Melissa Strovers

Melissa Strovers serves as the Director of Community Development in Grinnell College’s Office of Community Partnerships, Planning, and Research. In this role, she works to align college and community resources in ways that strengthen the local economy, support working families, and promote long-term vitality across the region.

Melissa brings more than a decade of experience in community building, strategic planning, and coalition development. She is widely recognized for leading the nationally acclaimed Grinnell Education Partnership, a collaborative initiative that has promoted early literacy, family services, and workforce readiness in the area since 2015.

Melissa played a key leadership role in the revitalization of Poweshiek Economic Development Collaborative and currently serves as the board’s secretary. She has also facilitated strategic planning efforts for numerous local organizations, including the Grinnell Food Coalition, Drake Community Library, Grinnell United Way, and the Build A Better Grinnell 2030 visioning project.

Prior to her work at Grinnell College, Melissa served as Executive Director of Imagine Grinnell. In 2019, she was honored by the Governor’s Office with the National Service Manager Award for her leadership and commitment to building local resources.

As past president of the Grinnell United Way, Melissa currently serves on the statewide United Ways of Iowa board. She was appointed by the Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors to the Local Board of Health, where she is completing a three-year term. She serves on the Grinnell Advisory Committee for the Empowerment Command Center-Grinnell, a prevention center for community members in need of social and economic support services. She was also selected to participate in the Leadership Iowa Class of 2024–25 by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, providing her with the opportunity to represent and promote the region alongside emerging leaders from across the state.

Melissa holds a B.A. in Communications from Oklahoma Christian University and an M.P.A. from Drake University.