Stop Soldier Suicide Welcomes Melissa Baird, COO of hims & hers, to Board of Directors
Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS), the leading social impact organization working to reduce the rate of military suicide, announces Melissa Baird, COO at hims & hers, has joined its Board of Directors. Baird looks forward to applying her expertise in creating and managing accessible telehealth and wellness resources to the military community.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Melissa to our Board of Directors,” shares Stop Soldier Suicide CEO Chris Ford. “Her knowledge and experience in taking advantage of technology to make care easily attainable is key to our mission, especially during turbulent times such as these. It’s special that we’re able to welcome her in September, which is National Suicide Prevention Month.”
A consumer-based healthcare and wellness brand dedicated to making treatment and doctor care easily accessible and affordable for everything from sexual health to anxiety, hims & hers works to remove the stigma around certain conditions or treatments. Removing the stigma tied to seeking mental health support is a mission that closely aligns with the heart of SSS. hims & hers, under Baird’s leadership, has continuously supported the military community through actions such as their recent pledge to donate 10,000 primary care and mental health visits to Afghan refugees.
Baird brings almost ten years of leadership experience in the operations and technology space to the SSS team, previously serving in roles such as Vice President of Systems and Procedures for Draper James and Vice President of Operations & Product Management for Bonobos. During her time on the Board of Directors at SSS, Baird will work to find solutions for tackling the recent uptick in requests for veteran resources as a result of the situation in Afghanistan, following an already heightened number of requests for help in June and July.
“As a member of a military family, I know firsthand how off-the-radar the military suicide problem can be in the national discourse. Among the first things that stood out to me about Stop Soldier Suicide was the organization's hyper-growth focus and commitment to solving a pervasive problem through the use of game-changing data and technology advancements,” shared Baird.
“Not only do those elements of SSS align with my professional affinities, but the hunger with which the team approaches its mission was evident from the outset of my exploration. I'd like to thank co-founders Nick Black, Brian Kinsella and Craig Gridelli for entrusting me with a leadership role at Stop Soldier Suicide. I look forward to working with Chris Ford and his team as they refine and execute their plan to save the lives of thousands of at-risk veterans and service members."
September 8, 2021