Board of Trustees

Kellijo Jeffries leads a quadruple-combined agency in Ravenna that consists of children services, child support, public assistance and Ohio Means Jobs/Portage County with a combined budget of $27 million. The agency consists of 200 employees. She was hired as the assistant director of Portage JFS in April 2014 and was promoted to director in October 2015.

Kellijo has 25 years in county public service. Prior to coming to Portage JFS, she was employed by Stark County Job and Family Services for 20 years. She has also served for 10 years as an adjunct instructor with Stark State College, where she teaches a variety of social work courses. Kellijo obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Akron and a PhD in human services from Capella University. She is also a certified mediator.

Additionally, Kellijo serves as the Family and Children’s First Council Chair and has memberships in the following: Golden Key National Honor Society, Portage County Child Advocacy Center Board, Portage County Community Corrections Board, Portage County Emergency Food and Shelter Board, and Stark State College Advisory Board; she is an alumni of Leadership Portage County. Kellijo is a resident of Perry Township in Stark County and a proud mother of 16-year-old twins.