Melissa Sibley joined the Office of General Counsel in 2015 and serves as Director of Legal Operations, managing the professional staff and legal operations supporting the Vice President & General Counsel and the in-house legal department. Her experience at Rice has varied, with focus in contracts, employment, compliance, corporate governance, and operations. Before joining Rice, Melissa spent 12 years in different legal roles at an insurance company, where she held a property and casualty license. In this position, she handled audits, worked with regulatory officials, trained producers, and managed litigation with outside counsel.

In 2024, Melissa organized and hosted a 3-day conference for her counterparts across the country. Twenty-seven institutions, 14 speakers, and over a dozen Rice offices participated and contributed to the endeavor.

Melissa holds a Master’s in Public Service & Administration from Texas A&M University. She is the founding group leader of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium Higher Education Affinity Group and incoming President of Higher Education Legal Managers.