Melissa Gayle

Melissa is the Strategic Program Lead at the James W. Burns Leadership Institute at the University of Manitoba, where she leads strategic initiatives that advance the Institute’s mission to embed leadership education and development across the university. In this role, she also oversees the President’s Student Leadership Program Mentoring Initiative, building key connections between students and community leaders to enhance learning, growth, and leadership development through mentorship.

Since joining the University of Manitoba in 2012, Melissa has held key administrative positions, including roles with the University Sustainability Office during its start-up phase and with External Relations (Alumni and Donor Relations).

Before moving to Canada, Melissa worked for five years at her alma mater, the University of the West Indies, in the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, first as Assistant to the Senior Registrar and later as Assistant to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. There, she gained extensive experience in academic administration, supporting the full student lifecycle, from recruitment and registration to graduation. 

With over a decade of experience in higher education leadership and program management, Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish and a Master of Science in Public Sector Management from the University of the West Indies, as well as a Bachelor of Human Ecology from the University of Manitoba.