Our Team
JWF Board of Directors
Rachel Melisa
President
Rachel is a lawyer, a mom, and an amateur pie baker. Though she chose to pursue a career in the law, her true passion has always been music — she grew up playing the piano and clarinet, and to this day takes refuge in listening to music of all kinds. Rachel also loves hiking, traveling, reading, and laughing about funny things with her family.
After graduating from University of Oregon School of Law in 2004, Rachel worked for two Oregon judges before moving to Washington, D.C. to work as a litigator at a large global law firm. Rachel returned to Portland in 2009 and began practicing environmental law with a focus on regulatory compliance. In 2020, she made another transition to join her family’s business, Melissa Data, as in-house counsel.
Rachel finds great joy in supporting the many talented artists in Portland’s music community, and is delighted to join the JWF in its mission to provide critical support for these artists.
Stacey Heath
Secretary
Two of the words Stacey’s loved ones would use to describe her are “good audience.” She’s a loud clapper, lifelong learner and music lover, despite surviving some tough teenage musical choices. She delights in humanity and imagination.
Stacey arrived in Portland in 2009 from DC where she had lived and worked in social change for decades. In Portland, she discovered a local scene with plenty to love and explore. Stacey works as an organization development consultant and leadership coach, emphasizing inter-group dynamics, and integrating somatic awareness and trauma-informed healing.
Stacey volunteers for Street Roots and with other great people, and is happy to join the Board of JWF. Volunteering with JWF allows Stacey an opportunity to give a little back to the local music community that has brought so much uplift, joy and heartbreak into her life.
Melanie Bobbett
Director
Melanie is a social worker with a career-long focus on advocating for people navigating our unduly complex social institutions. Through her experiences, Melanie developed her passion for supporting those who are enduring health crises to access basic needs, including affordable health care. In her current work as a hospital Patient Advocate, Melanie provides guidance, mediation, and resources to people facing challenging issues within their health care experience. Outside of her work and JWF volunteering, she also takes any action she can toward free, national health insurance for all.
In her spare time, Melanie is chasing her toddler around, enjoying the company of her little family, and getting outside to take in the beauty and calm of the Pacific Northwest which drew her to this place she calls home.
Although Melanie is not a musician herself, she holds a deep love of music for the personal joy and inspiration that it brings her, and a strong admiration for how musicians share their creative gifts with the world. She greatly appreciates how her work with The Jeremy Wilson Foundation to serve local musicians in need so beautifully combines her life-long connection to music with her professional calling.