Simsbury Resident Appointed to Make-A-Wish® Connecticut Board

Melissa Skottegaard has more than 20 years of corporate communications leadership experience in Fortune 100 companies and currently serves as Chief Communications Officer for Cigna, where she is responsible for leading the company’s enterprise media relations, employee communications, CEO communications, and all business communications.

Prior to joining Cigna in 2018, she was Vice President, Corporate Communications at TIAA where she oversaw business, executive, and employee communications. In her tenure with TIAA, she led the launch of the company’s new strategy and brand to clients, brokers, and customers. She also served as the Chief of Staff for the Marketing and Communications functions. Prior to TIAA, Melissa held senior marketing and communication roles at GE and Genworth Financial (formerly part of GE). She served as the company’s first Vice President of Global Civic Affairs at Genworth following its IPO. She began her corporate career heading media relations and communications for a business division of GE.

“We are thrilled to have Melissa join our team,” said Make-A-Wish® Connecticut President and CEO Pam Keough. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to benefit from Melissa’s extensive communications background coupled with her experience as a social worker and we look forward to working with her.”

Melissa started her professional career in not-for-profit organizations working in social work with homeless children and families for several years in the Denver, Colorado, region. She has served on board committees and volunteered for other organizations including The Children’s Museum, in West Hartford, where she helped to shape a new business strategy and related marketing plan for the organization.

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH CONNECTICUT

Make-A-Wish® Connecticut creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because every child deserves a childhood. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illnesses. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and volunteers across the state unite to deliver hope to wish kids and their families when they need it most. In total, Make-A-Wish Connecticut has granted more than 3,800 wishes to local children. For more information about Make-A-Wish Connecticut, visit wish.org/ct.