Mel Umbarger

Mel oversees communications and technology for the Budget & Tax Center, including strategy, narrative and framing, content creation, media relations, digital communications, website development, training, and all the public and behind-the-scenes technology use. At BTC, Mel works to shape the public’s understanding of the critical role that equitable policymaking has in advancing our collective well-being and, in so doing, builds the will for systemic policy change that is informed by people across the state. Before joining the Budget & Tax Center as a Senior Communications Specialist in 2016, Mel worked as a journalist for many years. She spent time copy editing, starting a magazine, designing, editing, developing an app, writing, and doing a whole lot of other stuff at newspapers in Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, and, for 10+ years, at the Greensboro News & Record in North Carolina. Originally from Florida, Mel has a Master’s in Technology and Communication from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication with a minor in Spanish from Winthrop University in South Carolina. When’s she not working, you’ll find Mel writing trivia, crafting, or arm wrestling for charity. Contact me about: 

• Media inquiries
• BTC’s website or social media accounts
• Narrative power and change
• Communication strategies & tools
• Nonprofit technology
• Trainings on communications and nonprofit technology
• Digital accessibility and usability