Keely is Managing Director at Rocky Mountain Institute and Carbon War Room, an entrepreneurial “think-and-do tank” operating at the confluence of major trends in energy innovation, economics and wealth creation and climate science that propel the clean energy revolution. RMI engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to cost-effectively and profitably reduce carbon emissions by shifting to efficiency and renewables. Keely leads the executive team on engagement and strategy development with the Institute’s philanthropic backers, shaping the overall messaging and broadening alignments to inspire bold funding partnerships.
Keely has nearly 20 years of development expertise having held senior positions at Yale and Columbia Universities. Most recently Keely was Vice President for Development at the Environmental Defense Fund. She ran their $500M Partners for the Planet campaign, directed Individual Giving, led donor trips, spearheaded collaborative development work with peer organizations and worked closely with some of the most generous foundations and individuals in the U.S. and abroad helping to build a global presence for the organization.. Her entrepreneurial approach to fundraising has taken her on many adventures around the world as she developed an expertise advising philanthropists on principal giving.
Based in New York, Keely is an avid cyclist and hiker, most happy logging miles of trail and road to explore new cultures, critters and landscapes off the beaten path. She is also a watercolorist and an aspiring vegan cook.
