Staff: Kelly Cadigan Southworth

Born and raised in Eugene, Kelly is no stranger to community engagement. Her nonprofit work began at Northwest Youth Corps, completing conservation field work projects with youth crews throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Northern California. From there, Kelly dove deep into civic engagement activities as the Development Director and Volunteer Coordinator for The Eugene Celebration, a community event that occurred annually. From 2008 – 2011, Kelly produced the Eugene Celebration event and worked with Kesey Enterprises as an Event and Production Manager, using her event management expertise for both the McDonald Theatre and the Cuthbert amphitheater. She took a small hiatus from the Pacific Northwest to spend time exploring the beautiful state of Maine. While she loved the eastern coastline, she and her husband were happy to return to the Pacific Northwest in 2015 to be closer to family. Kelly earned her MBA with an emphasis on Healthcare Administration which she put to use working at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) for the past 8 years.

Kelly had a short but enjoyable stint as a professional baker and is an avid knitter, quilter, and fiber crafter. She loves Umpqua chocolate peanut butter ice cream, Theo’s Sea salt dark chocolate bars, and has never been a coffee consumer. She studied abroad for one year in Salvador Brazil as a Rotary exchange student; briefly held her college’s school record for the Women’s Steeplechase and served as the team captain for two years on the soccer team. Kelly is still in search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and enjoys living in a community where one can still borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor. She and her husband have two sons who keep them quite busy. Together, the family enjoys adventures on the coast, camping, and spending time working in their yard. Kelly feels honored to be part of the Friends of the Children Lane Country team of superstars.