Founder & CEO

Kelley Ditzel, PhD, is a thought leader and educator who deploys her multifaceted work experiences and wide range of research to drive equitable solutions and work with communities to enact positive change. Kelley is the founder and CEO of Equitable Impact Solutions, a mission-driven consulting firm to empower underserved communities through collaboration. Authentic community engagement and centering marginalized voices in decision-making enable Equitable Impact Solutions to forge strategic partnerships with nonprofit, government, and corporate clients to advance equity initiatives. Kelley specializes in empowering community and student voice; collaborative planning and implementation; facilitation and network building; and strategic planning and evaluation. Her diverse expertise allows her to effectively empower stakeholders and drive meaningful, sustainable change.

Previously, Kelley was a tenured Associate Professor of Public Administration at Georgia College & State University, where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in public administration, and directed both the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) Certificate Program and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership & Management. As a “pracademic” she enjoyed experiential learning with students and remains connected to the public sector through partnerships and consulting work within the local middle Georgia community and in communities throughout the United States.

Prior to joining Georgia College, Kelley worked in nonprofits and philanthropy for 15 years creating programs, leading research efforts, and developing strategies to measure impact and drive change. As Director of Research & Policy at the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), Kelley developed and executed research and advocacy efforts for advancing equity and educational excellence in the South. She created and led research and policy initiatives to inform strategic decision-making and drove thought leadership in the Southern Policy & Practice Network. Prior to joining SEF, Kelley was a Director on the Planning and Measurement team at Boys & Girls Clubs of America where she evaluated youth development outcomes for approximately four million young people. She designed and executed research projects to identify success factors for over 4,000 Club sites, including management of a national randomized control trial on a summer learning program and management of a national Return on Investment (ROI) study, both of which offered critical insights on the impact of youth development programming. 

Kelley has worked as the Vice President of Research, Evaluation & Data at Junior Achievement of Georgia where she streamlined the evaluation and program management processes for the organization in order to improve program effectiveness and outcomes for youth. While there she led an inaugural study, entitled “Graduation Pathways,” which focused on improving high school graduation rates and postsecondary attainment. Kelley’s other experience includes developing a comprehensive data system to support early literacy and learning, creating and directing the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) for the state of Georgia, and analysis of statewide public education data to provide recommendations and future implementation considerations for a state education agency.

Kelley earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy from a joint program with Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and she holds a B.A. in Political Science from Wake Forest University. Her classroom teaching experience through Teach for America and time as a CORO Fellowship in Public Affairs informs and indelibly shapes Kelley’s research, policy work, and ongoing community engagement. 

Originally from Shaker Heights, OH, Kelley relocated from Atlanta to middle Georgia with her husband and two young sons. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and thoroughly enjoys volunteering at her boys’ extraordinary, public elementary school.