Assistant Director, Fitness (2010-2017)

Melanee Wood dedicated the past seven years of her life as the Assistant Director for Fitness at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. Her job description was not one of responsibilities, but rather a parade of daily adventures in which she intentionally tried to educate and inspire everyone she came into contact with. She managed the day-to-day operations of our fitness zone, certification classes, fitness outreach, group fitness, and personal training programs before the fitness program altogether grew to the point of her position getting reclassified. She played an integral role in the measured growth of our fitness participation; having grown by 230 percent since she started. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention her impact on the Houston community and the intangible effects she had on the countless students she has mentored. Both on paper and in the air Melanee is a beacon of success for those who realize what she has done and what is capable of. She is from Cleveland, Ohio and graduated with a bachelor’s in Exercise Science and master’s in Adventure Recreation from Miami University in Ohio. She happened to meet the previous rec director in an elevator during a NIRSA conference and earned an informal interview the next day from her elevator pitch. She always exuded a passion for student development and felt it was her privilege to serve in that capacity. She enjoyed having teachable moments in which she gave her students the tools to make the informal decision on what best suits their needs. This dedicated effort created impactful moments that spurred the success of many students to attain further education and be positive additions to the work force. The rec was not only a place of work for Melanee but also a place where she turned her dreams into reality. She trained to compete in three bikini body building competitions, a full marathon, a triathlon, and 13 half marathons. “Before I got into fitness, I was obese. The start of my fitness journey was my personal weight loss. It empowered me to change my own life as it set me on a mission to help others to live the best they can because I’ve experienced it myself and know how amazing it is.” Melanee is now an entrepreneur and owner of a personal meal prep business, Made By Mel. She makes easy, healthy, and tasty accessible meals. We will miss you Melanee and wish you the best of luck in your business!