Melina Nicolatus carries on the legacy of a dear friend as a trustee to his foundation: John C. Kish Foundation. She met John Kish in 1993 when she worked in Las Vegas at a law firm, and he was one of her clients. They eventually became dear friends, and John started the Skyline Casino nearby in Henderson, Nevada with his lifelong partner Jack Plevo.
John didn’t feel comfortable being out as gay to most people as a businessman, which Melina said gave him an even stronger passion for helping those who were disenfranchised. When he passed in 2007, he appointed Melina and Matthew Frazier as the trustees to his foundation. Melina’s mission has been to carry on his legacy.
“I like saying his name because I really feel like that’s kind of his legacy and his baby — is to know from heaven that he’s taking care of a lot of different people, animals, land conservation, arts, all of those types of things,” Melina said.
Melina moved to Park City with her husband soon after they married in 2001. She has two children and is deeply passionate about youth issues, especially after her daughter recovered from a serious illness. She also has a passion for conservation and the environment.
“I feel like we need our kids to step up and realize that this is their planet, and they need to take care of it,” she said.
Melina is grateful to Park City Community Foundation for making her job easier. She trusts the integrity and leadership of the Community Foundation to take John’s legacy and spread it through the Community Foundation’s initiatives like Youth United, which helps children access sports and recreation, or the Climate Fund to keep our planet alive and healthy.
Partnerships like this one between Park City Community Foundation and John C. Kish Foundation highlight the importance of addressing systems-level issues to solve our community’s greatest challenges.
In addition to the Community Foundation, Melina likes to support organizations like the People’s Health Clinic, Swaner Nature Preserve, and Nuzzles and Co. Now that she’s retired, she loves to volunteer her time and has been going to VOA Utah’s Homeless Youth Resource Center in Salt Lake to make meals. She said, “we sprinkle and spread the love where we can.”
Melina wants to thank the Community Foundation for addressing vital needs in the community. “I feel incredibly blessed to be able to do this, it’s just the greatest blessing of my life to be a co-trustee of his foundation.”