Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum is the President and CEO of St. Joseph Center, a social service organization offering outreach & engagement, housing, mental health, and education & vocational programs across Los Angeles County. The Center is a trailblazer in deploying integrated, multidisciplinary teams to help the most vulnerable homeless individuals obtain and maintain stable housing. Under her leadership, St. Joseph Center has tripled its staff, expanded its services, and broadened its geographic reach, becoming a recognized leader in homeless services throughout LA County.

Dr. Adams Kellum holds a gubernatorial appointment to the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s No Place Like Home Program Advisory Committee.

She has also served on and continues to support the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness, as well as the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ Race Equity Network. She currently sits on the Housing California Board, the California Policy Lab Advisory Board, and the Board of Trustees for Mount Saint Mary’s University.

Born and raised in Southern California, she received her B.A. from the University of Southern California and earned an M.A. from Ball State University before completing her Ph.D. at Stanford University.