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  • Home
  • Signature Keynotes
  • Work With Me
  • Board Work
  • Harnessing Purpose Book
  • TEDx Duluth
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Thought Leadership
  • Resources

BOARD SERVICE AND GOVERNANCE

I bring two decades of healthcare growth and commercial strategy to the boardroom, across senior living, behavioral health, health technology, and managed care. My governance work centers on growth through M&A and affiliation, executive succession, and overseeing reputation and stakeholder trust as an enterprise asset.

Authored Article: NACD Directorship | March 2026


Are Boards Living Up to the Promises Made to Stakeholders?


Reputation oversight has long sat with marketing and communications. When a broken promise can go public in seconds, it belongs with the board. This article lays out how trust holds when a company’s values, internal conduct, and customer experience stay aligned, and which early signals directors should watch, such as employee sentiment and complaint patterns, before a problem becomes a crisis.  


Link: Read on the National Association of Corporate Directors 

Authored Article: Private Directors Association | July 2026


Govern Reputation Like the Asset It Is


Private companies have no daily share price to flag reputational damage, so it often surfaces during a capital raise, a sale, or a major customer renewal. This piece makes the fiduciary case for governing reputation as an asset, outlines what audit, nominating and governance, and compensation committees should own, and shows how the work differs for PE-owned, family, ESOP, and founder-led companies.
Link: Read on the PDA blog

Board Credentials

  • NACD Directorship Certification (NACD.DC), National Association of Corporate Directors
  • Certificate in Private Company Governance, Private Directors Association
  • Professional Certificate in AI Governance, The Corporate Governance Institute
  • MBA, University of St. Thomas

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Copyright © 2026 Melissa Fors Shackelford - All Rights Reserved.

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