Biography

Melissa Bond is the Extension Director for Community, Arts, & Economic Development at the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. She supports twenty one arts-affiliated professionals across Kentucky in advancing arts engagement, education, and community development.

Her work also focuses on disaster preparedness for the cultural sector. She co-leads the Kentucky Heritage Emergency Response Network (KHERN), a statewide coalition that equips arts and heritage organizations with tools for cultural emergency planning and response. She has organized workshops and coordinated resources following major disasters and served as a planning organizer for the National Arts Crisis & Disaster Preparedness Conference.

Melissa has directed national initiatives such as the USDA-supported Rural America Placemaking Toolkit and Conference. She is pursuing a PhD in Arts Administration at the University of Kentucky and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Western Kentucky University and the University of the Cumberlands.