienic Holding, John Driskell Hopkins (Zac Brown Band), Houston Outlaws, Primal Screen, DeKalb Entertainment Commission, Atlanta Pops Orchestra, among many others. She has also worked to activate a number of partnerships and promotional events in collaboration with organizations including: SXSW, The Recording Academy, PAX West, Coca-Cola, Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, American Express, MasterCard, New York Yankees, Qualcomm, AT&T, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Home Depot Foundation, Arby’s Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, plus wineries, breweries, food banks, venues, museums, tourism boards, and more. 

Prior to launching Tadpole Communications, she led the public relations teams of the internationally-acclaimed New York Philharmonic (New York City, NY) and its concerts, international tours, record label and television broadcasts; the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, and Youth Orchestra (Atlanta, GA), as well as its concerts, record label, touring, Chastain Amphitheater, and opening of Ameris Bank Amphitheatre; and The Green Music Center (San Francisco / Sonoma County, CA) and its venues, concerts and events, including the opening of Schroeder Hall. 

VOLUNTEER AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

As an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Melissa has served on its National Executive Committee for the Entertainment and Sports Section, and her agency’s work has been awarded PRSA Phoenix Awards. She is Vice Chair of Communications for Women in Music Atlanta, Former PR Chair of both Georgia Music Partners and Georgia Production Partnership, Co-Founder of the Georgia Entertainment PR Alliance (GEPRA); and is also a member of The Recording Academy (The GRAMMYs®), the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (The Emmys®), and Women in Film and Television Atlanta (WIFTA). Melissa has also served as a guest lecturer at various universities and is a former musician, former athlete, and a proud alumnus of The Ohio State University (B.A. in Journalism / Public Relations) and The Ohio State University Marching Band.