The partners and consultants of Columns Fundraising are pleased to welcome Ken O’Kelley as a senior consultant.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Ken has 33 years of experience working with nonprofits serving youth and leading youth-focused programs. He has expertise in cultivating and working with advisory boards, fundraising, marketing, and strategic planning to drive organizational growth.

In 1996, Ken was hired as the Director of the 1996 Olympic Youth Camp, a program operated by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG). He then moved to the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, where he served as Senior Vice President for Teen and Youth Development. Ken provided vision and leadership for two resident camps – YMCA Camp High Harbour at Lake Burton and YMCA Camp High Harbour at Lake Allatoona – 22-day camps, and 18 teen leadership programs. Ken created, implemented, and supervised the Advanced Leadership Academy, a year-round youth development program that gained national attention and was featured in the American Camp Association magazine in October 2020. He is an accomplished motivational speaker.

Ken and his wife have two adult children and one grandchild. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, camping, and golfing.