Kelly joined the Alliance in 2018, bringing years of leadership experience and deep roots in Chicago’s sustainability community. Kelly leverages technology and best practices to oversee the Alliance’s finances, strengthen organizational infrastructure, and increase efficacy and efficiency. In addition to technical expertise, Kelly applies her passion for mentoring and motivating people to achieve both personal and professional growth as the organization’s chief operations leader. Kelly loves watching people she has worked with or mentored grow in their careers and achieve their goals, a driving value for her work at the Alliance. Having grown up enjoying Lake Michigan and Lake Superior every summer, Kelly is an avid supporter of keeping the Great Lakes healthy and accessible and is excited to apply her expertise to strengthen the Alliance and advance its mission.
Prior to joining the Alliance, Kelly was the Executive Director of Rebuilding Exchange, a nonprofit social enterprise in Chicago. She is also very proud of her previous work as an organizer in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where she formed a group of over 700 volunteers to perform community service, register voters, and canvas in 5 states for President Obama in 2008. This experience demonstrated the potential and power of grassroots organizing to affect change not just on a political level, but in the lives of individuals in our community. Kelly is a graduate of DePaul University, a certified professional with the Society for Human Resource Management, recipient of the inaugural Patrick S. Botterman Leadership Award, and was a 2018 REDF Accelerator Fellow. Kelly serves as board treasurer of Chicago-based nonprofits OAI and Next Bites (formerly Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition). In her free time, Kelly enjoys craft beer, trivia, and introducing her toddler to fun experiences in Chicago.