EXPERIENCE 181 | Born a Social Worker! - A Conversation with Kelly Evans, Executive Director of Neighbor to Neighbor, Inc. - Delivering Housing Access in Larimer County and Beyond

The LoCo Experience

Don’t judge her for it, but Kelly Evans is and will forever be a Jayhawk. Born and raised in and around Lawrence, Kansas, Kelly got her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Kansas and soon after began a front-line role with a local non-profit. Two-and-a-half years in, the board made the decision to depart the Executive Director, and asked Kelly if she would take the job! Kelly is a natural leader, and a lover of nature, and her dreams of moving their family near their favorite vacation spot in Colorado (Poudre Canyon) came true when she and her family moved to Fort Collins in 2012.

Kelly came to town for a big job - to turn around longtime housing focused non-profit organization Neighbor to Neighbor, which had grown out of a grassroots movement in the 1970’s but had suffered through the real estate doldrums of the Great Recession. She did just that, growing to a sustainable revenue model and a staff of nearly 20 before the Covid pandemic response flooded the organization with resources - with expiration dates! - and they grew to over 60 employees by 2022 - and then had to shrink back down to a stable(ish) staff of 30. How does a compassionate leader downsize with prudence and justice and empathy? - just ask Kelly - as I did. N2N is in a great place and still offers a dozen programs ranging from home buyer preparedness training to rent assistance to homeshare programs and much more.

Kelly is cheerful and open and kind, and one of the most empathetic and intelligent people I’ve ever met. And - she’s a freethinker and a person I can cheerfully disagree with and challenge without risking a friendship! So please enjoy, as I did, my conversation with Kelly Evans.

The LoCo Experience Podcast is sponsored by: Logistics Co-op | https://logisticscoop.com/

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain