CANTON -- Melissa Farmer Richards of Canton will join the Board of Directors at TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York.

Richards serves as vice president for communications at St. Lawrence University, where she oversees all aspects of university communications.

“She has decades of global experience in research and strategy, public relations, special events, and strategic alliances,” according to a press release from TAUNY.

She has held senior positions at start-up and global technology organizations, and founded two small businesses.

Before moving to the North Country, Richards lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she served as a Girl Scout leader and sat on boards and committees for two regional tourism development councils.

She co-founded the Blacksburg Children’s Museum and TEDxVirginiaTech.

She has a strong appreciation for regional arts, traditional music, and local food and culture, the release said.

Richards lives with her husband and two daughters in Canton, where they enjoy all four seasons on the Grasse River.

“Melissa’s passion for the work that TAUNY does and her extensive professional expertise in the communications field will really help this organization further it’s mission. We are thrilled to welcome her to our board,” said Jackie Sauter, president of the TAUNY Board of Directors.

TAUNY is a nonprofit organization that showcases the folk culture and living traditions of New York's North Country, offering opportunities to experience, learn about, and reflect on issues related to life in a rural region.

Through research, multi-media presentations, and publications TAUNY delves into North Country cultural life, past and present.