Allison Kelley brings a dynamic blend of marketing insight, operational excellence, and creativity to her work as a Senior Associate at Carney, Sandoe & Associates. With a Ph.D. in History from the University of Virginia and a background in NCAA Division I athletics, Allison approaches her work with both intellectual rigor and competitive spirit.

Prior to joining Carney, Sandoe & Associates, Allison served as a Search Coordinator at ST Search & Consulting, where she played a pivotal role in more than 70 successful leadership searches. She was instrumental in designing a widely adopted Head of School Transition program, developing candidate and committee-facing resources, and creating original survey tools to support hiring and mentoring.

Allison’s early career includes teaching appointments at Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, and the University of Virginia, where she earned near-perfect teaching evaluations. She has published widely on topics ranging from religious economics to gender equity in athletics, with pieces featured in Religion & Politics, The Washington Post, and NIAAA Magazine.

Outside of her professional life, Allison is an avid long-distance runner and was recently featured in Nike’s Dreamweaver Project for competitive female marathoners. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she enjoys gravel road runs at sunrise, crossword puzzles, and spending time with her husband and daughter.