ZANESVILLE – She learned to serve at a young age.

“My father proudly served in the Navy for nearly 20 years, and we moved several times as a young girl,” recalled Melissa Best. “My family just served. We took care of others, as we could. I grew up seeing that’s what you do.”

Today, Best is director of community engagement for Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio.

“Our mission,” she explained, “is to bring people together to build homes, communities – and hope. My primary role includes creating partnerships to support our mission. HFHSEO covers eight counties. I’m responsible for three – Morgan, Muskingum and Noble.

“I absolutely love the work I do,” she added. “It’s a joy to see our partner families (future homeowners) go through the process of building their home. Our partner families have a responsibility of sweat equity, which is volunteering a set number of hours during the process of building their home. I play a small role in the transformation of these families’ lives and the transformation of communities. My work isn’t about me. It’s about caring for others, our neighbors.”

Best was born in Virginia, then moved a few times before the family returned to her parents’ home area in Muskingum County, in the late ’70s. She started second grade at Duncan Falls Elementary and graduated from Philo High School in 1989.

“I went to beauty college in 1990,” she said. “I was a hairstylist for a time but quickly saw it wasn’t my thing. I didn’t care to stand in one spot for such long periods of time and, frankly, I wasn’t that skilled at doing hair.

“In 1993,” she continued, “I was trained as an EMT for a local ambulance service, and I enjoyed that. But after many years, I was ready for a change. I just loved the old folks. So I knew the change had to include the senior citizen population. I accepted a position in admissions at a local care center. I enjoyed helping these people and making the transition into long-term care as smooth as possible. I eventually became the executive director for a small but quaint assisted living facility. I grew a lot during the years of being a director, including learning the difference between being a manager and being a leader.”

In 2018, Best made a “huge leap of faith” and changed careers to Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio.

Kenneth Oehlers is executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio.

“Melissa Best is the embodiment of everything Habitat stands for,” assessed Oehlers. “She’s an advocate for the community, a leader, not afraid of challenges and is a compassionate person that always strives to make the best out of every outcome and partnership. I am so proud to have Melissa on our team.”

“I’m so incredibly blessed,” Best responded. “I’m also a board member of the Zanesville Daybreak Rotary Club. Our club’s motto is service above self. This motto reflects how I live my life. You help other people. I’m not here to serve me, I’m here to serve others. My life goal is to leave this world a little better than I found it.”

For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio, log on www.habitatseo.org.

Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at trnews@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Melissa Best’s lifework has been to serve others