Kelly Conley

Kelly brings more than 25 years of public health experience at the local, state, and national level to her role as a senior manager at Ascendient, where she advises health departments on assessments, planning, and organizational efficiency – especially those pursuing national Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation. With vast knowledge in communication, quality improvement initiatives, performance management, workforce development, and community collaboration, she helps departments striving to function at their highest potential.

Public health workers have recently experienced years of stress and burnout, and Kelly's goal at Ascendient is to put the passion and spark back into those committed to the public health mission. Another passion is helping health departments remain sustainable with innovative ideas for funding, resources, staff development, and capacity building.

In addition to public health, Kelly also has worked for 2 large hospital systems in Michigan. She is a certified lactation consultant and belongs to many professional organizations including NACCHO, APHA, and ASTHO. She has been a PHAB national site visitor for 9 years.

Kelly grew up in a rural town in central Michigan, where she still lives today with her husband. With four grown children ages 19 to 26, Kelly enjoys traveling and sporting events with the family – plus gardening, podcasts, cooking, reading, and home improvement projects.

“Healthcare is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time.”

– C. Everett Koop