Melissa McKinney Leads Forsyth Tech Foundation as New Board Chair

Melissa McKinney believes a college education should open doors. A degree matters, she says, but the real goal is helping students build careers to support their families. That belief guides her work as the new chair of the Forsyth Tech Foundation board.

McKinney, an attorney in the Trusts and Estates Practice Group at Blanco Tackabery, joined the foundation board nearly two years ago. She was drawn to Forsyth Tech by its deep roots in the region and its focus on giving students practical skills they can take straight into the workforce. The more she learned about the foundation’s work to remove financial and social barriers for students, the more invested she became.

The foundation board recently toured Forsyth Tech’s Transportation Technology Center, giving McKinney a close-up look at the college’s mission in action. Watching students train for careers in the automotive industry, McKinney saw how closely the college connects education with the needs of local employers. She also saw how the foundation’s support can give students the stability and confidence to stay focused on their studies.

As board chair, McKinney wants to bring people together around what education can make possible. She plans to strengthen relationships with donors and community partners and to work with fellow board members to keep student success at the center of everything the foundation does. She sees an opportunity to expand access to resources and to help more people discover the many pathways Forsyth Tech offers, matching donor support with what students and the region’s workforce need most.

Forsyth Tech’s recent recognition by the Aspen Institute adds to that momentum. McKinney hopes the college can use the national spotlight to share its story more widely, build partnerships and attract continued investment. Most of all, she hopes it keeps the college focused on helping students not only earn credentials, but also build careers that can break the cycle of generational poverty.

For donors, her message is simple: their impact is real, and it is close to home.

“Donor support can remove a barrier, help a student stay enrolled and provide the resources that allow someone to focus on learning and building a future.”

As chair, McKinney now leads the board of the Forsyth Tech Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money to support Forsyth Tech students and the college. The board, made up of community and business leaders, guides the foundation’s fundraising and helps make sure students’ needs are met. That support reaches students through scholarships, Finish Line Grants and the Forsyth Tech Cares program, as well as through classroom technology and professional development for faculty and staff. McKinney brings a legal background to the role, with a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College and a law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.