In episode 139, we chat with Melanie Falls, a member of the National Board of Directors for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), about the amazing work the organization has done and continues to do.
Melanie has been involved in advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community for over thirty-five years. She has worked on the lecture circuit throughout NE Ohio educating about the LGBTQ+ community. She has presented at NEOUCOM, University Hospital’s Medical School, Social Work and Counseling Conferences to name a few.
She is a founding member of Equality Ohio and served as Board Chair in 2007-2008. A general member of HRC for over ten years, she began active volunteering as a member of the Cleveland Gala Committee moving on to be the Gala Co-Chair for two years. As a member of the Cleveland Steering Committee, she held numerous positions including Steering Committee Co-Chair, Federal Club Tri-Chair and Diversity Equity and Inclusion liaison to the national office.
She has been an HRC Federal Club speaker for Cleveland, Columbus and St. Louis. Melanie served as an HRC Governor from 2015 to 2017 and has been on the National Board of Directors since 2017. As a National Director, she has co-chaired the National Public Policy Committee and served on the Board Diversity Committee and Board Development Committee. Melanie is a Licensed Independent Social Worker. She has worked extensively throughout Northeast Ohio in mental health counseling, foster care and adoption. Her expertise is in Trauma Treatment, Women’s Mental Health Issues, Marriage and Family therapy and LGBTQIA mental health and relationships concerns. Melanie retired in 2015 as the Executive Director of Applewood Centers, Inc. a child and family Mental health agency. Since retirement from Applewood Centers, Inc. she has been working as a private practitioner at Lifestance Health, a national mental health organization. She has been an adjunct professor and a program consultant at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.
Melanie has been legally married to her wife Tina for twenty-one years. They’ve been together for thirty years. Together they have raised Melanie’s four biological children, two sons and two daughters and have eight grandchildren. Grandparenting is their favorite and cherished pastime. Don’t ask them about their grandchildren unless you have a few hours to spare. Their intimate Sunday dinners often number 18.
Resources:
Connect with USS:
This episode was edited by Kevin Tanner. Learn more about him and his services here:
