Ethos

Daniela Kelly has lived along the US/Mexico border for most of her life. Her childhood was spent in Mexicali before moving to San Diego when she was 11 years old. Her bicultural and bilingual background instilled a deep understanding and appreciation for the region, its culture, its people and its uniqueness.

Daniela Kelly has over 20 years of work experience in the non-profit sector. Her professional experience began at the Institute of the Americas where she organized a series of programs and international conferences focusing on raising awareness for the environment, freedom of speech, community empowerment, and excellence in science reporting. A lifelong passion for the arts led Daniela to a position as Museum Educator at the San Diego Museum of Art, where she taught project based curricula, designed gallery interactives, and family friendly programming.

During her tenure at the Museum, Daniela also focused on making this space increasingly accessible to underrepresented communities. In doing so, Daniela brought arts programming to community centers, public schools and festivals throughout San Diego County. Most recently, Ms. Kelly held the position of Bilingual Director at the Athenaeum Art Center in Logan Heights. Here she conceptualized, developed and implemented over 30 community programs and art exhibitions focused on the rich cultural traditions of Latino, Chicano, and Mexican American communities in the region.

Daniela currently serves as executive director of the Sherman Heights Community Center @shermanheightscc. There, Daniela develops programming, strategic partnerships and educational opportunities that enhance the community center’s offerings and communities served.

In her free time, Daniela enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, seeing art exhibitions and making chocolate from bean to bar 🍫