Current Position and Past Experience
Chari Leader Kelley is an independent consultant focused on improving college access and success for adult students. Chari’s work has been at the institutional, state and national levels.

Leader Kelley has served as a Senior Fellow with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. Prior to this, she served for two years as the Vice President of LearningCounts.org, a one-stop prior learning assessment portal managed by CAEL. Chari has been with CAEL since 2011, previously serving as the Senior Consultant for Higher Education Services.

Prior to this, Chari served as the Vice President of Enrollment Management at Excelsior College for 9 years, along with a concurrent designation as Acting Provost/CAO in her final year at Excelsior.

Education, Honors and Achievements
Chari Leader Kelley earned her baccalaureate from Bellevue University, her Master of Human Relations degree from the University of Oklahoma and her PhD (education) from Walden University. She earned all three degrees as a post-traditional student, juggling work and family demands while studying. She received an Excelsior College Partners in Lifelong Learning Award in 2012.

She has been designated CAEL Senior Fellow, effective October 1, 2013; when she will resume her consulting career.

Connect
You can find Chari Leader Kelley on Twitter @ChariKelley. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.