As most broadcasters, Melissa Gregory (KFEQ, St. Joseph, MO) followed a unique path to her communications career. She explained, “A couple of years after high school, I was working for an airline when I got a call from my grandmother who had a friend who worked for a small radio station in Bethany, MO. They had just lost their afternoon broadcaster and needed someone, so I decided to put in an application even though I had no experience. Lo and behold within a couple weeks, I was interviewed and hired.” While there, Melissa did a small amount of farm broadcasting, including getting the area’s cash bids and doing the closing markets. A year later, another coincidence would happen. The husband of a former teacher of hers learned of an opening with the radio station in St. Joseph, and once again she was asked if she would be interested. A few weeks later, she was working the overnight shift at KFEQ. “There I got to see how Tom Brand knew everyone in the farming community and how much they respect him.” After seven years, she moved to Los Angeles, CA, to work in the movie industry for a while, but she discovered the movie life wasn’t for her. “So back home I came, and after several years again, by chance, I was contacted by a former coworker at KFEQ who asked, “Do you need a part-time job, because we need the help?” So Melissa found herself again in radio, where after a few 
months then Farm Director Micheal Clements was about to go on vacation, and the station needed someone to cover who could do the markets. “I trained for three days, and kept filling in for him periodically for a year. When Micheal decided to accept a job with NAFB, Melissa became KFEQ Farm Director. “Now, I sit, in the Farm Director’s chair, honestly not sure how I got here, but glad I’m here,” Melissa said. She grew up on a farm, but her family rented the land out for both row crops and cattle.
Her grandparents, aunt and uncle did farm, and her cousin farms and raises cattle, and his son raises goats and is an active member with his sister in FFA. In her free time, Melissa said, “I can either be found at Chiefs or Royals ball games.” Her colleagues at work tease her about her hobby of sewing because she made several dresses for the baseball playoffs and the World Series. Another hobby is participating in several Sci-Fi conventions a year. She makes costumes she can wear while attending. At right, is the dress she made for her favorite Kansas City Royals as they played in and won the World Series. Her first degree was in theater where she worked in a costume shop for 4 years, but her second degree was in economics. “I'll admit I didn't think I'd end up using it very much, until I started working as the Farm Director. It comes in handy reporting on market trends,” she said.
