Kelley Evans is the interim director of the student success center network at JFF. In that role, she provides strategic consultation and technical assistance services to postsecondary leaders, state systems, and institutions.
Specifically, she consults with clients on postsecondary reform and redesign initiatives to improve equity and economic mobility. She conducts needs assessments, strategy sessions and site visits to craft short-, medium- and long-term strategies that help students achieve greater economic mobility through educational opportunities.
Before joining JFF, Kelley spent 14 years as an instructor and college administrator in the North Carolina Community College System. In those roles, she served on the institutional leadership team and provided data analysis and support for program redesign on multiple initiatives. She also played key roles in two large-scale student success initiatives centered on improving access and equity in the state’s approaches to developmental education.
Kelley serves on the board of directors of Coastal Horizons Center, a regional nonprofit in Wilmington, North Carolina, that provides mental health, substance use, and crisis intervention services.
Kelley has a PhD in reading, writing, and literacy from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in child development from the Erikson Institute, and a bachelor's degree in psychology and English from Transylvania University.
At JFF, Kelley enjoys translating her years of community college experience into opportunities for strategic thinking and communication. Her goal is to facilitate and support state and local practices that improve the educational and financial futures of students across the United States.
Outside of work, Kelley says, “I am a mom of two active young boys, and I am typically frantically making dinner or helping with homework on any given weeknight. I love playing a slightly competitive game of tennis, binge-watching a new series, and reading good books, and my husband and I both like to travel and eat yummy food.”
