I didn't know Mel for long but in the short time I knew her, I immediately knew she was one of the most special people I would ever come across in WAGGGS. I joined WAGGGS in 2021, she was the Leadership Practice Lead volunteer and I was her staff partner in leading the efforts to mainstream the Leadership Model throughout the work of the Global team and Member Organisations.

Mel was absolutely instrumental in making me feel immediately at home in WAGGGS, despite me not having been a guide or WAGGGS volunteer prior to joining. She had a wealth of knowledge across many fields which she shared generously (local to national to international practices in guiding, intercultural perspective, shared leadership, training and facilitation, etc..). She was so passionate about our mission of empowering girls to live to their fullest potential, and always caring and attentive to the needs and wants of the volunteers under her guidance. She was so, so, so capable and committed, able to think broadly and strategically but also with a keen eye for detail and nuance. But perhaps most impressively, she was a real joy to be in a team with: empathetic, understanding, transparent, positive and immensely fun! I always looked forward to our weekly check-ins.

She was a true example of a leader, an inspiration and someone I will always look up to (even though she would never want to be seen as anything but an equal partner!). I could go on for ages about how lucky I was (we all were) to have her cross our paths even if just for a brief window in time. She was truly one of a kind, left an immense mark in the world and will be dearly missed in our hearts.

I will forever cherish the memories of many fun moments planning and dreaming big online and a few in-person ones too, including a beaming Mel watching over the great dance moves of Ned and Barney at our wedding's dancefloor!