KELLY POND

President & CEO
Special Olympics Southern California

KELLY POND

President & CEO
Special Olympics Southern California

A Leader Shaped by the Mission

Kelly Pond brings more than two decades of Special Olympics experience to her role as President and CEO of Special Olympics Southern California, grounded in a deep belief in the power of inclusion and the potential of every athlete. Throughout her career, she has helped strengthen the organization from every angle, combining strategic leadership with a personal connection to the mission.

Kelly’s background spans development, marketing and communications, corporate partnerships, and large‑scale fundraising events, experience that has directly supported the growth and sustainability of SOSC programs. As former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, she oversaw the majority of the organization, including sports and programming, field operations, Unified Sports, volunteer engagement, and health initiatives, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how the mission comes to life each day.

It’s extraordinary to have someone like Kelly as SOSC’s leader given her historical in-depth knowledge of Special Olympics, as well as her passion for our movement and athletes.

Kelly has 20 years of experience with Special Olympics in a variety of key positions with escalating levels of responsibility. Her expertise in development, leadership of Marketing and Communications, success with attracting and building relationships with corporate sponsorships, and managing profitable special events are invaluable to our organization.

In her prior role as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of SOSC, Kelly managed over 80% of the organization, including Development, Communications, Sports and Programing, Field Operations, Unified Sports, Volunteer Engagement, and Health and Wellness.

In addition, Kelly has built strong relationships with Special Olympics North America and Special Olympics International, and is well respected for her leadership, and willingness to share best practices. Kelly has collaborated on numerous projects and participated in peer-to-peer mentorships with other U.S. Programs. Leadership roles she served on included:

Served on the Resource Development Committee and co-led the Corporate Advisory Committee for Special Olympics North America
Led the Development Committee for US Business Meeting
Represented SOI at World Games in Greece to support Mattel partnership

Kelly’s recent work with City of Hope, a nationwide organization, broadened her perspective on how non-profits operate and fundraise. Her experience as Executive Director of Donor Experience and Enterprise Leadership Deployment will provide valuable insight to help us build a strategic development model to fund our movement’s planned growth to enable us to serve more athletes.

Beyond SOSC, Kelly is widely respected across the Special Olympics movement for her collaborative leadership and willingness to share best practices. Her work with Special Olympics North America, Special Olympics International, and peer programs nationwide reflects a commitment not only to organizational excellence, but to advancing opportunities for athletes everywhere. Each step of her journey has reinforced her dedication to building inclusive communities where athletes are supported, celebrated, and empowered to thrive.

I believe everyone should be seen and celebrated for their unique gifts, abilities, and for what they can do; and that is exactly what Special Olympics does. Over the 20 years that I had the honor to serve SOSC, I’ve seen firsthand how we transform lives through the power of sports. It is a great privilege to lead and support this team and partner with our athletes, staff, volunteer leaders, sponsors, and donors to build the SOSC of the future together.

— Kelly Pond

KELLY'S QUARTERLY UPDATE

JUNE 2026

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