Melinda Cadwallader

As a seasoned creative professional with mastery in craft, team development, and strategic communications leadership, and with over 20 years of leadership in the beauty industry and trades education, my passion for designing engaging learning experiences, apprenticeship models, and leadership development programs for diverse groups of creative professionals continues to bloom. At the core of my leadership experience is a high value for human flourishing, reflective of a zest for clear communications, appreciative evaluation processes, and attunement to flows that advance both people and processes. 

I specialize in creating experiential learning and sensory experiences within:

• onboarding programs
• internships and apprenticeships
• beauty, spa, and wellness startups
• employee life-cycle
• internal communication systems
• intrapreneurship opportunities

A recent master’s in strategic communications from Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies sits atop two decades of trades education leadership, where I curated and facilitated instructional designs that were rooted in experiential and sensory learning.  I thrive in cultures of excellence, where continuing education and focus on designing and maintaining robust internal communications systems, flows. Human flourishing within every stage of the employee life cycle is embedded into my leadership values. I strive to understand people, processes, and shared goals, for a leadership attuned to human-centered, and creative problem-solving. 

My studies prepared me for creating and leading communications through:

• designing and implementing onboarding systems
• facilitating group learning
• inclusive language arts
• intersectional and intercultural communications
• communication products (I.e., brochures, worksheets, training videos)
• instructional designs and presentations