Katie Kelly is the former Deputy Chief Executive with East Ayrshire Council and has recently retired following an incredible career of over 30 years in the public, health and communities’ sectors. She has led a wide portfolio of services and partnerships including Housing, Communities, Transformation, Economic Growth, Transport, Net Zero and Wellbeing, and Health Improvement. Katie was also employed by the NHS to set up the Community Health Partnership and integration arrangements in Ayrshire with a strong focus on co-creating health and ensuring full engagement of patients, their families and wider communities in local healthcare and wellbeing.
Katie has a proven, evidence-based track record of leading whole system transformational change and co-designing innovative, sustainable, people-centred and citizen-led services which have released large scale recurring revenue savings and simultaneously improved outcomes for local people.
She developed and led the unique and nationally acclaimed Vibrant Communities approach in East Ayrshire which is underpinned by the findings of the Christie Commission and delivered whole system transformation with a focus on community power and community led regeneration. Vibrant Communities has now been running for over 10 years and has made a major impact locally and nationally by valuing the talents in communities and transforming the relationship between public bodies and the people they serve. This approach is the clearest expression of community power and has influenced practice in public bodies across the UK and helped to shape key legislation around community empowerment and public service reform.
Katie is passionate about working alongside people and communities, reducing inequalities, collaborative leadership, coaching and helping to make a positive and lasting difference to people lives.
Katie is an outspoken champion for community power, community wealth building and public service transformation.