Melanie Landers is an alumni of California State University Fullerton with over 20 years of Marketing and Public Relations experience. She held an executive level position at a San Diego based ad agency and managed the advertising for the Zoological Society of San Diego. An entrepreneur, Melanie started her own Marketing company in 2004, Landers Hospitality Marketing, successfully serving clients within the California tourism industry. After her youngest child received an Autism diagnosis in 2005 she became a strong advocate within the special needs community of San Diego, and is a former member of the Rady’s Children’s Hospital North Coast Auxiliary Unit which supports many programs including the Autism Discovery Institute.Melanie co-founded a special education parent council in the Encinitas Union School District as well as a special education chapter of the Encinitas Education Foundation to provide support networks for families, inclusive student activities/events, and a forum for parents and school staff to share ideas for improving educational opportunities for students. In 2014 she received an “excellence in special education award” from the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education for her work on the Community Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Board of Directors at Beacons, Melanie served on the Club Beacons committee assisting with the development and implementation of that program.