Kelly Landis Joins Us as Director of Communications

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation is pleased to announce that Kelly Landis has joined us as our inaugural director of communications. Kelly brings a wealth of communications experience that will greatly support our work and the work of our grantees. 

 Kelly will help oversee the growth and development of the Foundation’s communications work. Her expertise will play a key role in elevating the work of our grantees, fostering greater collaboration across networks, supporting more mission-focused advocacy work, and advancing our innovative approaches to philanthropy.  

 Kelly has previously worked in multiple sectors, including higher education, policy, and advocacy. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the director of strategic communications at Lawrence University. She also served with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, worked as Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s speechwriter, and provided strategic communications planning for Supreme Court litigation. She began her career at Washington think tank The Brookings Institution.  

 Kelly has a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.