Melika McKinnis lived her formative years in the snowy Midwest through her Wisconsin childhood, Michigan collegiate adventures, and early professional years on the prairies of Kansas where she became Governor Sam Brownback's Communications Director--a job she first tackled at 24. She later moved to our nation's capital, continuing her work in public service and seeking rich Christian community. After holding senior positions in the United States House and Senate, serving in the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom and the Department of Homeland Security as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications, she came home following the adoption of their first child. She and her husband are deeply involved at Church of the Resurrection in Washington, DC. She holds a B.A. in Politics with honors from Hillsdale College.