Melissa Fuller

Good one. Moi. Hi.

Much of my time is spent thinking about where our region is moving and whether we're asking ourselves the right questions to get there. In my role as leader of the Internationalization and Innovation teams at NOM, I'm not involved in every initiative; I focus on the bigger picture: setting direction and ensuring that our strategy actually strengthens the region in the long term. For me, leadership is about perspective, not hierarchy. Creating clarity, asking the right questions and staying on course together.

In previous years I have worked within education, hospitality and the semi-public sector on innovation and optimization. Improving systems and future-proofing organizations were the common thread in my career. I am naturally curious and love ideas. I ask questions about how things work, why they develop the way they do, and how insights from different domains can reinforce each other. A conversation with me can just take unexpected turns and usually lasts just a little longer than planned.

I grew up in the mountains of Idaho, with skis under my feet and the rustle of aspen along a river calling for fly fishing. Northern Idaho has now been my home for 25 years. I can lose myself for hours in geographic maps, genealogy or cooking. I am always looking for connections, origins and new combinations.

Most importantly: I am a mother of two wonderful young adults who are now shaping their own life paths. It is inspiring to see how they make their own choices, ask their own questions and design their future in their own way. That is innovation in its most personal form.