Melissa Peterson is the director of production for the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Most recently she was director of projects at TTS Studios, leading scenic fabrication for Broadway and off-Broadway shows including "Schmigadoon!," the 2026 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. Before that she spent three years at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, rising from production manager to theater programming manager, programming and contracting its theatrical season and serving as general manager of Broadway Center Stage. Earlier she was production manager at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.