Like many Pennsylvania natives, Penn State wasn’t on Kelley Lynch’s list. However, her parents kept hearing everything she wanted out of college and took her to Penn State one day in the fall of her senior year of high school. And that was the moment she knew she had found her new home.

That picture-perfect day in fall was all it took for Lynch to start her Penn State journey. From there, her Penn State engagement started and continues to grow, as she runs for an alumni spot on Penn State’s Board of Trustees.

From the moment she became a Nittany Lion, Lynch has been heavily involved in multiple aspects. As a student, she was a Lion Ambassador, a two-time THON dancer, a member and treasurer for AOPi, on the 1986 Homecoming Court, and much more.

Lynch became involved with the Greater Allegheny campus in 2013, after a former CEO was on the advisory board and looking for more people to be involved. From there, she ran for a position on the Penn State Alumni Association in 2016 after encouragement from a friend and moved up. She started on the alumni engagement committee, became chair of the finance and budget committee, and naturally kept evolving until elected vice president.

As vice president, Lynch served a two-year term, followed by a two-year term as president, before assuming the spot on the Board of Trustees for the immediate past president in June 2023. As her spot comes to an end this summer, she is running for reelection, this time for an alumni seat, in order to keep helping the Penn State community in every way she can.

Her main goal throughout the last two years was not just to be a seat filler, but to come in ready to learn and be as involved as she could, reaching out to current members to get their advice.

Now, Lynch is confident that she can take things to the next level while continuing to learn, and that one of the areas Penn State can do the same is higher education. She shared that Penn State needs to continue to be relevant and impactful, and to be ahead of the curve with the changing tools and technology.

“Even when we’re not having meetings, every day I’m reading and trying to learn more about what’s going on, not only at Penn State, but within higher ed… So to me, that was the thing. That first two years, just a lot of learning, a lot of listening, and really, I feel much more comfortable and confident now,” she said.

Each candidate has their niche, and Lynch’s is always putting the students first. For decades, she’s been involved with Penn State because she wants students to have the same experience that she had, that transformative experience that they’ve found themselves and their voice.

“My Penn State experience helped transform me, and I just want to do what I can to help students. And when I say that, that’s the umbrella, and then everything else falls underneath it. Obviously, I’m a finance person, so when it comes to budgeting and investments, all of that leads up to affordability and the capital side. But then we also have to look at the facility, and do we have the best experience? But it always has to be the “why?” and the why is the students,” Lynch said.

As Alumni Association President, Lynch visited all Commonwealth Campuses, starting even before her term, because she wanted to connect with all of them. Back as a Lion Ambassador, she understood the importance of the land grant mission and how it makes Penn State unique. With the future of many of the campuses unknown, Lynch thinks the challenge goes back to how time, people, and demographics change.

“The Commonwealth Campuses are an incredible jewel and a necessary jewel in each of those communities. However, over the years, some of the challenges with Penn State have been structural, and some of them haven’t been able to thrive as well,” Lynch said.

Lynch is looking at this issue of how some campuses, especially in the western part of the state, are trying to work together more as a region and a team. She knows that the dynamics might look different moving forward, but the most important thing is looking towards the next steps after a decision has been made, looking at how the community and local groups can become more involved, and still make it Penn State.

“I know many people want the decision to come out so that we can all start saying, ‘OK, let’s roll up our sleeves and let’s start making each of these groups good for the community, good for the students, because the other element of it is affordability,” Lynch said. “But you want every student to have that full experience. So if they’re going to any of our Commonwealth Campuses, you want to make sure that they are having the outside-of-the-classroom experiences.”

Making sure all students can get the most out of their Penn State experience, both in and out of the classroom, and can get the chance through affordability and the changing dynamics, is at the heart of Lynch’s campaign. With over 37,000 employees and over 87,000 students, there’s a lot that happens and a lot that can fall through the cracks. But when you look at Penn State, everyone is different.

There’s a large focus on athletics, but other areas like student government, arts, and philanthropy can slip away. One of the challenges on the board is seeing the whole breadth. But Lynch is determined to have people see the whole Penn State, works and all.

“I think, and what I’m confident in, and what I know I will continue to fight for, is that the Commonwealth system will always be a part of Penn State. It needs to continuously be reimagined, not just now, but 20 years from now, 30 years… I know there’s a lot of frustration that people feel like they’re not as involved with round one, but what I’m hoping is that their voices, and everyone, will stay at the table for round two. We all know nothing can stay the same, and we may need to reimagine aspects of our campuses to meet the evolving needs of our students to ensure a vibrant and meaningful campus experience. But let me be clear, I remain absolutely committed to our land grant mission — committed to our students, alumni, and the communities we serve.

All of her experiences, from working with her local alumni chapter, the Greater Allegheny campus, mentoring students, working with the Happy Valley Launchbox and Invent Penn State, give Lynch insight across the campus and make her a connector. But putting the students first is the core of everything she does.

Lynch is used to the constant change from both her entrepreneurial background and Penn State work, always figuring out if there are the right people to do the right work. From bringing in world-class faculty to attract world-class students, to making sure it’s affordable, everything is about putting the students first.

“All of these things are about the student, and I feel like I’ve done that, and I’ve helped do that in my business, work life, too. That’s kind of what Penn State and the higher ed need to do,” said Lynch. “I feel like those two things together, what I’ve been doing with change in management and organic growth, along with my Penn State broad knowledge, really help me give a good voice on the Board of Trustees now and hopefully for years to come.”

---

Editor’s note: Lynch’s interview is one of a multi-part series aiming to feature alumni running for open seats on the Board of Trustees. Onward State does not, and will not, endorse any candidate(s) in this election. Check out our site to read more about the remaining candidates vying for spots on the board throughout this year’s election cycle.