Kelly Nitti

Director of Development

Kelly Nitti is the Director of Development at Embright Education, where she leads strategic fundraising, donor engagement, and grant management to support the organization’s mission. She collaborates with the leadership team, board, and community partners to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of Embright’s trauma-informed programs, which equip young learners with the social and emotional tools to thrive and reach thousands of students across New Jersey each year.

With over two decades of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, Kelly brings a unique blend of expertise, heart, and purpose to her work. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Sociology from William Paterson University, where she was also a student-athlete. Kelly taught in Mercer County as a certified K-6 educator before joining Embright Education, formerly Camp Fire New Jersey, where she found her true calling in youth development and social-emotional learning.

In addition to her work at Embright, Kelly is deeply involved in community service through various boards and coalitions dedicated to youth and family well-being. Her past and present involvement has included serving on the City of Angels Board of Directors, the Robbinsville CARE Coalition, Mercer County Minority Concerns Committee, Mercer County Prevention Coalition, Enough Abuse Campaign, Mercer County Youth Services Commission, Mercer County Traumatic Loss Coalition, and several Municipal Alcohol and Drug Alliances.

She holds a wide range of professional certifications, including Non-Profit Management, K-6 Teacher of Elementary Education, Mental Health First Aid for Youth, Trauma & Resilience, ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences), Thriveology, Botvin’s Life Skills, and Enough Abuse Prevention.

Kelly lives in Hamilton, NJ, with her husband Chris, their two sons, Jordan and Braedan, and their dog Sunny. She’s grateful to have raised her children while working at Embright Education, where they experienced a culture of kindness, connection, empathy, growth mindset, resilience, and community service from a young age. Some of her favorite things include watching her sons play baseball, pizza night, working out, supporting Embright’s Teens on Fire program, family traditions, creating new memories, annual ski trips to Prattsville, NY and spending the best two weeks of summer with family in Sea Isle City.

At the heart of Kelly’s work is the unwavering belief that every child has a spark within them, and every child deserves a Spark champion - someone who sees their potential, never gives up on them, and helps that spark shine bright. Guided by the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” Kelly is honored to be part of that village each day, building inclusive, supportive communities where young people feel seen, heard, and valued. For her, the magic lies in the high fives, the lightbulb moments, and those times when you impact a child so deeply, you feel it in your heart. That’s why she does this work—and why she’ll never stop.