Kelly Roberts believes that “finding ways to practice small acts of courage in our everyday lives allows us to show up in the world differently and with more impact”. She encourages this spirit in the young professional women she is able to engage in mentorship through her current role as the current Senior Director of Investor Engagement for the Alamance Chamber, where she has served 8 years. A 2015 Communication Studies graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Kelly joined the Alamance Chamber in 2015 and had the pleasure of working at the Chamber’s inaugural ROAR Women’s Symposium in 2016. Getting to see it grow and evolve each year she states has been one of the most rewarding parts of her career. Under Kelly’s leadership, the 2023 ROAR Women’s Symposium event hosted 400 attendees from the surrounding area, becoming the largest women’s professional development event in the region. In addition to working with the ROAR planning committing to develop the program for the Women’s Symposium, Kelly also provides leadership and direction for designing and implementing programs focused on recruitment, retention, and engagement of chamber investors and also oversees the public relations function of the organization: leading the development and execution of the Chamber’s communication strategies.
Consistently seeking opportunities to grow as a chamber professional, Kelly holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management(IOM) at the University of Georgia. She is actively engaged with the Carolina’s Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) and is a graduate of the Alamance Chamber’s Leadership Alamance Class of 2017 and Impact Alamance’s Leadership Institute Class of 2023.
Kelly is the epitome of servant leadership and commitment and is an ardent volunteer and supporter of a variety of efforts that benefit the Alamance County community. In a professional capacity, Kelly leads the Ambassadors, a core group of volunteers supporting the mission of the Alamance Chamber. This work includes continued engagement with volunteers, connecting them to other businesses to strengthen relationships, and practicing in-service volunteer opportunities with them across the community, creating learning opportunities for the group not only to keep them connected to the Chamber but also to other community organizations. Outside of the Chamber, Kelly has volunteered with the United Way serving on the marketing & brand awareness taskforce, Alamance Achieves on their Communications committee, and for Downtown Burlington serving on the Corporations Marketing and Promotions committee. Additionally, Kelly is an annual supporter and donor for Little Pink Houses of Hope, a non-profit organization providing assistance and resources for families impacted by Breast Cancer.
Although Kelly’s leadership qualities and core of work with the Chamber have contributed greatly to the economic health of our community, for those who know her, her presence and warm demeanor have also had a substantial impact in demonstrating building a foundation for building community through compassion. One of her greatest impacts has been “how she treated others, no matter who they were, what title they may have or not have, it could be a major prospective investor with whom she would be sharing the benefits of the Chamber or someone dropping off pens and pencils for the school drive.” Kelly believes in meeting people where they are, and her favorite quote is “You are exactly where you need to be.” In her leisure time, Kelly enjoys making memories with her family and friends, going on long hikes, and anything that involves being outdoors. In her current wisdom, she has learned to “embrace the timeline of my life and celebrate my own unique journey along the way.”