Welcome New Program Officer Kelly Saulsberry

Kelly Suzanne Saulsberry is a proud native of Chicago's South Side and a feminist advocate who is passionate about civic engagement; racial, gender, and economic equity; LGBTQ rights; and individual and community empowerment. Her professional experience has been primarily in the non-profit and public sectors. Before joining Woods Fund Chicago, she was the Director of Policy and Outreach at the City of Chicago's Commission on Human Relations, the City's civil rights department. Before then, she was a Deputy Policy Director in the Chicago Mayor's Office of Rahm Emanuel, where she worked on issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, and transportation in underserved neighborhoods on the City's south and west sides. She has also worked in non-profit organizations where she directed and managed civic engagement, advocacy, and public programming initiatives.

Kelly is an active volunteer who co-chairs the advisory council at Pride Action Tank at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, serves on the Leadership Advisory Council at Affinity Community Services, and also serves on the board of trustees at Chicago House. She hosts a monthly podcast called Living Room Chats: A Podcast for Brave Conversations & Bold Voices, in collaboration with Affinity Community Services, where she has intimate conversations with people about political advocacy, culture, identity, and spirituality.