Julia B. Keleher

Julia Keleher is a nationally recognized change agent who specializes in leading complex transformations across education, government, nonprofit, and business sectors. With over two decades of experience, she brings clarity to challenging situations and charts sustainable paths forward for organizations and communities. As the founder of two consulting firms, Keleher knows the persistence and clarity it takes to build a business. She brings that same discipline and vision to working with clients on strategy, organizational change, and creating lasting impact.

Currently, Keleher serves as Executive Director of First State Educate and First State Action Fund, driving collective action to strengthen Delaware's public schools through cross-sector collaboration and advocacy. She also serves as Strategic Advisor to Uplift Solutions, building innovative employer partnerships that create second chances and economic mobility for justice-impacted individuals.

Her government experience includes senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Education and serving as Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Education, where she led a $3.5 billion public school system of 1,300 schools through historic reform and crisis response. This experience taught her firsthand the courage, persistence, and empathy it takes to move large systems forward.

Keleher’s cross-sector expertise spans organizational strategy, human capital management, financial planning, program design, and performance evaluation. She is a respected educator, having served on the faculties of George Washington University and Strayer University. She currently teaches in the Educator Preparation Program at Delaware Technical and Community College. She has published extensively on education policy, program evaluation, and organizational performance, contributing to national conversations on systems change.

Keleher’s leadership has earned recognition including Woman of the Year (Philadelphia Office of Reentry Partnerships, 2024), the Leadership Award for Valor in Crisis (Council of the Great City Schools, 2018), and designation as an Extraordinary Changemaker (The 74, 2017).

She is the author of "Eye of the Storm," a memoir drawn from her tenure as Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Education. The book offers an unfiltered examination of educational reform and America’s criminal justice system. It demonstrates how difficult situations can be transformed into lessons on resilience, purpose, and uncommon empathy for others facing similar challenges.

Fluent in Spanish and proficient in Italian, Keleher holds an Ed.D. in Leadership and Administration from the University of Delaware, a Master’s in Educational Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Project Management. She has multiple professional certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Keleher's perspective is shaped by direct experience with systems most leaders encounter only from the outside. This hard-earned understanding gives her rare insight into what drives real change and the courage required to lead through uncertainty. She helps organizations see what others might miss and connects authentically with stakeholders across all levels.

Keleher is sought after by leaders, philanthropists, and organizations who want to create social impact with demonstrable outcomes and multiplier effects. She leverages her unique combination of business acumen, systems expertise, and battle-tested experience to help clients navigate their most critical junctures and build capacity for transformational change.