Melissa Carr Rowe

Melissa Carr Rowe, EdD, MSc, CPH serves as the Executive Director of the Central New York Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Alliance. A strategic senior leader and lifelong Central New Yorker, she brings extensive experience building mission-driven coalitions and cross-sector partnerships across healthcare, education, and community-based organizations. She previously served in senior healthcare quality and systems performance roles, developing a strong understanding of the clinical and systems-level factors that influence healthcare outcomes. Under her leadership, the Alliance continues to strengthen its role as a trusted regional resource for education, prevention, advocacy, and community engagement surrounding Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Melissa’s leadership is defined by a balance of strategic rigor and deep empathy for the patient experience. A United States Army veteran and cancer survivor, she brings firsthand insight into the challenges individuals and families face when navigating complex, life-altering illnesses. She earned her Doctor of Education (EdD) from SUNY Empire State University, where her research focused heavily on academic-community partnerships. Throughout her career, she has focused on convening diverse stakeholders and strengthening public-private partnerships to advance positive outcomes.

Melissa resides in Oswego County with her husband and is the proud mother of five college-age children.  She remains deeply committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across Central New York.