When Kim Kelly arrived back in Australia after a stint living in Asia, she knew she wanted to make a difference. But it was a meeting with speech pathologist Mary-Ruth Mendel that really changed her career.
"We both wanted to do something, and initially set up a business training teachers [working with kids]," she says.
But when a news story highlighting Mendel's work saw the phones ringing off the hook, the pair decided they needed to do more, and in 1999 they moved the business to become a not-for-profit organisation.
"I didn't realise so many Australians couldn't read and write. People had horrific workplace accidents because they couldn't read," she says.
Fast forward more than 15 years, and the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation has trained more than 1400 adults to work with thousands of children across a minimum of 85 sites in remote and urban New South Wales. For Kelly, the key to managing the in house team of 12 comes from a simple philosophy.
"I really believe in health, happiness and family. Working in a not-for-profit pushes you to the max and can be quite confronting in the communities we work in," she says.
It's just one reason she believes employers need to ensure their staff members are shown they are valued.
"I've got four kids. Whether you are male or female you need to make your workplace flexible and make people feel they are supported and trusted. That's really important," she says.
To support the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation go to alnf.org
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Kim Kelly
Current position: Co-founder and executive director, Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.
Responsibilities: Responsible for all business projects, finance and fundraising for the foundation.
Education: · Graduate, The School of Visual Arts, Sydney (1979).
· Graduate, Jeoffrin Byrs - enseignement privé des arts de la mode, Paris, France (1982).
Additional training/courses: None. "I have no time!"
Professional associations: · Member, Women in Focus.
· Member, Stanford Who's Who.
· Member, Worldwide Who's Who.
· Consultant, NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Task Force.
Honourable mentions: · Worldwide Who's Who Professional of the Year in Nonprofit Operations Management, 2012.
· Named in Madison Magazine's Australia's Most Inspiring Women list, 2012.
Strength: Listening is a big thing, as is appreciating people's views. Also getting down and dirty - I can be packing books in the warehouse or answering the phone.
Weakness: Sometimes I do get impatient.
Management style and tips: Make your employees work life flexible - it is really important.
Work motto: Being able to read and write is a basic human right. That's what gets me here every day.
