Melissa Schexnaydre (shhex-neye-der) joined AYPO in September 2022 as an Orchestra Manager after earning her B.M.Ed in Music Education with a Vocal Primary from Longwood University, her M.A. in Elementary Education from the College of William & Mary, and finally her second M.A. in Arts Management from George Mason University. Melissa performed at the Vatican in 2010 for Pope Benedict XVI and at the 2012 London Olympics. At Longwood, she served as Music Librarian for the choral department and performed in the annual Farmville Summer Garden Opera series. She also served as the Main Stage Chair for Mortar Board, hiring artists that included Post Malone and Aer. At W&M Melissa co-taught in a 5th grade classroom in Williamsburg and post-graduation went on to serve as a Choral Director at two middle schools in Hampton, VA. At George Mason, Melissa re-founded and led the Graduate Arts Management Society, programing social and learning events in the virtual realm for the Arts Management program. She was awarded the Arts Management Leadership Award in 2022 for her time at GMU. Melissa interned with Washington Performing Arts as the Education & Community Engagement Intern, overseeing WPA’s Summer FAM series and the Feder Memorial String Competition.

After taking some time off to start a family, Melissa rejoined AYPO in the fall of 2024 as our Marketing & Communications Coordinator, working to create a cohesive brand for AYPO as we move into the future.