Last edited 1:08 p.m., Aug. 1, 2011Mel Saunders, financial adviser with the Springfield branch of Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, died July 30 after being involved in a car accident July 27. He was 35.
Saunders was traveling to Louisville, Ky., to visit a friend when his vehicle collided with a semi-truck near Evansville, Ind. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died, according to Saunders' assistant Pat Heimann in the Springfield office, 1720 E. Bradford Parkway.
Saunders, who received his bachelor's in finance from Missouri State University, joined Wells Fargo in 2003. In his position, he managed investment securities for individuals and families, small- to medium-size corporations, nonprofit organizations and endowment entities. He was named one of Springfield Business Journal's
2011 40 Under 40 honorees.
Saunders was a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, serving as chairman of the organization's Invest to Invest Committee 2007-10. He also was a board member, scholarship chairman and a member of the professional advisers council for Community Foundation of the Ozarks and an active member of the Springfield Sertoma Club and the Springfield and Nixa chambers of commerce.
In his 40 Under 40 profile, Saunders outlined his service-oriented take on the Springfield area.
“Every one of us constitutes our community,” he said. “Therefore, it’s our responsibility to become actively involved for the betterment of all our residents.”
Saunders also noted that one of his proudest accomplishments was delivering Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech to more than 100 children and young adults at Boys & Girls Clubs.
“As an African American resident of the greater Springfield area, I feel honored and humbled to have been given this opportunity to share with the audience, not only the literal words of King’s speech, but also who those words symbolize,” Saunders said in the profile. “That is, if they believe in themselves and carry the gauntlet, they will succeed despite the minor inconveniences along the pathway to success.”
Saunders is survived by his wife, Theresa, and their 2-year-old son Tyson.[[In-content Ad]]
