Melissa Nemec
Program Director
Melissa Nemec currently serves as Program Director of The Gambrell Foundation. Melissa works closely with the Foundation team, grantee organizations, and trusted partners to further the Foundation’s commitment to transform Charlotte and beyond into a beacon of human flourishing.
Before joining The Gambrell Foundation team, Melissa served as Executive Assistant to Brian Collier during his time as Executive Vice President of Community Programs & Civic Leadership at Foundation For The Carolinas. Melissa provided direct support to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation, Cole Foundation, Community Foundation of Richmond County, Foundation for a Healthy Carolina, A Way Home Endowment, and Children’s Medical Fund boards and grant programs. Melissa also served a critical supporting role in a variety of special projects, including the Arts Infusion Fund, Knight Arts Tech Infusion Fund, and Beyond Open.
Prior to entering the foundation world, Melissa’s career focused on social media marketing, public relations, and influencer marketing, with roles at Social Ape Marketing, Tech Talent South, and PureRED Marketing. She enjoyed working with clients such as Legion Brewing, Lowe’s, Rich & Bennett (known for the largest St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl), WORX, and Northwood Retail.
Melissa lives in East Charlotte with her husband, two sons, and their pets, Waffles & Goose. Melissa’s hobbies include reading (her Goodreads goal for 2026 is 60 books), digging into astrology, keeping up with pop culture, needlepointing, playing Mahjong, and spending time with friends and family.
On Melissa’s Desk
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive—which they don’t have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play.
by Priya Parker
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Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose
In this groundbreaking work, Wallace makes an urgent case: mattering—the feeling that we are valued and have an opportunity to add value—is a core human need, as essential to our well-being as food and water. And yet, in today’s world, that fundamental need is going unmet, with perilous consequences. As mental and social health crises surge, we often blame social media, the pace of modern life, and polarizing politics. But beneath these issues lies a deeper crisis, what Wallace calls “an erosion of mattering.”
by Jennifer Breheny Wallace
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The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore
An affectionate and engaging history of the American bookstore and its central place in American cultural life, from department stores to indies, from highbrow dealers trading in first editions to sidewalk vendors, and from chains to special-interest community destinations
by Evan Friss
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Democracy in Retrograde
At this fragile moment in history, Emily Amick, lawyer and former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside New York Times bestselling author and Betches Media cofounder Sami Sage, want to reframe civic engagement as a form of self-care: an assertion of one’s values and self-respect. This book is not just about voting, but about claiming your singular place in your country and community.
by Sami Sage and Emily Amick
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