Trail Manager
Paint Creek Trailways Commission

As Michiganders coped with the COVID-19 pandemic, Melissa Ford saw unprecedented numbers of people visiting the Paint Creek Trail, where she serves as manager of the trail.

The 8.9-mile trail has played an important role in the physical and mental health of residents as they sought a recreational outlet during the pandemic. In her four years leading the important link to trails across the county, she's spearheaded the replacement of a pedestrian bridge, resurfaced the entire trail, installed a pollinator garden, facilitated the trail's rebranding and added several new amenities including audio signs, bike fix-it stations, information kiosks and Free Little Libraries.

Before joining the trail, Ford was an archivist of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University, where she also served as adjunct faculty in the history department.

She also runs the Pillow Fight Sleepover Company, a tent rental company specializing in sleepovers for children five years and older.

She earned a bachelor's degree from Albion College and a master's degree from Loyola University in Chicago. She served on the Rochester Master Plan Steering Committee, was a consultant to the Michigan Sugar Company Archives Project and was a member of U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin's Environmental Advisory Board.

She lives in Lake Orion with her husband and their three daughters.

The information presented here was accurate as of January 1, 2022.