Original Air Date: January 10, 2020

Niki Kelly is the Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Bay County and is someone whom I respect and admire so much. Our talk together was a great opportunity to learn from a professional who has been on every side of the nonprofit world - from direct service, fundraising, leadership to the Executive Director role.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the challenges facing nonprofit leaders and nonprofits and we discuss what it takes to run a successful business that is inclusive, value-driven, responsive but also business-oriented.

Niki shares key insights about issues that our community is facing and the evolving world of non-profit work as well as the importance of advocacy and looking at the work differently to improve program delivery.

Niki’s education includes a Bachelor's degree in Criminology with a minor in Psychology and a Masters in Management both from the University of South Florida. She spent 12 years working in community mental health and addiction services followed by more than 10 years in refugee and immigrant services.

Niki Kelly relocated to Panama City Beach in the spring of 2014 and joined the leadership team at Girls Inc. shortly thereafter. Since then, she has led Girls Inc. on an aggressive growth plan expanding services to more girls in Bay County and putting the organization on a solid footing that enabled them to persevere following the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael in 2018. For her response to the hurricane, Niki was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce, and the Outstanding Community Leadership award by the Girls Inc. national organization.

I bet you are going to love this episode even if you aren't in the nonprofit world because you will hear thoughtful advice on how to run your own business in an ethical and inclusive way.

tomearl.me/nk