Kelly Stevelt

Head of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives 

Kelly Stevelt joined the Wexner Center in April 2019 and is the head of advancement and strategic initiatives. Kelly oversees development and government relations, marketing and communications, the Department of Learning & Public Practice, and the Wex’s accessibility work. Kelly serves as the executive liaison for the Wex’s Equity Working Group as well as the Staff Engagement Committee. She recently served as the center’s co-interim executive director with her counterpart, Megan Cavanaugh.

Prior to the Wex, Kelly served as director of development and affinity for the Columbus Metropolitan Library where she was liaison to the library’s 501(c)3 Foundation and 501(c)4 Friends of the Library. This role brought her back to Columbus from the Washington, DC, area where she worked for the University of Maryland at College Park and the American Alliance of Museums.

A longtime Buckeye, Kelly earned both her Master of Arts degree in Arts Policy and Administration and her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Economics from The Ohio State University before serving as the inaugural deputy director of Ohio State’s Urban Arts Space and fundraising for Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center. Early in her career, she worked for the Jefferson Avenue Center and now proudly serves on its board of trustees. Kelly resides in Bexley, Ohio, with her husband, Jesse Cantrell; their two daughters, Sloane and Claire; and their dogs, Napoleon and Ziva.