Barry Melotte is sales director at Melotte Distributing and a 1995 graduate in Communication from UW-Green Bay. He serves as a board member of the Phoenix Fund, which is charged with enhancing the athlete experience by assisting Athletics in external fundraising endeavors. We wanted to know more about what motivates him to help students rise to the challenge of college.

How did you get involved with Phoenix Athletics?

A longtime customer of mine encouraged me to get involved with the Phoenix Fund’s Steak Fry event as a sponsor and steak provider.  As a UW-Green Bay alumnus and the sales director for our family-owned custom meat processor and wholesale distributor, Melotte Distributing, we were excited to get involved. It was a great event experience that lead me to joining the Steak Fry Planning Committee over six years ago.

What do you hope to accomplish as a member of the Phoenix Fund Board?

Our board is currently exploring how we can create a better overall experience for our student athletes that would make them even more competitive and better students. Nutrition and hydration are key to athletic performance. A nutrition program, while expensive, produces great results. Learning how to best eat before and after exercising is crucial. We’ve created a grab ‘n go station for athletes that is going very well.

What was your earliest experience with giving?

My family has been involved in giving for generations. My grandmother raised seven kids while my grandfather drove for Coca-Cola. They used the local food pantry during the lean times. My grandmother was a long-time volunteer at Paul’s Pantry as a way of giving back.  Later in life she worked at Kingdom Come Pantry in Oconto Falls well into her retired years. I share a birthday with her and since her passing every August 15, and Christmas, we hold a fundraiser in her honor for the food pantry in Oconto Falls.