Kelsey Arbona George, She/Her
Design Director | Creative Strategist | Project Mgmt | Visual Storyteller | Mentor
EDUCATION
Lesley University
BFA in Graphic Design, Minor in Business Brand and Marketing
Key Skills
Creative Direction & Leadership: Directing cohesive digital and print design projects from concept to completion, fostering collaboration, and mentoring design teams.
Storytelling Across Mediums: Expertise in both print and digital media marketing, visual communication, and developing strategic design systems.
Multimedia Digital Production: Skilled in brand design and development, including brand development across multimedia content creation including graphics, photography, video, animation, motion graphics, web and interactive experiences; software expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, Procreate, Figma
Project Management: Skilled in managing high-volume projects, setting priorities, and driving deadline-heavy results; expertise in file management systems and efficient workflows.
User Experience & Accessibility: Dedicated to accessible design that enhances user experience and optimizes physical and digital content for diverse audiences.
EXPERIENCE
Artists For Humanity
(Design Director and Teen Mentor)
February 2008-Present
- Leads creative direction and brand activation for digital and print projects across branding, campaigns, event marketing, publications, and environmental design, serving clients from inquiry through concept to final delivery.
- Collaborates closely with the digital media department to align creative strategies with digital campaigns, incorporating animation, video, and creative technology to elevate the visual impact of internal initiatives and public projects.
- Consistently exceeded annual revenue goals, generating $215k-$350k and managing 50-75 client projects annually, with client budgets up to $100k
- Mentors, manages and directs a team of up to 6 professional designers and 30 teen design apprentices, fostering a collaborative, innovative studio environment focused on professional growth through tripling the studio capacity and upholding creative excellence.
- Develops and optimizes design systems and visual storytelling strategies to drive engagement and support fundraising, partnerships, marketing and outreach for AFH organizational initiatives.
- Establishes, refines and implements institutional systems for file management, curriculum development, and operational workflows to enhance efficiency and scalability.
- Acts as an ambassador for AFH, representing the organization at events, fundraisers, and public speaking engagements.
New England Sports Network
(Part-time On-Air Designer)
May 2014-September 2019
- Designed and delivered on-air graphics for NESN’s live broadcasts, including Red Sox, NESN Clubhouse, Jimmy Fund Telethon, Bruins games and NESN Sports Today, ensuring on-brand, high-quality visuals in fast-paced environments.
- Supported NESN’s marketing department by creating print and digital assets, presentation collateral, and digital templates for promotional campaigns and internal communications.
- Produced graphic assets for on-set monitors, billboards, and digital elements, balancing creative and technical requirements to enhance viewer engagement and brand presence.
IN THE NEWS
WCVB 5 for Good: Artists for Humanity offers employment in the arts to local teens
Kelsey Arbona, who oversees the graphic design department, has worked for the organization for 14 years. She started as a teen in the painting studio.
She said teens in the program are considered colleagues with mentors overseeing the process.
"All their ideas are valuable,” Arbona said. “All of their skillsets are valuable."
Alumni Stories: “Where Are They Now?”
She said that she doesn’t necessarily expect her teens to become designers, but that she wants them to learn other lessons from the experience. “I do expect them to be able to observe the world and listen genuinely and have ideas for solutions and take a position,” she said. Arbona explained that AFH helps teens develop these abilities because it requires them to work with clients and advocate for their art.
“I also want the teens to be able to have a seat at every table, in any important conversation,” she said. This had driven her to help many of the teens register to vote. She explained, “Having choices in our world is a privilege, and they deserve that privilege.”
NoBull x Artists For Humanity
Watch how the NoBull x Artists For Humanity collection came to life and learn about the designers behind the project.
*Video Credit: NoBull Media Dept.
Strictly Business: Women Of Influence
It all began with a simple question: “If you had the chance to have a conversation with a woman of high influence, what would you ask them?” In 2015-2017, young women at Artists For Humanity (AFH) worked on “Strictly Business — Women of Influence,” a project that profiles women as decision-makers in today’s society. Every day, AFH creates empowering experiences for our teen employees, but we recognize that adolescent girls are, historically, faced with a unique predicament. Although much progress has been made in women's empowerment, there still remains a gender gap. “Strictly Business” allowed us to provide an opportunity for young women to engage in a dialogue outside of our walls with women across a variety of industries and hear firsthand their stories to success. Our goal — to give them a seat at the table and access to positive role models. In so doing, they would be inspired to become their own advocates and advance their future. “Strictly Business — Women of Influence” was made possible by a grant from the Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation.