Melinda Sheckells Title: Contributor Education: University of California, Irvine A journalist for more than two decades, Melinda Sheckells is an award-winning writer, editor and television correspondent covering entertainment, lifestyle, travel and dining. She lives and plays in Las Vegas but frequently traverses the world for stories.Melinda has been a contributor to PEOPLE since 2017, covering Las Vegas events and entertainment news.Her words appear in The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Variety, Forbes Travel Guide, Business Traveler, Hospitality Design, LA Times, The Infatuation and Apple Music, among other publications. She hosts a weekly food segment on KTNV in Las Vegas called “Tasty Tuesday,” shares weekend recaps from the Entertainment Capital of the World on KSNV, frequently pops up as a Vegas correspondent on KTLA and appeared on Vice Munchies as “the queen of Las Vegas.” Experience Melinda Sheckells began her journalism career in 2001and has worked as a contributor to PEOPLE since 2017.As a freelance writer, her byline has appeared in dozens of lifestyle and entertainment publications and websites. She has broken some of the biggest Las Vegas entertainment stories over the last decade and her most notable celebrity interviews include: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Ron Howard, Elton John, Celine Dion, Sting, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue, David Byrne, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Garth Brooks, Shay Mitchell and many more.As a travel writer, she specializes in once-in-a-lifetime experiences, luxury hotels, private clubs, wellness and art, and has written features on Nashville, Denver, Hollywood, Detroit, South Africa, Chile, Madrid, Miami, Mexico and the list goes on.As an editor, Melinda helmed many of Las Vegas’ top publications and websites, including Vegas/Rated, VegasSeven, Vegas Magazine and in-house magazines for Wynn, Venetian, CityCenter, Hard Rock Hotel and Caesars Palace. Education Melinda is a graduate of the lauded Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where she studied theater. From there, she attended the University of California, Irvine, and studied Creative Writing, English Literature, Greek Classics and Spanish. About PEOPLE PEOPLE, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, delivers the most trustworthy celebrity news and captivating human interest stories, connecting you to the pulse of American culture. Since our first issue hit stands in 1974, we have been striving to tell compelling stories about the people behind the issues, as opposed to just the issues themselves. We are your everyday escape, taking you inside the lives of intriguing stars, newsmakers, up-and-comers and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We serve and delight you by providing ideas about beauty, food and style through the lens of the people influencing the trends. And we are a force for good by telling stories of hope, optimism and kindness that drive conversation and inspire action. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.