Elyssa Kelly serves as the Assistant Vice President, Campaigns and Planning at Mount Holyoke College, where she is a strategic leader at the intersection of campaign design, organizational alignment, and culture building. Her core strength lies in her ability to translate complex goals into actionable plans by leveraging her skills in problem-solving, empathy, and relationship building.
Elyssa is deeply drawn to the mission of advancing gender inclusive leadership and institutional excellence, a drive that is the cornerstone of her professional journey. This mission-driven approach was evident in her previous role as Assistant Vice President for Development at Connecticut Children's Foundation, and in her transformative work at the UConn Foundation, with eight years of progressive leadership in alumni relations and development with an expertise in women's philanthropy. Elyssa's foundation in mission-aligned work was built during her time in Washington, D.C., where she focused on institutional and policy change in higher education and as well as strategic communications for social good and educational policy.
Elyssa holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Social Policy from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Connecticut.
In her time away from work, she loves spending time by the water with her family or getting lost in a good book store.
Education
- MPA, American University
- BA, University of Connecticut