Melissa Lackey

Group President

Melissa works closely with senior executives to help grow their businesses. She is a skilled facilitator and consultant whose expertise lies in setting strategy and bringing cross-functional teams together to drive results.

Melissa joined Dix & Eaton in 2023 when she and her co-owner, Julie Steininger, sold Standing Partnership to Dix & Eaton, at which time Melissa became Group President of the Standing Operating Group within Dix & Eaton. On July 1, 2025, she will be named Enterprise President of Dix & Eaton, a newly created position that will oversee the St. Louis-based and Cleveland-based operating groups.

Melissa had been the majority owner of Standing Partnership since she and her partners bought the firm from the founder in 2014, after working at the company for 15 years in various positions. Since then, she’s been intentional about transitioning the company from its PR roots to a full-service strategic marketing consultancy. She counts B2B marketing, digital strategy, lead generation and sales enablement among the many tools in her toolbox. Melissa also frequently is called on to help organizations navigate crises and issues and effectively manage change.

She currently serves on the boards of directors for FOCUS St. Louis and the Gateway Region YMCA. She previously held board positions with both the United Way of Greater St. Louis and SSM Health Foundation. Melissa has been a recipient of the Enterprising Women magazine‘s Enterprising Women of the Year award, a YWCA Metro St. Louis Leader of Distinction, Inspiring Workplace’s Inspiring Leader, and a St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women. In April, she was inducted into the St. Louis Titan 100 Hall of Fame.

Melissa earned her master’s degree in business administration from Maryville University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas.