Mel Jackson was named Executive Director of Sun Valley Economic Development in November 2025, succeeding Harry Griffith.

Mel previously worked for nearly 30 years in Finance and Project Management positions with companies in sectors such as Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Utilities and Software Development. He lived and worked in both Europe and Asia for periods of time before settling in Idaho in 2004.

Prior to assuming his new position at SVED, Mel had taken a sabbatical from the corporate world and was coaching tennis and cross country at Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, ID, where he also served as a substitute teacher during the early pandemic years.

After growing up in Dallas, Texas, New York City and London, Mel graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and received an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, AZ.

In his free time Mel can be found on the golf course at Elkhorn, trying to keep up with his kids on the ski hill, hiking the trails with his Springer Spaniel or playing tennis or pickleball at Sun Valley Resort or Atkinson’s Park.

Mel and his wife Lucie have been part-time valley residents for more than a decade and are looking forward to contributing even more now to this wonderful place.

Harry Griffith served as Executive Director for Sun Valley Economic Development since its founding in 2009. Originally trained as a geologist, Mr. Griffith spent his career working in a variety of project and commercial roles for BP plc, with direct experience in 5 countries over 25 years. He has had senior leadership roles in emerging markets of Latin America, Russia, and China and led multi-million-dollar projects for service station, hydrocarbon production and transmission system developments. Harry still remains a Consultant to SVED.

He has also worked at the corporate center with experience in corporate finance, audit and marketing functions. Mr. Griffith received a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business. He currently is a resident of Sun Valley and has been involved with local not-for-profit organizations like the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Sun Valley Elkhorn Homeowners Association, the Ketchum Innovation Center, the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience and the Idaho National Laboratory Citizens Advisory Board.