Kimberly Grannan has served as Chief of Staff to the Chancellor at Purdue University Fort Wayne since April 2013. In her role she serves as the primary aide to Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer and assists him in policy development, community building and engagement, and legislative advocacy efforts. Kimberly also serves as the primary point of contact for the Chancellor’s office with internal and external constituents/offices including the Purdue Board of Trustees; Purdue President’s office; and local, state and national elected officials on strategic initiatives that impact the university.

Prior to joining the Chancellor’s Office in April 2013, she held the position of Director of Alumni Relations and served other positions in both academic affairs and student affairs since first being hired by the university in 2004.  She has been a part-time faculty member in the Department of Public Policy, teaching criminal justice classes including American Criminal Justice Systems and American Policing, and was awarded the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Excellence in Teaching Award for Part-Time Faculty for the 2007-2008 academic year. She is a graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne (Class of 2009), the FBI Citizen’s Academy (Class of 2012), Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series (Class of 2020), and was a recipient of Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly’s Forty Under 40 Award in 2014.

Aside from her professional career, she is a tireless advocate for the city of Fort Wayne and Allen County volunteering and advancing her community through service to various organizations. Kimberly's areas of expertise include administration, civil service, legislative and community advancement, communications, and logistics. She currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the Fort Wayne – Allen County Airport Authority Board (Allen County Commissioners appointee); Chair of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Community Advisory Board for Parkview Health and Park Center; and as a member of the planning committee for the YWCA’s Circle event. Other organizations she has volunteered with include Fort Wayne Rotary Club, Junior League of Fort Wayne, McMillen Health, Standing Against Violence Everyday (SAVE), and Turnstone.

Kimberly was born and raised in Fort Wayne, to John and Cheryl Grannan. She is younger sister to Maura (Matt) Studebaker, and proud aunt to Malin and Malia. She graduated from Northrop High School in 1997 and earned a B.A. in Media and Public Communication in 2001 (Purdue University, Fort Wayne) and a Master of Public Affairs degree in 2005 (Indiana University, Fort Wayne).

Kimberly’s interests include enjoying the city and county’s Pufferbelly Trail and Salomon Farm, walking with Murphy (her seven-year-old Golden Retriever), or riding her bike. She also enjoys spending time with friends, visiting local restaurants and breweries, listening to live music, working out at the northside OPS facility, and traveling and exploring new places, either in the states or abroad. Lastly, she truly enjoys cheering for Mastodon student-athletes and attending various arts events and the PFW campus.