RISLA’s Charles Kelley to Retire After Building the Organization for Over 34 Years

RISLA’s Charles Kelley to Retire After Building the Organization for Over 34 Years

The Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) Board of Directors announced on Tuesday that its longest-serving executive director, Charles Kelley, will retire effective January 2026.  A national search will commence for his replacement.

 

According to Robert Delaney, Chairman of the RISLA Board of Directors, under Kelley’s three decades of leadership, RISLA has transformed into one of the country’s premier non-federal college lending institutions and a technology-driven, vertically integrated organization that has provided college planning and financial aid services to tens of thousands of high school students.

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“Charlie’s impact on the student loan industry, not just in Rhode Island but across the country, is profound,” said Delaney.  “He has worked tirelessly to expand the variety of programs and services available to students and their families at all income levels and he has catapulted the College Planning Center into the State’s most effective college planning agency helping students and their parents navigate the often-overwhelming task of paying for a college education. He will be profoundly missed, and we thank him his service to Rhode Island.”

 

“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to serve at the helm of RISLA for these past three decades,” said Kelley.  “It would not have been possible without the highly dedicated staff that has helped make the dream of paying for a college education a reality for so many Rhode Island families, and beyond. Additionally, we have greatly benefitted from the vision and steady leadership of the RISLA board which, combined, leaves me with great confidence in the future of RISLA.”

 

“Charlie has dedicated his entire career to helping Rhode Islanders access and afford college.  Countless students and families are better off today because of Charlie’s work,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.  “Charlie has been a steadfast partner in putting on my annual financial aid workshop and was the driving force in establishing the College Planning Center.  From making assistance more accessible for students to creating a team at RISLA that goes above and beyond to support families on their higher education journey, Charlie’s work will continue to have a positive impact on Rhode Islanders for years to come.  I wish him well in retirement.”

 

Kelley joined the Authority in April 1991 as Deputy Director and was shortly appointed Executive Director in 1993. He served on the Board of the Education Finance Council from 1996 – 2002 where he served a two-year term as Chairman. A graduate of Harvard University with a master’s in public administration with a concentration in public finance. He received his bachelor’s in accounting and business administration from the University of Rhode Island. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst.