Melanie Wilt, APR, is the owner of Shift•ology Communication and has served as a county commissioner for two terms, a position she currently holds. She is the primary author, and you’ll note some personal experience in her first-person accounts throughout the book.
Wilt is a graduate of The Ohio State University, summa cum laude with honors with a B.S. in Agriculture. She served in various roles in agriculture early in her career, which included working at the Ohio Department of Agriculture as communication director and chief of markets under the Taft Administration. There, she gained valuable experience learning about state government issues, contracts, procurement, issues management, crisis planning and strategic communication. After a six year stint in Columbus, Wilt worked for a non-profit defense contractor as communication director for two years before starting Shift•ology in 2008. Several years into the business, the team began managing political and levy campaigns, which resulted in wins for new funding and candidates. During this time, Clark County went from having a Democratic majority to a strong Republican majority, which still exists today. In fact, only one current county office holder Is affiliated with the Democratic party.
In 2016, Wilt ran for the seat of county commissioner ( the same seat held by her grandfather 20 years prior) and won by a 57% margin against a previous 30-year incumbent who wanted to make a return. Since then, she has become president of the board of commissioners, which has been successful in developing thousands of new jobs, stabilizing the population base and starting a public information program for the county. She ran unopposed in 2020.
Wilt lives on a farm near South Charleston, Ohio with her husband, Gabe Kelly, and their children CJ Wilt, Josh Kelly and Addie Wilt.
