Melissa Morris Danisch
Melissa is a long-time Andover resident and active member of our community. Read the background and experience that has made her an excellent Select Board member.
Andover Roots
Melissa Morris Danisch has been an Andover resident for almost 60 years. She grew up in Andover with her parents, three sisters and brother, and has raised her own three children in Andover.
Education
Melissa was educated in Andover schools – St. Augustine’s, Doherty Elementary, East Junior High, Andover High – graduating from Phillips Academy in 1983. She earned her undergraduate degree in History at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1987 where she was a two-year Captain of the Division 3 Macalester Women’s Soccer Team. She returned to Massachusetts after college and received her JD from Suffolk University Law School in 1990. While at Suffolk Law, she was a member of the Phi Delta Phi honor society and a volunteer attorney in the Boston Municipal Court Criminal Student Defender Program.
Professional Experience
Growing up, Melissa is proud to have waitressed at the Lantern Brunch, wrapped presents at McCartney’s, and delivered newspapers for the Eagle Tribune.
More recently, Melissa’s professional experience includes work as an attorney for Morris, Rossi, & Hayes; as a manager at a local real estate office; and as a governance consultant and sales executive at a corporate training start-up. She was also a stay-at-home parent for a number of years. Currently, Melissa works at Morris Law Offices in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Public Service
Melissa has a long record of public service in Andover and throughout the Merrimack Valley, starting with her first volunteer role when she was appointed to the Memorial Hall Library Children’s Room committee at the age of eleven. More recently, she has volunteered with the Village Food Hub Community Food Pantry in Ballardvale, to help to address food insecurity.
Melissa has spent many years volunteering in the classrooms of local schools and on the playing fields as a soccer coach, in addition to serving two terms on the Andover Soccer Association Board of Directors.
Melissa also served as both a volunteer and Board Member at the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence; as a Board Member of Big Brother/Big Sister of Greater Lawrence; as a participant in the Advanced Leadership program of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America; and as a member of the Military Academy Nomination Panel for the 5th Congressional District.
Andover Town Governance
Melissa’s experience in Andover town governance is extensive. She was first elected to the Andover Select Board in March 2022 for a three-year term. She served as Chair in her second year. In addition, she has acted as a Select Board liaison to other Town committees, and served on several Select Board subcommittees. Prior to serving on the Select Board, Melissa was twice elected (2018, 2021) by Andover voters to serve as a Trustee of the Punchard Free School Trust. Melissa was a founding member of the Andover Revenue and Expenditure Task Force (2018-2021) and previously served as an appointed member of the Andover Board of Registrars of Voters and the Memorial Hall Library Board of Trustees. She has volunteered as a town election official and was thrilled to serve as an election worker in the 2020 Presidential Election.
Additional Interests
Melissa’s three adult children all live and work in Greater Boston. She is interested in local history, genealogy, and archeology and has volunteered at the Andover Center for History and Culture, the Lawrence History Center, and at the Peabody Institute of Archeology at Phillips Academy. Melissa is a die-hard Red Sox fan. She has hung up her soccer cleats and sticks to cheering on the National Women’s Soccer Team. Melissa enjoys gardening, hiking with her dog, Lulu, and raising her 6 chickens.