Ruby H. Melton

Ruby Melton practiced maritime and international law at the New York firm of Nourse & Bowles before joining the Switzerland-based Louis Dreyfus Group, one of the world’s oldest commodities merchants. Earlier, she had begun her career with the company as an ocean freight manager and arbitration specialist for its international shipping and grain exporting businesses. Upon re-joining Louis Dreyfus in the law department, she focused on joint ventures and the development of new product areas, including energy trading in North America and Europe; orange juice processing in Brazil; and cotton exporting to China. She retired in 2008 as Deputy General Counsel of Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy, overseeing all legal and compliance functions for the company’s worldwide energy activities.

Ruby earned a B.A. in English and French Literature from Hollins University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. She serves on the Advisory Council of Women’s Health Research at Yale, the National Council for the American Theatre, and the Boards of the Long Wharf Theatre, the Shubert Theatre-New Haven, Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and International Festival of Arts and Ideas.  Ruby also volunteers as a mentor with the First Generation Mentoring Program at Gateway Community College.

Ruby has traveled widely and has lived in New York, New Orleans, Athens, Rome, Paris and London. She now lives in West Haven with her wife, Gail McAvay, an epidemiologist by training and a Senior Research Scientist on the faculty of Yale Medical School's Program on Aging.