Kelly Accardi

Senior Development Officer

SELC’s work is made possible through relationships with philanthropists who are dedicated to creating powerful environmental protections. Kelly builds these partnerships to last.  

Kelly collaborates with donors and prospects to connect their environmental passions with SELC’s work – and help them envision the impacts their support can help generate. Her efforts ensure that our supporters know how important they are to SELC’s outcomes and successes, and make sure that great stewardship deepens their connection to SELC.   

“I’m grateful to be part of an organization that creates such powerful and lasting change, and I’m honored to work with a development team that is committed to making sure SELC has the resources necessary for success and progress,” Kelly said.  

“Everyone needs – and deserves – fresh unpolluted water,” she added. “SELC’s work to keep the waterways of the south clean and healthy is so important to the wellbeing of our communities. From coal ash to industrial toxins like PFAS, we hold polluters accountable, keeping contaminants at bay and Southerners safe.” 

The James River is a special, recurrent element in Kelly’s life. “It has been interwoven through decades of my life, having lived, worked, and raised a family along its banks,” she said. Kelly grew up where the oil industry began in Pennsylvania, the center of the Marcellus Shale fracking grounds. “I’m very happy to be working toward a brighter and cleaner future that leaves those polluting fossil fuels far behind.”  

Previous experience

• Virginia League of Conservation Voters, development director 
• More than 25 years of nonprofit experience  
• B.F.A, Virginia Commonwealth University  
• With SELC since 2023