Biography

Ann L. Coffey is an independent leadership coach, positive change consultant and strategic planning facilitator. Her background includes marketing/communications, fundraising and leadership. She has spent the past 25 years improving, building and creating successful teams and organizations. She served as the Chief of staff for the Office of Advancement at the University of Louisville. from 2011 - 2017. In this role she assisted the Vice President in the implementation of the university’s $1 billion campaign and oversees the business and human resources office which employees 85 people and a $10 million budget. In this position she leads the Talent Management effort as well as the strategic planning and accountability process for the unit. Prior to joining the University of Louisville, Ann was President & CEO of Women 4 Women (W4W). Founded in 1993, W4W is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and economic well-being of women and girls in Louisville, Kentucky. Under her leadership, W4W received the Art in Excellence in Vision award given by the Center for Non-Profit Excellence. During her tenure, W4W launched a community-wide initiative called the Champions 4 Her Walk, Run & Festival raising money and awareness for 10 mission aligned organizations. In addition, W4W Board members pledged $1 million to launch Louisville’s first community-based fund called The Fund 4 Women and Girls. She led the creation of Finance 4 Her the most successful financial education program in the community for underserved women and families. She also led the creation of Fit 4 Me a holistic health and fitness program for underserved middle school girls. Other career highlights include serving in Governor Martha Layne Collins’ administration as a special assistant to the Governor; organizing the first Bluegrass State Games and coordinating the Governor’s educational efforts across the state. Following the Collins’ administration she worked as a senior account manager for Doe Anderson Advertising and Public Relations in Louisville. In 1998 Ann also founded her own consulting business, Z Marketing Co. Its impressive list of clients included the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Miami-Dade Community College, the University of Maryland’s James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership; and the National Center for Diversity. In 1995, Ann was selected as a National Leadership Kellogg Fellow, which provides emerging leaders with the skills needed to address societal and community issues. Ann studied social marketing during her fellowship focusing on multi-cultural and racial communications challenges. Her three-year fellowship culminated in spending four months visiting five Asian countries meeting with National Governing Organization’s representatives in her quest to learn more about how to connect with diverse audiences worldwide. She later served on the national Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance board of directors. Ann enjoys the outdoors, athletic activities and international travel. Her passion is mountain climbing, high altitude trekking and introducing groups to outdoor experiences. Some of her favorite climbs include Mt. McKinley, the Swiss Alps - Matterhorn, Mt. Rainier and the Annapurna Range in Nepal. In 2013, Ann completed her twelve-year adventure to reach the highpoint of all 50 US states and is recognized as the first Kentuckian to achieve this goal. Ann is a native Kentuckian and a graduate of the University of Kentucky. She has Masters of Science in Positive Organizational Development and Change from Case Western Reserve University. She also holds certifications in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University; Emotional Intelligent Leadership and Appreciative Inquiry from Case Western Reserve University.