Leadership

Melissa Johnson Hewitt, MSW, CPDC (she/her/hers)

Melissa Johnson Hewitt, Founder and Principal of Forward Movement Consulting, has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Melissa has a strong network of relationship and brings passion and commitment to FMC’s consulting and coaching practice. With a clear focus on organizations that support and serve communities of color, Melissa brings a thoughtful approach and grounded analysis to her work. A trained social worker, Melissa values openness, transparency, flexibility, and inclusivity.

Melissa began her career working as a social worker supporting Latino families in the state of North Carolina. She provided capacity building for nonprofits across the state of North Carolina at the NC Center for Nonprofits. She soon made the transition into philanthropy working with two community foundations before transitioning into advocacy, education, and funder organizing. Previous position posts include Foundation for the Carolinas, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, National Committee on Responsive Philanthropy, Neighborhood Funders Group. Prior to founding Forward Movement Consulting, Melissa leveraged her philanthropic networks and knowledge to raise money for NAACP and Community Change.

Melissa holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from Wake Forest University and an MSW from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration on community practice and community development. She is a certified professional diversity coach through CoachDiversity Institute and a member of the International Coach Federation.  She is a former board chair of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy,  former board member of Funding Exchange and the Black Philanthropic Alliance, and currently serves on the Board of Advisors of UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work.