Kelly Esperias | Chief Strategy and Operating Officer
NORD

Kelly Esperias, EdD, MBA, CFRE, serves as Chief Strategy & Operations Officer at the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD®), the leading and longest-standing patient advocacy group for the 30 million Americans living with a rare disease.  An accomplished and dynamic executive who has led operations, development, marketing, and communications, financial and human resources departments, Esperias’ primary responsibility is shaping and executing NORD’s strategic plan in addition to overseeing key operational functions. Esperias, who joined NORD in 2024, was previously Chief Financial & Operating Officer at the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) in Claremont, Calif., a private, nonprofit health and life sciences university. In this role, she oversaw multiple departments, including finance, facilities, information technology, business services, auxiliary services, and campus safety. Esperias also served as Vice President of Institutional Development & Partnerships at KGI. In that role, she led all marketing, communications, fundraising, and corporate partnership activities and consistently exceeded fundraising targets. In her nearly 10 years at KGI, Esperias gained comprehensive insight into biotechnology and the rare disease community, including her significant contributions to the development and implementation of such new academic programs as Master of Science programs in Genetic Counseling, Genomic Data Analytics, Physician’s Associate Studies, Master of Engineering in Biopharmaceutical Processing, and Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. This work helped her build an understanding of genetic medicine and its applications to rare disease diagnostics, and she regularly engaged with NORD in this role, including participating in annual Rare Disease Day awareness events. Esperias began her career with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and was stationed with the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball, where she managed 300 employees and oversaw all merchandise operations for the franchise. While at AEG, she also supported operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings, the Los Angeles Avengers Arena Football League Team, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Esperias holds a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of La Verne, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.  She is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and has earned additional certifications in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of Notre Dame and Advancement Leadership from Harvard University.  In her free time, Kelly enjoys traveling with her husband, Kerwin, her college sweetheart. Both remain active members of their college sorority and fraternity alumni networks, Sigma Kappa and Sigma Phi Epsilon.