Melissa Drake

Melissa Drake has a diverse work experience in various museum and historical organizations. Melissa began their career as a Software Educator at The Reynolds and Reynolds Company, where they created interactive software walkthroughs and collaborated with the translation department. Melissa then worked as a Curatorial Intern at The Heritage Society, where they conducted inventory and planned temporary exhibits. Next, Melissa served as a Human Resources Assistant at MetroNational, providing support in HR, payroll, and benefits.

Melissa has also worked in several museum settings. Melissa was an Educator at the Old North Church & Historic Site, presenting living history programs and writing for the chocolate shop blog. At The Sports Museum, they worked as a Museum Assistant, conducting educational tours and providing administrative support. Melissa then joined the Lexington Historical Society as a Weekend Manager, supervising staff, administering the volunteer program, and leading kids programming.

Melissa worked as a Collections Intern at The Fairbanks House, followed by a Buchanan Burnham Public History Fellowship at the Newport Historical Society. Their responsibilities included collection management and public history engagement.

Most recently, Melissa has been employed at the Buttonwoods Museum as a Museum Educator. In this role, they planned and delivered a wide range of public and private programs, updated existing offerings, and managed the museum's social media accounts. Currently, they are serving as the Assistant Manager of Interpretation & Visitor Services at the USS Constitution Museum.

Melissa Drake attended Carleton College from 2007 to 2011, where they earned a Bachelor of Arts - BA degree with a focus on History. In 2014, they enrolled at Northeastern University and completed their studies in 2016. At Northeastern, they earned a Master of Arts - MA degree in Public/Applied History.