Jeff Kiel is the President and CEO of Promise, Inc. a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 2009 and developed in 2017 in West Melbourne, Florida, that was designed to provide affordable housing for individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities utilizing public and private partnerships to develop a model community.

Jeff joined Promise in 2020 shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic. Leveraging his experience leading organizations through crisis, he guided Promise through the unknowns of the Covid-19 pandemic. This included educating 125 residents, family members, caregivers and volunteers on CDC safety protocols; and leveraging local and statewide relationships to be the first residential community of its kind in the state to partner with the largest local health system provider to offer vaccines to all Promise residents who wished to be vaccinated.

Since being brought in by the Promise Inc. Board of Directors to help take Promise to the next level, Jeff has acquired a keen understanding of operating a community for individuals with special needs. Jeff provides perspective on all facets, including campus layout and service offerings; life enrichment programs balanced between fun activities and life skills classes; best practices in transparent internal and external communication programs for residents, families/guardians and the community, etc. Jeff is also able to offer strategic organizational guidance to founders and Boards on leadership needs they should consider during the life cycle of a community, from taking a passionate dream to the reality of operating the organization.

Jeff joined Promise in 2020 after a career with media companies Gannett and Knight Ridder where he served senior leadership roles as a Regional President, Publisher, VP of Sales; and VP of Finance/CFO of the Miami Herald. He is graduate of the University of Florida Fisher School of Accounting; is a Florida CPA; and spent the beginning years of his career with Ernst and Young, an International Accounting Firm.

Jeff was born in Brooklyn, New York, and spent most of his life in Miami and San Jose, California, prior to moving to Brevard County in 2012.

Jeff has a long history of nonprofit involvement including United Way, Chambers of Commerce, Hospital Foundations, Special Olympics, etc.