MELISSA ENGLAND
Senior Director, Consumer Public Relations
The Wonderful Company

Melissa is the past president of PRSA-LA and Senior Director of Consumer Public Relations at The Wonderful Company where she oversees all public-facing campaigns for the company’s iconic brands, which include Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos, POM Wonderful, FIJI Water, JUSTIN Wines, and Teleflora, among others.

With more than 10 years in the PR field, her work has spanned consumer products, special events, non-profits, and corporate entertainment, always taking an integrated approach that combines the powers of traditional media relations with the global reach of digital strategies, thought leadership and the personal connection of grassroots and stakeholder communications.

Prior to The Wonderful Company, Melissa was an Associate Vice President at Finn Partners, where she launched the firm’s Los Angeles-based Corporate and Entertainment Practice in 2014. Under this practice, she helped the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) pass the biggest piece of music legislation in the past 40 years through grassroots advocacy efforts that connected artists, producers, songwriters, and studio professionals to Congress, while generating media coverage and social media call-to-actions. She also led D&I campaigns with Easterseals Disability Services to help Hollywood be more inclusive, and oversaw media relations and outreach for its tentpole events – the Media Access Awards and Easterseals Disability Film Challenge.

Some other great campaigns Melissa has had the pleasure of working on include spreading #pretzelperfect love with Auntie Anne’s, introducing healthy new menu items for Jamba Juice and Moe’s Southwest Grill, launching the animal welfare programs at Whole Foods Markets, introducing Dole Packaged Foods’ Fruit Bowls and Smoothie Shakers to the grocery store aisles, establishing Bosch home appliances as the leading dishwasher brand in America, helping find a cure childhood cancer with Hyundai Hope on Wheels, unveiling world debuts as part of the L.A. Auto Show, and hosting more than 60 top entertainment leaders for two days of panels with the U.S. China Film and T.V. Industry Expo.

She believes that every PR pro should have a strong understanding for the history and legacy of PR, especially when it comes to writing, but also be well-versed and ready to adapt to the continually changing digital age that is changing the future of PR on a daily basis.

Melissa graduated from California State University, Northridge as a double major with degrees in Journalism, with an emphasis in Public Relations, and Communication Studies.  She lives in Encino with her husband and two young children.