Kelly Cadman, Senior Partner

kelly@lumenimpactgroup.com

After more than 25 years in the education world, Kelly Cadman is Lumen’s on-the-ground expert for school founding, improvement and quality, and operations.

She has brought innovation to her work with schools since the very beginning of her career in education as a traditional public-school teacher in Douglasville, Georgia. In that position, she pushed the envelope for school design by piloting the district’s multi-age program and integrating curriculum in meaningful ways to give students opportunities to practically engage in their learning.

Kelly’s expertise in school founding and operation comes from first-hand experience. When charters were new on the scene in Georgia, Kelly and four other educators founded Brighten Academy Charter School which became a Nationally Accredited Expeditionary Learning School. Kelly served as not only the Founding Board President, but as a teacher and curriculum director.

In additional to school-level work, Kelly served at the state level as Director of Education and Training and Vice President of School Services at The Georgia Charter Schools Association. Kelly’s time at the GCSA led her to develop a number of programs supporting the quality of charter school boards and leaders, as well as to facilitate a partnership with Kennesaw University and develop the first charter leadership development program in the State of Georgia and a national model. In addition, she oversaw the development of the first Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy, the first in the state and nation certifying charter school teachers through the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Kelly’s passion for students and schools guides her work and her continued commitment to support organizations, schools, and teacher in elevating impact. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame and a Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Mercer University.

She lives in Villa Rica, Georgia with her husband, Kyle, and two boys, Chandler (21, a student at Wake Forest University) and Sutton (17, a rising senior). Her family enjoys all sorts of travel and nerdy pursuits such as visiting forts, castles, and other historical landmarks. In her spare time Kelly loves to cook – we guarantee she can teach you at least a dozen ways to incorporate more butter into your diet!

Testimonials

"I have worked with Lumen Impact Group at both the individual and organizational level. As a coach, Lisa has a natural ability to get to the heart of the matter quickly and to ask questions that help her clients translate insight into action. Each team member who has worked with Lisa in a coaching capacity has demonstrated visible growth that has positively impacted individual and team performance. As an organization, we are trying to be purposeful about the culture we are creating, as a means of best fulfilling our mission. Lumen Impact Group has been a tremendous thought partner along the way and has facilitated critical steps in a collaborative yet efficient and fun way. Our team was in awe at how much we accomplished collectively in a short period of time. We are moving toward our ideal culture much more quickly than I thought possible, and I have no doubt it is because of Lumen Impact Group’s guidance. "

Kasey Miller
Chief of Staff, National Association of Charter School Authorizers

"You were patient, confident, helpful and supportive, and you coaxed and lovingly nudged us through a process that on our own we wouldn’t have been able to do. It was a very pleasant experience, and even though we still have a lot of challenges ahead of us, we are better suited to meet them. "

Colin Sharkey
Executive Director, Association of American Educators

"As a family-owned and operated company, we needed to preserve our culture and define our mission, vision and values better as we grew. Lumen Impact Group helped capture a variety of diverse perspectives and hopes for the future in a way that connected everyone involved. Lumen Impact Group helped us create a clear strategic focus and for our future stabilized our culture. Lisa also coached our leadership team in supporting implementation."

Mark Smith
President, Krapohl Ford & Lincoln

"Lumen Impact Group has been critical in supporting Bluum’s efforts in Idaho to manage our $17.1 million federal Charter School Program grant. As one of the country’s first non-profit organizations to receive federal CSP funding, the stakes for our work are very high, and our efforts to help open, expand and replicate public charter schools face scrutiny. I sleep better knowing Lumen Impact Group has worked closely with us to build our processes, procedures and playbook for managing the responsibility of directing and overseeing a significant federal grant. I highly recommend them to others. They are true pros."

Terry Ryan
CEO, Bluum

"Lisa Diaz and Lumen Impact provided invaluable support to Colorado Charter Facility Solutions during our start-up phase. I was the new non-profit organization’s executive director (and only employee at the time), and Lisa knew answers to questions that I did not even know to ask. She made sure the board of directors was set up correctly and that the organizational documents were in place. Lisa helped me establish the organization’s goals and ways to track progress. Lisa is organized, patient and kind, and worked quickly, thoroughly and collaboratively. She is a good listener and even acted as an executive coach/therapist at times. When necessary, Lisa can be direct, yet she is always focused on the goals of the organization and its success. I highly recommend Lisa Diaz and Lumen Impact Group. "

Jane Ellis
Executive Director, Colorado Charter Facility Solutions

"Lisa did a fantastic job with our entire strategic planning team. Her process was beyond organized. As a new administrator, I was able to lean on Lisa for her expertise and knowledge of strategic planning. She did everything from meeting organization and to facilitating subgroups, focus groups and staff culture surveys. Her work with the school board and administrative team was respectful, while also filled with appropriate advice and constructive feedback. I could not imagine going through this process without Lisa. She will continue to be a trusted resource for years to come."

Jamie DeWitt
School Leader, NexTech High School