Kerci Marcello Stroud is a seasoned communicator passionate about helping educational and nonprofit leaders and institutions tell their stories, build and protect their brands, and foster meaningful connections with their communities. As an executive vice president at The Perry Group, Kerci works with clients to develop comprehensive marketing and communications strategies and navigate crisis situations. She also provides personalized public speaking and communications coaching.
Before joining The Perry Group, Kerci served as Rhode Island School of Design’s chief marketing and communications officer for a decade. She led a dynamic team charged with deepening engagement with the institution through storytelling, public relations, brand cultivation, and digital strategy. Kerci drove RISD’s communications strategy, demonstrating the institution’s commitment to being proactively anti-racist and advancing its vision to apply creative practices to today’s most pressing social, political, and environmental challenges. She also headed crisis communications and served on RISD’s emergency operations command team. Under her leadership, the team bolstered RISD’s reputation around the globe and created RISD’s first-ever brand identity.
Prior to her tenure at RISD, Kerci held several positions at Teach For America, culminating in her role as the nonprofit’s vice president of communications. She directed communications nationally and in the organization’s then-46 regions to amplify awareness and garner support for TFA’s mission to end educational inequity. Kerci also worked for then-New York City Council Member Bill de Blasio, initially running his district office and later serving as his chief of staff. In this position, she worked on a broad spectrum of district, citywide, and legislative issues in close collaboration with community leaders and city agencies, with a particular focus on educational initiatives in the Council member’s Brooklyn district. She also assisted with several local and national political campaigns.
A native Rhode Islander, Kerci holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s in Public Policy from Duke University. She serves on the board of Rocky Hill Country Day School and Adoption Rhode Island, and is a member of United Way of Rhode Island’s Community Advisory Board.
