06/07/2026
Today’s outstanding graduate is Kelli Kelly:
Ever heard the phrase, “Put your money where your mouth is?” Well, UNLV graduate Kelli Kelly embodies it daily through her work. She is a nonprofit leader, small-business advisor, and researcher who has raised millions of dollars in Nevada’s fight against rural and tribal food insecurity and has spent countless hours studying or advocating for related policies and laws.
Kelli maintained a near-perfect GPA while pursuing her master’s in Urban Leadership, with an eye on food systems policy, governance, emergency preparedness, and real-world problem solving.
She contributed to statewide food insecurity research for the Guinn Center, co-authored a forthcoming white paper on state-level food systems policy, and helped educate the public via media interviews on related topics.
Kelli juggled coursework with multiple day jobs. As executive director of the Fallon Food Hub, she secured $1.25 million in funding to prevent farm closures; significantly ramped up growers’ connections with businesses and consumers looking to buy fresh foods; and distributed 105,000 pounds of food to 3,500 households, including tribal communities. She also dedicated countless hours to supporting local entrepreneurs as a Nevada Small Business Development Center advisor, helping launch 40 new ventures.
Her leadership extends to systems-level change as well. Kelli led the development of Nevada Assembly Bill 352, which was unanimously adopted and expanded sales limits for cottage food operations.
And she’s not done. Kelli continues to serve in multiple governance and advisory roles across Nevada’s food and economic development ecosystem, and is currently developing a regional toolkit to support municipal planning in Southern Nevada.
Congratulations, Kelli! 🎓
