Melissa Williams-Abbington

Hired by Lazlo Palko, the position had to be formulated from the ground up as Manassas Park was building its new downtown.

My Key Responsibilities are:

• Coordinated community events and activities for residents in Manassas Park.
• Assisted in developing promotional materials for local initiatives and services.
• Maintained accurate records of participant registrations and feedback.
• Worked with the contracted agent to bring new businesses to the downtown.
• Responsible for organizing ribbon cuttings for new business.
• Supported outreach efforts to engage community members in city projects.
• Started the Farmers Market that was voted best Farmers Market in Northern VA after its 2nd year.
• Created Last Fridays event, FallOWeen, Workout Wednesdays, Escape City Hall, Dickens Holiday Market. Christmas Movie on the Plaza.
• Assisted with adding to the bigger events, such as Julys Celebration of Independence and Decembers Light Parade.
• Worked with City businesses on events to promote their businesses.

• Coordinated community events to promote local heritage and culture.
• Established D.O.R.A ABC license for downtown 1st Fridays.
• Created successful Holiday Market, expanding footprint and vendor participation for Fall Jubilee.
• Increased Farmers Market vendor participation from 63 to 123.
• Managed communication between stakeholders and local businesses for effective event planning.
• Organized volunteer efforts, ensuring smooth operations during events.
• Developed marketing materials to raise awareness of Historic Manassas initiatives.
• Oversaw social media presence, engaging community with regular updates.

• Oversaw daily operations of venue to ensure seamless event execution.
• Managed vendor relationships to secure quality services for events.
• Monitored compliance with health and safety regulations during events.
• Coordinated staff schedules to optimize resource allocation and efficiency.
• Resolved customer inquiries and concerns promptly to maintain satisfaction.
• Managed all aspects of daily business operations including budgeting, staffing, scheduling, inventory control, customer service and sales.
• Created schedules and monitored payroll to remain within budget.
• Trained employees on duties, policies and procedures.
• Resolved customer complaints quickly while maintaining high quality standards of service delivery.
• Maintained relationships with vendors to obtain the best pricing on supplies and materials.