Melanie Ford

Melanie is Director of Construction for the Office of the University Architects at the University of Georgia (UGA). Her responsibilities are varied and include general oversight of capital construction projects and major renovations on UGA’s campus; creating and reviewing budgets and contracts; overseeing the task order contractor program and construction management selection process; reviewing design submittals; and overseeing inspections and compliance with UGA’s Design and Construction Standards. Melanie also works with various campus facilities management departments, particularly Operations & Maintenance, to improve and to develop improved methods for dissemination and communication of information needed for long-term facilities care and maintenance.

Melanie received a Bachelor of Science in Building Science at Auburn University, then began her career with Winter Construction in Atlanta, later moving to Athens (GA) to start a Winter satellite office. She eventually left to work with Whitsel Construction Services (Danielsville, GA), where she had an opportunity to become Vice President and a partner in the firm. Her career there focused on historic preservation and adaptive use projects for both the public and private sector. She joined the UGA team in 2007 and earned a Master’s in Historic Preservation from UGA in 2016 while working full-time. She is currently completing a Master’s in Landscape Architecture.

Melanie is President of the Georgia chapter of COAA and the founder and President of the Athens Area Women in Construction, a non-profit corporation that focuses on educating the next generation of young women about careers in the construction industry. She speaks frequently at industry conferences, such as GAPPA, GASFA, and COAA.