Kelly Riling is a Managing Director of Programs at NCTR. She joined NCTR in 2020. In her role, she provides technical assistance and support to NCTR partner programs in the Network. Kelly brings more than 15 years of experience in education, including 5 years in teacher residencies. She is the former creator and Manager of the AppleTree Early Learning Teacher Residency, one of the first teacher residencies to focus solely on developing high-quality PreK teachers. Kelly has dedicated her career to making a difference in the lives of children, including several years in the classroom as an elementary school teacher in DC Public and Charter schools, and as an early childhood principal. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Flagler College and a master’s degree in Elementary Education from The George Washington University. She also holds a Certificate in Early Education Leadership (CEEL) from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Kelly has also served as adjunct faculty for the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design and Relay Graduate School for Education.