Melissa Kiesche

Director of Research
Edison Research

Melissa Kiesche is a Director of Research for Edison Research. She joined Edison Research after graduating from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2003. Prior to graduation she held internships at Sesame Workshop and Cataland Films, producers of Blue’s Clues.

Her primary area of focus at Edison is leading the election research and recruiting team responsible for preparing the exit polls for the National Election Pool. She oversees the research process and directs the efforts to recruit the thousands of people that work on Election Day. Over her seven years on the election team, she has helped to reorganize the research steps to ensure more accuracy, simplify and streamline the materials and shipping process and institute new training and recruiting procedures in an effort to grow a better team of Election Day interviewers.

Melissa has taken her experience in election exit polling and translated it in the development of Edison’s consumer exit polling business. After the 2004 General Election, she drew upon key operational components of election exit polling and worked to employ them in many different areas. She uses those skills to oversee exit polls conducted in malls, airports, movie theaters, restaurants, golf courses and more.