Riley Kennedy joined Woodward in January 2017 as the Director of Organizational Development. In this role, she works to foster both company growth and the growth and development of our team members. Riley plays a key role in shaping and executing strategic initiatives, securing new business opportunities, and ensuring that Woodward’s team culture remains aligned with the company’s overall goals. Her areas of responsibility encompass talent and team development, human resources, business development, marketing, diversity and inclusion, and community engagement.

Before joining Woodward, Riley served as the founding Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at Collegiate Academies, a nationally recognized charter school network with locations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Deeply committed to service and civic engagement, Riley served on the boards of Crescent City Schools, ReNEW Schools, and the 18th Ward Sports Club and continues to serve as a board member with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. She volunteers with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations and was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Women’s Leadership Academy at Loyola University and completed the Anti-Defamation League’s Glass Leadership Institute and the Center for Equity NOLA’s Racial Equity Institute programs.

Riley holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, Robert, and their two children.