Melissa Parker, a South Carolina native, found her way to Florida when her father was transferred to Patrick Air Force Base when she was in Junior High School. Melissa’s heart has always been for service; she is the oldest of six kids from a military family, a Registered Nurse, business owner, and nonprofit founder. Melissalives along the beautiful East Coast of Florida with her husband Ted and two children, Brendan and Carson, and loves to play competitive tennis and pickleball in her downtime. Her gift is bringing people together - she believes our God-given talents and gifts create meaningful opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds to connect. That belief is the heart behind The Parker Foundation, the nonprofit Melissa and Ted founded to support children and families impacted by autism and special needs through free sports, arts and education programs after their son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 4. Melissa strives to inspire women of all ages to fearlessly step into their unique purpose by reminding them that their struggles can become the very foundation of their strength and is honored to represent the USA ICON pageant and the values of intelligence, confidence, optimism, and nobility.