Samantha Kelly
- Alumni Association Executive Council, Member
Samantha is a strategic and results-driven leader who is strongly committed to success in the public sector. She has worked in both government and nonprofits and has years of experience in policy analysis, qualitative and quantitative research, program management, grant writing and coalition building. Samantha’s long-term goal is comprehensive food systems reform to minimize preventable chronic diseases. She envisions large-scale government investments in programs and policies that prioritize and address social determinants of health and ultimately reduce health care costs. A large portion of this success depends on electing visionary leaders who closely represent the electorate; as a result, Samantha concurrently works to help elect more women to government and elevate them to positions of power.
Samantha is a Consultant at Public Consulting Group, a public sector management consulting firm that contracts with state governments to provide technical assistance with streamlining agency operations while maximizing impact. Previously, as Legislative Director for Massachusetts State Senator Eric Lesser, Samantha oversaw the Senator's legislative portfolio, led analysis and tracking of the state budget, ran team operations on the Senate floor, and recommended outcomes for bills in Lesser's primary committee, the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Before her time in the Senate, she worked as Research Director for the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure in the House. Prior to her start in state government, Samantha was Program Director for the Local Initiative for Food Education at Greensgrow Farms in Philadelphia and a Farmers Market Associate for The Food Trust. She has a BA in Political Science and Anthropology from Columbia University and an MS in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Outside of work, Samantha is Treasurer of the Political Action Committee of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, a member of the Tufts Friedman School executive council, legislative strategy consultant to Massachusetts Farm to School, campaign consultant to a Somerville City Council candidate, co-founder of the group Massachusetts Food Policy Innovators, and a 2019 Emerge Massachusetts graduate. In her spare time, Samantha keeps bees and ferments mead from honey with her husband Rob.
Education
MS, Food Policy and Nutrition from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
BA, Anthropology and Political Science, Columbia College, Columbia University in the City of New York