Melissa McElwee

Ms. Melissa McElwee of St. Joseph, Minnesota, graduated from Iowa State University in 1994 with a B.S. degree in Finance. She is the Chief Financial Officer for International Barrier and General Manager for Barrier U.S. and is responsible for customer relations, financial management, and production management for the company. Prior to Barrier, Ms. McElwee held various managerial roles at Principal Financial Group in Iowa and led a team of project analysts responsible for developing and maintaining computer programs designed to efficiently process required IRS compliance testing for over 10,000 qualified retirement plans.

In addition to her leadership roles in business, she is a devoted mother to two children and volunteers her time in various community activities, such as Kids Against Hunger, Food Shelf, Girl Scout Troop, and YMCA swim team. Melissa faces challenges and lives her life with a “can do” attitude that encourages her children and others around her to set high goals and to achieve them with purposeful discipline and without hurting other people. She is strong, but sensitive, disciplined but understanding, serious but fun loving, and a learner and teacher in life. Melissa is a heroine in many ways and loved f or her character, courage, talents, and accomplishments.