Kelley joined EMSWCD in February of 2024 where she is thrilled to continue her career working on behalf of Oregon’s lands and waters. Kelley comes to the district with 20 years of non-profit experience building relationships and successfully advocating for the natural environment and the people that depend on it. Most recently, Kelley served as the founding Executive Director for the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts (COLT) where she united 30 organizations in a shared mission to conserve Oregon’s farms, forests and fish and natural areas. During her tenure at COLT she helped launch the Oregon Land Justice Project, an effort to increase Indigenous access and ownership of land and first foods. She helped create the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program and advocated on the state and national level for programs that support voluntary land conservation. Kelley is passionate about bringing diverse communities together for positive change. Her past roles include advocacy manager for Cascadia Green Building Council and conservation organizer for Friends of the Columbia Gorge.

Kelley loves to fish, hunt and explore rivers. She lives with her family in North Portland and is excited to join the talented and dedicated team at EMSWD to care for land and water in her own backyard.

Call me about: Anything!