Pictured Above: Accomplished Tampa Bay resident Melissa Seixas looks forward to learning more about higher education while serving on the USF St. Petersburg Campus Board.
Courtesy of Melissa Seixas
By Annalise Anderson
Last December, USF St. Petersburg alumna Melissa Seixas was appointed to a four-year term on the St. Petersburg Campus Board.
Among other credentials, Seixas holds a master’s degree in history from USF St. Petersburg and is the vice president of government and community relations for Duke Energy Florida.
Her position in the Tampa Bay community has earned praise from President Steve Currall.
Currall deemed Seixas “an impressive advocate for the continued prosperity of our region.”
Seixas describes her first year on the board as interesting and educational.
“Since the BOT (Board of Trustees) approved my role in late 2019, I’ve only had one opportunity to participate in person,” Seixas said in an email to The Crow’s Nest. “Like every other organization or leadership group, our meetings have been held virtually. For me, the educational part centers on learning all the moving parts that create a vibrant and top-tier university system.”
During her term, Seixas aims to serve the campus community by listening, engaging and participating in challenging discussions, and lending her voice in celebration of its accomplishments.
Seixas also served as chair of the governance sub-committee for the USF Consolidation Task Force in 2018.
“As chair of the governance sub-committee, our team’s focus on transparency, accountability and empowered leadership applied to every aspect of becoming one university,” Seixas said. “I took the role very seriously and see my position on the campus advisory board as an extension of those commitments forged during consolidation.”
Seixas is hopeful for expanded programs and advanced degree opportunities for USF St. Petersburg students as a result of consolidation. She believes the campus will continue to thrive but warns that outside forces like COVID-19 will add a degree of difficulty.
Seixas completed her graduate studies at USF St. Petersburg in 1996. Today, she is proud to see that the campus has evolved into a mature, educational setting.
“Our campus has always been special by virtue of its geographic location, but with the addition of the student center, the new library and housing, it truly provides a college experience whether a student lives on campus or commutes,” Seixas said.
Still, she laments the retirements of campus leaders that played integral roles in its development over the years.
“Two recent major changes for me are the retirements of Professor Ray Arsenault (my graduate advisor) and Dr. Helen Levine,” she said. “Their presence will be felt for a very long time on our campus.”
She encourages current and prospective students to make Tampa Bay and USF St. Petersburg their home by expressing interest in the campus and sharing their talents with the local community.
Student leaders have the opportunity to speak with Seixas during the Chancellor’s Leadership Council Community Leader Speaker Series on Monday, Sept. 14.
