Profile
Beginning her career in the mid-90s in a research laboratory exchanging manual typewriters with Windows PCs, Kelli was innately concerned about the wealth of sensitive data available to anyone on the network. She made it her mission to secure that data, which propelled her into the world of cybersecurity. She began teaching the very first Microsoft certifications classes focused on Microsoft NT 3.51 and Microsoft Mail and was fascinated to learn how data was stored, organized, and moved around the network and the internet. Over the decades, Kelli has held a number of different IT roles including corporate training, Senior Network Architect, IT Project Manager, Manager of Corporate Technology, and Senior Enterprise Security Engineer. The vast breadth of knowledge and experience Kelli gained in these roles helped her find her passion for viewing infosec as a business asset and strategic benefit to companies.
Since co-founding Enclave Security in 2008, Kelli has been working with companies of all sizes – large global organizations down to small non-profits – to help them create workable information security programs and policies that employees work with instead of work around. Kelli understands that integrating information security into existing operational processes can be cumbersome and frustrating, so encourages honest input and collaboration from the teams she supports so that security becomes the benefit it is meant to be rather than the hindrance it has the potential to become. She’s skilled at writing strategic documents and policy libraries that are understandable and easy to follow.
Kelli believes in the power of diverse opinions and backgrounds thereby encouraging women, minorities, and career-changers to be bold so their voices can be heard in the field of cybersecurity. Kelli walks the talk by presenting with organizations such as SANS Institute, RSA, CIS, and SHRM. She’s a member of her local IAPP and ARMA chapters and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Sarasota and DeSoto Counties Boys and Girls Club.
Enjoying life outdoors running, snorkeling, or paddle boarding, as well as reading a lot of books are high on the list for Kelli’s spare time. Recently, she’s developed an interest in the intersection, interaction, and overlap of cybersecurity controls with privacy controls, so continues her learning in that arena.