Melody Turner's career began at Rockwell International, where she worked as a Material Control Specialist for five years. After taking a five-year break to be a full-time parent, she embarked on a career in school nutrition in August 1986. She started working in a high school café, was promoted to manager, then joined the Central Office staff as a field supervisor, and eventually became the School Nutrition Director in 2003. Melody retired in December 2020 after dedicating 32 and a half years to Wilson County Schools, TN. She served on the Tennessee School Nutrition Association board on several committees and held the position of Industry Chair for two years. Additionally, she served as Vice-President, President Elect, and was honored to be President in 2014-15. In 2020, she was recognized as the TN State Director of the Year. As Past-President, she remains active in TSNA by volunteering where needed.

Melody enjoys retirement but is not one to remain idle, so she was thrilled to be asked to be a K-12 Consultant for The Hansen Group in May 2021, where she planned retreats and conducted in-service training. She transitioned to part-time work in October 2023, focusing primarily on K-12 related activities such as sales and training. Melody has been married to Terry for 51 years; they have three children—son Terry and twins, Tera and Dennis—four grandchildren, one great-grandson, and two pets. Her hobbies include camping (specifically glamping), golfing, painting, and enjoying semi-retirement.