Kelly Blackburn
Director, Finance
Kelly Blackburn serves as Director of Finance at the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, where she leads organizational budgeting, forecasting, and multi-year financial planning aligned with the Center’s strategic goals. She also oversees financial operations, compliance, and annual filings. Kelly brings many years of nonprofit and higher education finance leadership experience to the Center, helping build the financial infrastructure needed to scale with integrity as the Center works toward stronger outcomes for students.
Before joining the Center, Kelly served as Chief Finance and Internal Operations Officer at CAST, Inc., where she modernized budgeting and forecasting processes to adapt to the changing education landscape. She managed a diverse portfolio of funding streams, including federal grants, earned revenue, and philanthropic support. Prior to CAST, Kelly served as Assistant Director of Administration for the Center for Educational Opportunity Programs at the University of Kansas, where she administered the university’s TRIO, GEAR UP, and other educational opportunity programs.
Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas.