Melissa Welles founded her own agency, Welles Phillips & Associates, in 1991 with a notable specialty in the food and restaurant sector. Working with clients such as The French Laundry, Aqua, Ron Siegel, Jan Birnbaum, Bruce Aidells and Odwalla, she developed a reputation for effectiveness and integrity in generating national media exposure. In 1995, she joined Sam Folsom to create Welles Folsom & Associates, and she continues to specialize in restaurant publicity, while providing strategic input and counseling on the agency’s other accounts. Before starting her own business, Welles worked for Laurie Chase & Co., where she managed public relations campaigns for clients such as Nestlé Beverage Co., Heritage Kitchen Specialty Foods and Del Monte Foods. Previously, she was a senior account executive with Horne McClatchy & Coblentz in San Francisco, working on promotional campaigns, events and fund raising programs for clients such as the American Red Cross, UNICEF and the Commonwealth Club. Melissa majored in political science at the University of California, Berkeley.
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