NATS Home Office
- Melissa Greenblatt, Executive Director
- Jen Jimenez ACNP, Development Director
- Heather Carraway, Operations Manager
- Lindsey Shields, Administrative Assistant
- Rachel Keller, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
- Lindsay Kate Brown, Membership Growth Strategist
- Heather Brinson, Bookkeeper
Melissa Greenblatt, Executive Director 
Melissa Greenblatt serves as Executive Director of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). She is a seasoned nonprofit arts executive with nearly two decades of leadership experience in national membership organizations, along with a strong foundation in the corporate sector. She brings a results-oriented, market-aware approach to nonprofit leadership, grounded in the belief that organizations will flourish when they clearly communicate their value and build a strong financial foundation.
She began her career at Procter & Gamble, working in sales, business development, marketing, and brand management for over 13 years, where she learned to start with the customer, seek insight before action, and build offerings that deliver real value.
Prior to joining NATS, Greenblatt spent 18 years with the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), advancing from Director of Marketing and Membership to Managing Director, and ultimately, to Interim Executive Director. During her tenure, she played a key role in strengthening operations, growing membership and revenue, and expanding programs and services that supported thousands of educators and their students nationwide.
Throughout her career, Greenblatt has focused on organizational strategy, operations, marketing, and revenue development, with an emphasis on building the internal capacity that allows people and programs to thrive. She is known for her collaborative leadership style, strong partnership with stakeholders, and her ability to turn vision into execution.
Greenblatt holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Maryland with her husband and has two young adult children. Rooted in a lifelong practice of dance across many stages and settings, she believes deeply in the transformative power of arts education and is honored to serve the teachers whose work makes that impact possible. At home, she and her husband are enthusiastic “pawrents” to two golden retrievers, Nash and Bode.
Jen Jimenez ACNP, Development Director
Jen Jimenez is a seasoned professional with more than two decades of experience in development and fundraising across a variety of nonprofit organizations. With a passion for connecting individuals with meaningful philanthropic endeavors, Jimenez has consistently surpassed fundraising goals in annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving initiatives. Her expertise lies in crafting targeted solicitation strategies, fostering donor engagement, and diversifying prospect portfolios through genuine relationship building and innovative digital campaigns.
Her frontline fundraising highlights include serving higher education institutions such as Shenandoah University and Muhlenberg College. Most recently, she served as Director of Institutional Advancement for The Winston School of Short Hills. A veteran of three capital campaigns, Jimenez specializes in growing development departments by setting ambitious goals and devising creative pathways to exceed them.
In addition to her fundraising prowess, Jimenez is also a classically trained mezzo-soprano, holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree in vocal pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. Before delving into nonprofit development, she was the owner of Encore Music Studio and Dramatic Arts, teaching more than 50 voice students a week and overseeing a team of instructors in the disciplines of piano, guitar, violin and acting.
During her tenure, Jimenez established Encore as a premiere place of learning — hiring only degreed faculty, creating vocal and instrumental juries for continued student/teacher evaluation, and providing unique performance opportunities for her students.
Jimenez’s love for performance, instilled from a young age, has seen her grace stages nationwide in acclaimed musical theatre productions. Memorable roles include Polly in Crazy For You, Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, Emma in Jekyll & Hyde, and Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, to name a few. In television, she has been featured in several commercials and was one of three women chosen to be featured in a Macy’s national campaign, as well as hosting the National Rite Aid Corp. training video.
When she is not singing, Jimenez enjoys spending time with her husband, Joe, and their fur baby, Maica.
Lindsay Kate Brown, Membership Growth Strategist
Mezzo-soprano Lindsay Kate Brown is a dynamic performer, dedicated educator, and passionate advocate for community-building in the arts. She currently serves as the Membership Growth Strategist for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), where she leads national efforts in recruitment, onboarding, and member engagement. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Brown also maintains a thriving independent voice studio and is Assistant Professor of Voice at Louisiana State University.
Brown’s operatic credits include performances with The Metropolitan Opera (covering the Innkeeper in Boris Godunov, Big Stone in Eurydice, and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro), Houston Grand Opera (Giovanna in Rigoletto, Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel, and covers of Leonor in La favorite and Herodias in Salome), The Dallas Opera (Welgunde in Das Rheingold, Dritte Magd in Elektra, and covers in Flight), and The Santa Fe Opera (Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro), among others.
In concert, she has appeared with the South Florida Master Chorale and New Choral Society as Alto Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem and Mozart’s Requiem, respectively. She made her George London Foundation recital debut with Serenading the Hours and recently expanded her artistry into conducting, leading a co-production of Amahl and the Night Visitors and serving as acting assistant conductor for Le nozze di Figaro, both with Tri-Cities Opera and Syracuse Opera.
Brown is a George London Foundation Award winner and a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is also the recipient of a Shoshana Foundation Career Grant, first prize in Opera Columbus’ Cooper-Bing Competition, and third prize in Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition.
Deeply committed to supporting the next generation of singers, she founded United in Opera in 2020 — a platform for connection, mentorship, and resource-sharing among opera professionals. She is an alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Rice University, SUNY Binghamton, and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.
, Operations ManagerHeather Carraway is a skilled and valuable contributor in the day-to-day operations of the NATS executive office. She has a wealth of professional experience with a background spanning customer service, retail management, office clerical work, and sales. Starting as a temporary part-time staff member in March 2018, Carraway’s dedication, attention to detail, and hard work earned her a promotion to full-time administrative associate in 2021 and then to operations manager in 2025.
Originally from Tennessee, Carraway has called Jacksonville home since 2000, where she resides with her husband and two children. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a devoted mother who actively engages with her children's school band program, volunteering at their events and competitions.
Lindsey Shields, Administrative Assistant
With over a decade of experience in customer service and administrative work, Lindsey Shields joined NATS in late 2025, bringing with her a surplus of expertise in customer relations, detail management, and overall support to the team.
Known for exceptional dexterity and a commitment to service, Shields' professional background varies from medical office management to administrative clerical assistance to sales. She is dedicated to connecting with and supporting the many voices of NATS she aids through her work.
Outside of NATS, Shields enjoys reading, baking, and spending quality time with friends and family. She and her husband currently reside in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
Rachel Keller, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Rachel Keller is a marketing and creative communications professional based in Richmond, Virginia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Media Arts & Design (Creative Advertising) from James Madison University.
She specializes in digital marketing, social media strategy, and visual content creation, with a strong background in branding and audience engagement. Rachel is passionate about using creativity and storytelling to build meaningful connections and support mission-driven organizations through thoughtful, engaging communication. She also held an internship with the National Dance Education Organization, where she contributed to social media campaigns, email marketing, and event promotion.
Outside of NATS, Rachel works as a dance teacher, coach, and a company member with a Richmond-based professional dance company. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and has a strong passion for fitness and movement, which continues to influence both her personal and professional life.
Heather Brinson, Bookkeeper
In fall 2025 NATS contracted with its accounting firm MSTiller to administrate the bookkeeping for NATS, Inc. Heather Brinson is our assigned bookkeeper and can be reached through her nats.org email or by phone at the NATS office phone number.
