Kelly Essler

Kelly Essler is the director of strategic planning for the Division of Academic and Strategic Collaborations. In this role, she represents the President’s Office on the System’s Texas A&M-Fort Worth project and serves as a main campus liaison for the university’s satellite campuses. She works on special projects and initiatives involving the President’s Office and the Division of Academic and Strategic Collaboration. This includes serving as counsel to the President’s Opportunity Admissions program and consulting on various centralization efforts across the university.

Kelly most recently served as the director of advising and academic operations in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She was responsible for the oversight and coordination of academic advising and daily operations relating to both the college’s undergraduate and graduate academic programs. In addition, she effectively implemented a centralized academic advising structure across 15 academic departments in the college.

Kelly has worked in higher education for 18 years with the past 10 years in administration. She holds membership in NACADA: National Academic Advising Association, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and is a member of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture. She is also a recipient of the university’s President’s Meritorious Service Award.

Kelly holds a M.Ed. in agricultural leadership, education, and communications with an emphasis in leadership education, and a B.S. in agricultural development from Texas A&M University.