Meet our New COO: Melissa Blankenship Brings Decades of Success to the Aging Care Industry
Arosa has appointed a seasoned leader to steer its operations as it continues to drive growth and efficiency. With over three decades of distinguished experience across service industries, Melissa Blankenship brings a wealth of knowledge and a track record of success to her new role as Chief Operating Officer.
Blankenship’s journey to Arosa has been marked by numerous achievements, reflecting her strategic vision and commitment to excellence. In a previous position, she achieved a remarkable 43.8% revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over five years. Blankenship emphasizes the strategies behind this success: “It’s important to pivot to capitalize on market trends, committing to evidence-based leadership, and creating new end markets through innovative sales and marketing approaches.”
Previously, leading a medical staffing organization, expansion, and talent acquisition & development have been pillars of Blankenship’s career, and she intends to leverage this experience to drive growth initiatives at Arosa. Drawing on her analytics, recruitment, and engagement expertise, she plans to identify new geographic markets and acquisition opportunities while implementing proven sourcing strategies to support talent acquisition and Care Professional growth.
Blankenship’s leadership has been exemplary during challenging times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, when growth was over 200%, transitioning to a fully remote workforce, and launching a new division. She emphasizes the need for organizations to balance immediate market needs with long-term strategic initiatives and stresses the importance of offering comprehensive solutions to clients throughout all life cycles.
Technological advancements have driven operational efficiency in Blankenship’s past endeavors. She highlights the role of technology and AI in empowering employees to perform at their best as a key opportunity at Arosa.
Collaboration across functions has been a cornerstone of Blankenship’s success. “Open communication, frequent engagement, and executive consensus on organizational initiatives are key drivers of improvement initiatives,” she says.
Beyond her professional achievements, Blankenship’s personal life centers around her family and hobbies. She finds joy and relaxation in spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren and enjoys Pilates and home decorating projects.
As Blankenship embarks on this new journey with Arosa, she shares three mantras that guide her: “There but for the grace of God go I,” emphasizing humility and gratitude; “Progressive improvement is better than postponed perfection,” highlighting the value of continuous growth; and “What if the answer is the complete opposite of what you think it is,” encouraging open-mindedness and creativity. Blankenship’s approach is a perfect fit when considering Arosa’s mission and values.
Arosa CEO Ari Medoff expresses his excitement about Blankenship’s arrival: “We’re thrilled to welcome Melissa Blankenship to the Arosa team. Missy brings proven operational leadership in the distributed services world, having been instrumental in the growth of multiple healthcare staffing services. She exemplifies our core values and will play an integral role in growing our mission.”
As she steps into her role at Arosa, the impact she will undoubtedly bring to the organization is widely anticipated. With her visionary leadership and commitment to excellence, the company is well-geared for growth, with Melissa Blankenship’s experience added to its impressive executive team.
