View all STUDENT LEADERSHIP and COMMUNITY SERVICE programs by Dave ‘Gonzo’ Kelly
Make a life-long investment in your students…
Bring Dave Kelly and his passion for leadership and
community service to your campus!
Dave is the leading authority on Student Leadership and Community Service on college campuses today. Thousands of students across North America have had the benefit of hearing Dave share his practical tips for all facets of leadership. An experienced former student leader himself, Dave shares a commonality with students that most other speakers are unable to identify with. Your students will be infused with confidence that they CAN learn to lead and it’s OK to make mistakes while the stakes aren’t too high.
- Dave offers practical leadership ideas that can be implemented immediately with little or no cost to the student.
- Dave has over 20+ years of working with college students and knows the issues they face in leading.
- Dave has been a student leader himself — he has served on the club, regional, and statewide levels and even served as international president of a 14,000-member organization.
What this means to you:
- You will receive an amazing and effective leadership training program anytime you want it.
- You will see increased student involvement on your campus.
- Your students will be more satisfied with their collegiate experience and be more involved as alumni.
Still need more reasons to hire Dave?
- His prices are affordable and he’s incredibly easy to work with!
- He has a wide range of leadership topics to choose from and can tailor his programs for your needs.
- Dave is happy to work with you to determine what your students might need.
- He makes these 10 great ABSOLUTE PROMISES with every training session!!
“The session was very informative AND educational. Even as a dean I feel I have so much more to learn as a professional. Dave’s session had so much I can use in my journey. As well, his energy & passion are contagious. He is the perfect person for this job.”
– Dr. Jacqueline Gibson, Associate Dean of Students, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, 3/19/2011
Dave’s ½ to 3-day Customized programs are perfect for:
- New student orientation/First year experience programs
- Parent and Alumni Weekends
- Staff Development Programs
- Faculty and Advisor Encouragement and Training
- Day of Service Programs
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More About Dave
IN THE BEGINNING… Dave started on his speaker’s journey on a high note, delighting audiences as a state champion storyteller in high school. Since then he’s lived his dream of inspiring and entertaining people as an actor, stand-up comedian, writer, and speaker while maintaining ‘real jobs’ as a lobbyist, bill collector, and mortgage broker along the way.
BECOMING A LEADER… Dave’s journey to leadership started in similar fashion as he jumped right in to serve as president of the 14,000 member, Circle K International campus chapter while attending the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Since then, through his experiences as a student and community leader, he’s developed his own powerful set of leadership skills, philosophies and expertise.
By the way, Circle K is the college campus branch of Kiwanis International, the community service organization – and NOT the convenience store chain. So instead of serving slurpees, (get that picture out of your head) Dave took on a volunteer leadership position while in college and continued his involvement with Kiwanis long after graduation. Most recently, for nine years, Dave served as the District Administrator for the Georgia District of Circle K and tripled the number of active charters and members on college campuses from around the state. His leadership earned him nine consecutive Distinguished District Administrator awards and his perfect streak is still a record in the organization’s history.
MAKING A LIVING… As a businessman, Dave’s big accomplishment was founding a multi-state mortgage company in the late 1980s and serving as its president and senior loan officer for ten years. Dave grew the company to five offices in four states and at the same time served as a volunteer on the board of directors of the Georgia Equity Lender’s Association, including two years as president. Dave finally left his mortgage company over a disagreement with his business partner – “He was stealing from me and I didn’t want him to!” says Dave.
LEADERSHIP EXPERT… Because he’s a speaker, trainer and entertainer at heart, Dave has turned his years of expertise and leadership experience into a series of powerful programs for student leaders. He calls it Gonzo’s Leadership University and he travels the country teaching student leaders and young professionals that serious leadership can be fun, especially if you have the right tools.
“Over the years in school and in business I’ve taken hundreds of leadership courses and training programs and I’ve served in leadership roles for as long as I can remember,” says Dave. “Now I get to share everything I’ve learned and experienced with young leaders just like I was. This is the realization of a life-long dream.”
CAMPUS SPEAKER… Dave has provided leadership training for thousands of college students at workshops, retreats, and conferences since his graduation from college. He energizes and excites audiences with his humorous, real-life stories and brings his own experiences, successes, failures, challenges, victories and leadership lessons to audiences in a fun way that teaches and entertains.
On a personal note, Dave insists on mentioning that he’s a BIG Green Bay Packers fan. He roots for his beloved Pack each week in his Brett Favre jersey (picture that, huh!) and waits for his turn to move up on the season ticket waiting list…he is currently number 43,056!
- Dave has spoken at more than 250 events for Kiwanis Family organizations
- In 1983 Dave spoke in front of an audience of more than 10,000 at the Kiwanis International Convention in Vienna, Austria.
- Dave has facilitated three Y’All Conferences – a regional gathering of Circle K clubs from around the south and has attended and worked at hundreds of student recruiting fairs.
- Dave has worked one-on-one with members of the Georgia Circle K District Board for 18 years helping them to develop their personal leadership skills.
- During Dave’s nine years as Circle K District Administrator, Georgia was the most recognized of 30 districts. Under Dave’s leadership they were awarded 60 different Distinguished Awards, including 7 for Distinguished District, the most awarded to any single District Administrator.
So where’d GONZO come from?…
“When I decided to become a speaker, they said I should get a website and all the ‘Dave Kellys’ were taken and were either real estate agents or mortgage brokers. I wanted to get as far away from that as possible AND I wanted to have fun with it. Gonzo used to be a nickname so I went with it… Wish I had a better story!”
DAVE HAS SPOKEN AT…
- Alvin Community College (TX)
- Art Institute of Portland (OR)
- Bergen Community College (NJ)
- Broward Community College (FL)
- Cerro Coso Comm. College (CA)
- Colorado Mountain College
- Contra Costa College (CA)
- Cuyahoga Comm. College (OH)
- Bergen Community College (NJ)
- Bucks County Comm. College (PA)
- Daniel Webster College (NH)
- East Georgia College
- Franklin Pierce College (NH)
- Georgia Perimeter College
- Georgia State University
- Grandview College (IA)
- Howard College—Big Springs (TX)
- Howard College—San Angelo (TX)
- IP—Ft. Wayne (IN)
- Keuka College (NY)
- Kutztown University of PA
- Lander University (SC)
- Lemoyne College (NY)
- Lewis-Clark State College (ID)
- Meredith College (NC)
- Mid-State Technical College (WI)
- Moraine Park Tech. College (WI)
- Newberry College (SC)
- Oakland University
- Ogeechee Tech (GA)
- Oxford College of Emory U. (GA)
- Pace University
- Piedmont College (GA)
- Post University (CT)
- Reinhart College (GA)
- Ripon College (WI)
- Salem International U. (WV)
- San Juan College (NM)
- Snow College (UT)
- Southern Methodist U. (TX)
- St. Joseph’s College
- St. Xavier University (IL)
- State University of New York
- Tarrant Co. Comm. College (TX)
- Tennessee Technological U.
- Tompkins Cortland Com. Col. (NY)
- Treasure Valley Comm. Col. (OR)
- University of Evansville (IN)
- University of Indianapolis, IUPU
- University of Hartford (CT)
- University of Houston
- University of Maine
- University of Maryland
- University of New Haven (CT)
- University of South Florida
- University of Southern Indiana
- University of Texas—Brownsville
- University of West Georgia
- University of Wisconsin
- U.S. Coast Guard Academy (CT)
- Western Kentucky University
- Yavapai College (AZ)
- AND MORE!!!
View all STUDENT LEADERSHIP and COMMUNITY SERVICE programs by Dave ‘Gonzo’ Kelly
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