Elaine H. Melby was born in Nashville, Tennessee and was a cum laude graduate of Middle Tennessee State University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in English and Secondary Education. She has completed graduate work at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
After serving as an eighth grade language arts instructor in Harrisburg, Illinois for 6 years, Elaine relocated to Carterville, Illinois and began a real estate career with Century 21 House of Realty, inc. in 1978 as a real estate agent. Between 1980 and 2006, she served as a recruiter trainer, Broker/Manager, and Owner/President of the company that grew from 2 offices in 1982 to 5 offices in 2001 with 75 agents and 12 support staff serving Williamson, Jackson, Johnson and the surrounding Southern Illinois Counties. . These Century 21 franchises located in Marion, Carterville, Lake of Egypt, Carbondale and Murphysboro, Illinois became the largest and most productive real estate operation in the 27-county Egyptian Board of Realtors, ranking in the TOP 100 companies for CENTURY 21 out of more than 5000 offices in the nation. Melby sold the company in 2006, remaining as a trainer and manager for several years, now working as a Broker within the operation.
Melby served on the Carterville School Board for 12 years, and has been a member of the Marion Rotary Club since 1995, serving as the first female President of the Club in 2003, is a 3-time Paul Harris Fellow, and a sustaining member of the Foundation. She has served as a Board member of the Carterville Chamber of Commerce, holding the position of President in 2006, and multiple-year recipient of Chamber member of the year. She has served as President of the Century 21 St. Louis Broker Council, is Vice-president of the Heartland Regional Medical Center Board of Directors, a Director of First Southern Bank and is past President and Board member of the John A. Logan College Foundation. In 2004 Melby was recognized as one of the Southern Illinoisan newspaper\342\200\231s \342\200\235 Leaders Among Us,\342\200\235 and in 2005 was named an \342\200\234Inspiring Woman of Achievement\342\200\235 by Southern Illinois University Foundation, Carbondale, Illinois. In 2008 she was named CITIZEN of the YEAR by the Marion Chamber of Commerce and 2014 Melby was named REALTOR OF THE YEAR by the Egyptian Board of Realtors.

Elaine and her husband of over 45 years, David, have one son, Ben and two grandchildren, Gavin,16, and Mylee, 13. They attend Epiphany Lutheran Church in Carbondale where Melby has served on the Church Council, taught Sunday School, and served as Building Fund Chair. In her free time, she enjoys tennis, golf, boating in Florida , watching musicals and a great book. She views her role as a real estate professional as that of an educator, providing useful information for sellers and buyers to make informed decisions and considers it a blessing that she is able to serve her clients in this capacity.