At last year’s Fall Convocation, Keltie Jones read an essay about the beliefs that guide her daily life. She recounted that her family, especially her grandmother, raised her to believe that everyone is important and worth knowing.
1994, Keltie worked in the disability field as both an officer for Special Education hearings and as a staff counsel for the Department of Rehabilitation. She was a member of the Board of Directors for the Capital Unity Council, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing hate crimes and promoting acceptance of diversity in the Sacramento region.
During the past five years, she has focused on the needs of students. She was the coordinator of the Student Disability Center at UC Davis, which is committed to ensuring equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities. There, she often challenged people with pre-conceived ideas about what disability is and what people with disabilities can’t do. “You can almost always find a way to make sure students have the access and opportunity they need.”
Keltie is also a trustee for the Davis Joint Unified School District. Appointed in 2002, she was elected to a full term in November, 2003. She was instrumental in connecting the District with resources at UC Davis. As a member of the School Board’s School Climate Subcommittee, Keltie played a key role in drafting new Board policy. She says she also had the great pleasure of working with Marty West—“one of her favorite professors from King Hall”—while Marty was a member of the board.
In April 2006, Keltie became Dean of Student Services at American River College, where she uses her legal knowledge and expertise to administer student programs and to follow federal and state laws and regulations and new governmental mandated initiatives. Keltie readily admits that she loves the energy she gets from working with students. “I love working in an academic environment, with wonderful colleagues and interesting students.”
While a law student at Davis, Keltie also valued the academic environment. She was an Executive Editor for the UC Davis Law Review and participated in the internship and clinical programs. “The practical experiences I had through these programs were some of the most valuable aspects of my legal education.” She particularly appreciated the supportive, cooperative nature of the King Hall community. “As the mother of young children, it was important that I knew I could count on the support of my classmates,” she says. “Being able to bring an infant to school made it possible for me to have my second child during my third year of law school.”
Since graduating, Keltie has continued to give back to the law school through the Annual Fund. “We were very lucky to attend law school when the fees were much lower than they are today. Giving to the law school provides additional support to the school and helps keep expenses down in the future.”