December 1, 2015 (Orlando, Fla.) - Belhaven University's Orlando Campus will honor its graduating students during the Orlando Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 4, 2015. The service will begin 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Orlando, 142 E. Jackson Street, and Dr. Audrey Kelleher, Vice President for Adult and Graduate Enrollment and Student Services, will be the honored commencement speaker. She leads the adult program marketing, admission, and student services functions at multiple campuses throughout the southeastern United States
Before joining Belhaven, she served in the non-profit sector as an executive director of Lifework Leadership with responsibility for their leadership training program and operations of the national Lifework Leadership organization. Dr. Kelleher also served as dean and director of external campuses for Palm Beach Atlantic University. In her leadership role at the university, she opened the Orlando campus and spearheaded expansion into other Florida locations.
Dr. Kelleher has both a business and educational background with experience as a private school principal and classroom teacher. She also served as the business planning manager for JC Penney Company's Central Florida Men's Division.
She has a B.S. in management and marketing, a M.Ed. in educational leadership from the University of Central Florida and a Ph.D. in leadership and education from Barry University. Her dissertation focused on the adult learner in higher education. Dr. Kelleher is a graduate of the CCCU Women's Advanced Leadership Institute, Leadership Orlando and Lifework Leadership training programs. She currently serves on the leadership council of the Christian Adult Education Higher Education Association (CAHEA). She has served on the board of the CCCU Center for Research in Adult Learning, and she is the past president of the Central Florida Higher Education Association. Her book on integrating faith and learning in adult programs shows her passion for the adult learner. Dr. Kelleher has also done several conference presentations on adult learner issues.
Active in her church, she has served as head of the women's ministry, bible study teacher and leader of the prayer ministry. She has been married 34 years to her husband, Jerry, and they enjoy spending time with their three grown daughters, their husbands and two grandchildren.