WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Melody Hubbell has been named the new director of development at Missouri State University-West Plains.

Hubbell, who has been the campus’ assistant director of development since June 2013 and served as interim director of development since Nov. 1, will take over the director’s duties full time on Jan. 4. Her hiring is subject to approval of the Missouri State University Board of Governors.

“We are very pleased with the selection of Melody Hubbell as the new director of development,” Missouri State-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett said. “She has worked in the office for four and a half years and is currently serving as interim director. In her role as assistant director, she was involved in almost all aspects of the development office and made significant contributions to the successes of the department. We are confident that she will continue these successes and work diligently to direct our fundraising efforts and increase our partnerships in the community.”

As the assistant director of development, Hubbell supervised the implementation of the campus’ Annual Fund, as well as the creation of its promotional literature, volunteer training and event planning. She visited with donors one-on-one to seek their support of a variety of programs, including the Grizzly Booster Club and Philanthropic Women for Education, and she served as staff adviser for Future Alumni Organization.

She provided strategic management for multiple events and meetings, including the 50th Anniversary Gala, annual homecoming activities for alumni, the Chancellor’s Holiday Reception, Grizzly Trivia Night, Herb Lunday Grizzly Golf Classic, the annual Scholarship Luncheon and True Blue Auction, to name a few.

In addition, Hubbell managed development and alumni relations social and digital media presence, wrote content for newsletters and development publications, designed invitations and flyers for various development and alumni events, and planned and implemented award programs for Distinguished Alumni, Distinguished Faculty/Staff, Grizzly Track Award and Grizzly Hall of Fame.

Prior to joining Missouri State-West Plains, Hubbell spent over five years as a public relations specialist at The Communications Group in Little Rock, Arkansas. In her position, she worked on health-related campaigns and programs for such entities as Healthy Families, ARKids First, Delta Regional Authority and BreastCare. In her work with Healthy Families, Hubbell led her team to raise more than $450,000 in one year to be distributed over four years.

She also served as a public relations intern at Weber Shandwick in Dallas, Texas; a public relations associate at Craighead County Public Library in Jonesboro, Arkansas, as public relations assistant at Arkansas State University (ASU) in Jonesboro, a volunteer event planner for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a volunteer public relations intern with Air Evac Lifeteam, both in West Plains.

A 2003 graduate of West Plains High School, Hubbell received her Bachelor of Science in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Graphic Design from ASU in 2007 and her Master of Science in Community and Economic Development from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in 2014.

Hubbell is an active member of the Public Relations Society of America and the West Plains Downtown Revitalization Board, and she is currently serving as a coach with the West Plains Soccer Association.

“I am honored to be selected as the Director of Development for Missouri State-West Plains,” Hubbell said. “This community has been my home from birth and I am ecstatic to help the campus prosper as well as make a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

She and her husband, Marc, have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, Lucy.