Melinda Kneeland, BS

Melinda has a holistic view of child wellbeing that is rooted in strengthening the natural resilience of children, their families, and our communities. As the senior assessment manager, Melinda provides leadership, consultation, coaching, and implementation support to organizations across identified sectors.

Melinda came to the Center from the United Way of Greater Plymouth County, where she served as the director of Community Connections of Brockton and The Family Center. She oversaw the Community Connections program and the Family Center teams as they worked toward achieving their goals and mission of strengthening families, building communities, and preventing child abuse and neglect. In partnership with the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, The Family Center launched the Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Initiative under her leadership in 2018. The DEC Initiative was designed to meet the needs of children and their families who were impacted by substance misuse, enhance resources for community stakeholders, and advocate for resources to promote resilience and recovery.

Melinda has 18 years of experience providing community-based services to youth, families, and individuals. Previous to her work at the United Way of Greater Plymouth County, she served as quality coordinator at Brockton Area Multi Services, Inc. (BAMSI).

Melinda earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston’s College of Public and Community Service with concentrations in human services and non-profit management.