O livia Steimle Kelly, ’17, is a “people person,” and it shows. 

As an event specialist on REI’s Retail Store Grand Opening Team, Kelly led the opening of the outdoor recreation equipment retailer’s new store in Athens Feb. 10. It’s the 13^th REI grand opening she’s helped organize. Her job has taken her across the country, opening stores in Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Wyoming.

Within a week of REI Athens opening its doors, Kelly was already coordinating another grand opening in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. It opened the following weekend.

REI is a nationwide cooperative owned by its members. Anyone is welcome to shop at the co-op and tap into the company’s resources in support of an active lifestyle, but members enjoy a range of benefits.

“The people make these events special,” she said. “All we have to do is celebrate them.”

When a new REI opens, several teams across the co-op collaborate to support each event. Kelly says the best part of her job is working with others.

“The people make what we do happen,” she said. “They show up every day really stoked and excited for the grand opening to make it the best possible experience for everyone.”

Each opening celebrates REI Co-op members and the community. The multi-day events include giveaways, a party and more. Kelly and her team coordinate a preview party for co-op members. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they celebrate community members and make the experience interactive for everyone.

“[Our] community members are passionate about recreation,” Kelly said. “We understand our mutual love for the outdoors and want to make sure the community is at the heart of everything we do.”

“It’s really cool that we can combine those partnerships and build relationships,” she said. 

Kelly’s passion for building community began when she “found her niche” at Georgia College & State University. She wanted a university that would provide a nurturing learning experience. She got that from Georgia College’s professors and small class sizes.

“Georgia College is special, because it allowed me to find my space and be unique,” she said. “That’s what made the whole experience great.” 

Outdoor Education Associate Professor Dr. Jeff Turner, Outdoor Education Director Dr. Liz Speelman and former Outdoor Education Professor Dr. Will Hobbs made a big impression on Kelly.

“They impacted me in different ways, but it all came down to how kind they are and the amount of energy they put into us, as students,” she said. “It was more than a teacher-to-student relationship. They cared about us and wanted to take us to the next level.”

Hobbs mentored Kelly at Georgia College. He always made himself available to talk about life and professional work. He even officiated at Kelly’s wedding with her husband, James, ’17, another graduate of GCSU’s Outdoor Education program.

“We have some sweet memories of that experience,” she said. “We were always encouraged to go beyond what we thought could be possible. It just shows how well this program spanned beyond our degrees.”

Kelly applies what she learned from her professors every day. She still uses theories Turner taught about teamwork. Speelman’s group development classes also made a huge difference in her success.

Kelly also learned the “shift, cancel or go” strategy for assessing and setting priorities during times of crisis. She uses this technique in her role today. 

“Since the COVID pandemic, we've seen a great deal of delays in my work,” Kelly said. “I use the ‘shift, cancel or go’ method. This allows me to check my decisions and set my team up for success. Then, when the right time comes back around, we get back to what we were doing in the first place.”

At Georgia College, Kelly worked as a supervisor at the Wellness and Recreation Center, lead facilitator at the Outdoor Education Center and supervisor at the Climbing Wall. These experiences taught her leadership skills.

Kelly’s involvement in the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority taught her to be open minded when working with others—a trait that also comes in handy in her industry.

“My experience at Georgia College was pretty amazing,” she said. “I learned how to lift others up. And that’s really special. The sorority experience was also impactful for me. I found ways to stay involved in leadership. That taught me how to work with people with different views than mine—the ethos of what this group meant to me.”

The people skills Kelly developed at Georgia College have helped her thrive in her profession.

“It's just fun when we get to bring ourselves back to what it is that we love the most at our core,” she said. “It's just the Bobcat spirit.”