MELISSA T. HAND
1807 “B” East Main Street
New Iberia, Louisiana 70560
Phone: H (337) 367 - 9231
Email: designbymh@cs.com

EDUCATION

The University of New Orleans - Austria Program
Studies: Fine Arts and Sociology
Summer: 1989

The University Louisiana at Lafayette
Studies: Bachelor of General Studies, concentration in Business, minor in Visual
Arts
Graduated: 1995 GPA: 2.97

The University of Louisiana – France Program
Studies: Sustainable Design and History of Design
Summer: 1997

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Studies: Bachelor of Industrial Design
Graduated: 1997 GPA: 3.09
Thesis: Recycling Receptacle Design and Environmental Studies

EMPLOYMENT

1995 – Now Melissa Hand dba Melissa Hand
Positions: Sculptress for mass production, Mold Maker, Marketer, Product
Designer, Craft Instructor

1997 - 1998 Importico’s Import Company - New Orleans
Positions: Manager of retail space, Import Assistant in Indonesia

1998 - 2000 A Different Approach Import Company - New Orleans
Positions: Product Designer in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Shipping Assistant,
Public Relations Advisor, Wholesale Accounts Assistant, Research
Assistant, Assistant Buyer for retail store and wholesale department,
was involved in store display, local and national work for Secretary of
Fair Trade Federation, the planning and execution of Shop Fair Trade
Day of 1998 and 1999, and assisted in cost analysis for production
potters of Nicaragua

EMPLOYMENT (continued)
1999 – 2000 Louisiana International Trade Center – SBDC - New Orleans
Position: Assistant Director Duties: Public Relations, Client Import/ Export Counselor, balance books, Assistant Conference/ Seminar Organizer, Web Master

2000 – July Conservation International - Guyana, South America
Position: Contract Product Designer
Duties: Work with Macushi AmerIndian Tribe in Amazon. The tribe has
formed a balata latex cooperative whereby they sell their balata
sculptures locally and in the United States through Conservation
International. I worked on new sculpture designs with the cooperative.

2000-Now Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc. - New Iberia
Position: Special Projects Assistant
Duties: Earned income projects with new product development, create grant
and foundation management system for Development Office,
coordinate Blackbaud’s Raisers Edge information for donor
and foundation tracking, conference and event planning, create
SMHA presentations and outreach, help coordinate endowment
information, member of the Life Quality brain trust, bulk mail coordinator, team member on Public Policy CD-Rom, manage archives, research foundations, donors and corporations

SEMINARS/CONFERENCES

1997 Fair Trade Federation Conference-San Francisco
Topics: Living wages for artisans and farmers in developing
countries, the marketing of crafts and food products

1999 Fair Trade Federation Conference-Washington, DC
Topics: product development crafts marketing, the World Trade Organization

1999 Louisiana International Trade Center: Import/Export Seminar – New Orleans
Topics: Import/ Export

2001 Rural LISC National Conference - Lafayette, Louisiana
Topics: Current issues for U. S. Rural Community Development Centers

NON-PROFIT VOLUNTEERING
Earthbound
Gainesville, Florida
Work: international market research for weaving cooperative
of Chiapas, Mexico, new product design for herbal pillows
Study: marketing of sustainable materials

NON-PROFIT VOLUNTEERING (Continued)
Potters for Peace/ Ceramicas Por La Paz
Managua, Nicaragua
Work: designed workshop for women’s ceramic cooperative in
conjunction with the Peace Corps, Women’s Drum Project,
designed with Cooperatives of San Juan de Limay Soapstone
Sculptors and San Juan de Oriente Ceramic Artists
Study: appropriate technologies, cooperative and international
development

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Fair Trade Federation
Friend of Fair Trade
PO Box 126
Barre, Massachusetts 01005
1997 – Present

AWARDS

1995 – 1996 Designer of the Year Award (U of L)
1996 – 1997 Sustainable Design of the Year Award (U of L)
2001 “Telling Your Story” Rural LISC for Southern Mutual Help Association

REFERENCES
EMPLOYMENT and EDUCATION

A Different Approach Import Company
824 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Owner: Brenda Nims, Secretary of the
Fair Trade Federation
Phone: (504) 568 – 0704

Other references are available by request.

SKILLS

Computer MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point, MS Publisher, MS Outlook, Quicken, Photoshop5, Winfax, Front Page (basics), Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge for Windows Version Six

(SKILLS con’t)
ART PRODUCTION

Ceramic- High and low fire ceramics, glaze composition and application, hand building, wheel throwing basics, design production, knowledgeable in history of design, and Latin and Asian crafts

Metal- Lost wax casting, enameling, copper raising, assembly,
sterling production, stone setting, knowledgeable in history of design

Glass- Glass cutting, stained glass, glass fusing

Cold Cast- Mold making: plaster, latex and silicone, Cementex and Polytek
products; U.S. Gypsum Company product knowledge and use

Other- Renewable resources use in craft and sculpting for mass production