Meet the Team: Anthony Melf

We head into the home stretch of Wilkes-Barre POWER!'s Meet the Team series with none other than everyone's favorite director of outreach and event planning, Anthony Melf!

Where do we even begin with spotlighting this man?

POWER! as we know it today wouldn't be what it is without the events committee that Anthony leads. Reaching out to local restaurants, facilitating the featured nonprofits and their speakers, and incorporating photo contests and gift card giveaways into our networking events - all of this falls under the purview of Anthony Melf and his committee of Jules Perhacs, Janelle Milius, and Sarah Evans.

It's a fair amount of work! But Anthony and the committee get it done time after time, and we couldn't be more grateful.

If you somehow haven't met Anthony's smiling face at a POWER! event before, here's your chance to get the scoop.

Everyone: meet Anthony Melf!

Your career so far has involved numerous positions requiring you to collaborate directly with others to help them achieve something. Do you enjoy working closely with people?

Anthony Melf: I'm definitely a people person. I have always enjoyed getting to know other people, understanding their perspectives, and collaborating towards shared goals. I believe projects and tasks benefit from different viewpoints.

It's important to me that people feel seen and valued in the work they do, and if I can play a small part in creating that type of culture where I'm at, in whatever role I'm in, then I'll do that.

Personally, I feel drawn to the principle of service whether I'm volunteering directly for a nonprofit/community partner or aspiring to be a servant leader, working in support of my colleagues or clients/customers. "How can I support you?" is one of my favorite go-to questions.

We have so much to learn from each other, and we often learn a lot about ourselves when we show up for other people.

What professional skills have you worked the hardest to develop?

Anthony Melf: As confident as I may seem while public speaking and communicating, that wasn't always the case. I attribute my growth in many ways to high school speech and debate and Upward Bound, a federal TRIO program, at Wilkes University. These programs taught me foundational skills and developed my sense of self and overall confidence.

Sometimes, our strengths are forged from our innermost struggles and personal challenges. There are certainly many skills I could still work hard to improve, but I'm proud of the skills I've honed over the years and employ with confidence daily.

What do you still want to achieve in your career?

Anthony Melf: While I reflect on my professional goals with relevant frequency, the details and scope vary. My perspective evolves with the experiences I'm having.

That said, as a continuous learner, I want to further my education. I want to write more. And ultimately, I want to continue to connect with other people through my work. I want to look back at my career with gratitude for the diversity of experiences I've had, the people I met along the way, and the positive impact I contributed to, whether it was on an individual level or in my community.

Did I make the places I saw and people I met brighter? Did I hold space for others to be themselves and believe in themselves? Of course, there are tangible components to goals to make them measurable.

But I often think of the Maya Angelou quote, "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

What gives you passion in life?

Anthony Melf: I derive passion from our shared human experience. How cool is it that we all get to be here and experience this world together? How comforting to know we're not alone in our darkest hour.

I find inspiration in the arts, which foster empathy, and in travel for the perspective that nothing is quite as big as it feels. There's far more to explore and know than we'll ever get to.

Of course, I reflect on my family and chosen family of friends. They help me see the world and understand it in all its nuances, and inspire me to act and be involved in my community, in our community.

Tell us about your Director of Outreach and Event Planning role on the Wilkes-Barre POWER! board of directors.

Anthony Melf: As Director of Outreach and Event Planning, I work closely with a committee of volunteers (Janelle, Jules, and Sarah) and the Board to identify local venues to host our monthly networking events.

We also identify local nonprofits and community-based organizations to feature at each month's event. The featured organization has an opportunity to speak with our members, sharing who they are and how we can best support them, whether there's an upcoming fundraising event or volunteer opportunity.

After confirming our venue and featured partner, we coordinate details from social media promotion to light fare and drink specials to the layout in the room and speaking times.

What makes Director of Outreach and Event Planning the right position for you?

Anthony Melf: At POWER!, I believe strongly in how we use our platform to support local businesses and highlight area nonprofits and community initiatives.

As Director of Outreach and Event Planning, I enjoy having a direct role in making those connections happen so we can achieve a positive impact, uplifting our partners by bringing people together.

How can people reach you for networking or to say hello?

Anthony Melf: People can reach me by email at melfanthony@gmail.com, on LinkedIn, or at an upcoming POWER! event.

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Written by Michael Ruth

Michael is a professional writer and digital marketer whose areas of expertise include branding content, content marketing, and SEO. He is the founder of 1900 Digital Marketing LLC and the director of content marketing at Wilkes-Barre POWER!