Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Ackley serves as Gather’s Director of Community Impact and Systems Change. In this role, she oversees the organization’s community assessment and impact measurement, ensuring the voices and lived experiences of those served by Gather are central to program design, evaluation, advocacy, and organizational learning.  

Liz also leads the Seacoast Impact Collaborative (SIC), a coalition of regional organizations working together to strengthen the systems, relationships, and partnerships that support long-term community well-being. Under Dr. Ackley’s guidance, the SIC is building the structure needed to turn shared priorities into coordinated regional action. This work includes convening partners, assessing community needs, developing shared measures of progress, engaging residents in decision-making, and pursuing joint funding and policy opportunities. 

Before joining Gather, Liz served as Founding Director of the Center for Community Health Innovation at Roanoke College, leading community-engaged initiatives focused on improving health and community conditions. Her career has included developing community-informed data systems, leading cross-sector coalitions, and guiding a $40 million community development initiative that created Melrose Plaza, a community hub bringing together food access, workforce development, education, financial services, and wellness resources. Liz holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Health and Human Performance from Middle Tennessee State University and a B.S. in Health and Exercise Science from the State University of New York at Cortland. 

Liz is deeply motivated by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive and that strong communities are built when people come together in service of one another. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, making pottery, and exploring the outdoors.