In October 2024 Melissa Bakutis joined The Fingerprints Foundation board as secretary. She is deeply passionate about 12-step recovery and committed to supporting families facing the challenges of addiction. Melissa brings both her professional experience and her personal journey of family recovery to the foundation’s board.
Melissa lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with her husband of 27 years and is a proud mother of three boys, ages 29, 18, and 16. She has dedicated 24 years of her career to Arizona State University, where she currently serves as the Director of Infrastructure and Service Operations in the Enterprise Technology department.
Since August 2021, Melissa has been actively involved in the addiction recovery community after her son Kanyon began struggling with addiction. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Parent Support Group at The Pathways Program, where she provides guidance and support to other parents navigating similar journeys. Through her own experience, Melissa has worked through the 12 steps, finding strength and healing along the way.
In January 2025, Melissa experienced the heartbreaking loss of her son Kanyon, who lost his battle with addiction. Despite this tragedy, she remains devoted to the recovery community and is determined to help other families find hope and healing. Melissa feels a profound connection to this cause and wants to honor Kanyon’s memory by continuing to serve and support those affected by addiction.
Melissa shares, “Losing my son has been the hardest experience of my life, but I find comfort in knowing he is in a place surrounded by love and peace. I am deeply grateful to be part of The Fingerprints Foundation, where I can contribute to giving families the hope and support, they need on their path to recovery.”