Kaley Childs Karaffa

Kaley Childs Karaffa is the head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq. Prior to Nasdaq’s acquisition of the Center for Board Excellence (CBE) in October 2019, Karaffa was CBE’s vice president of client services for business development and legal from September 2015 through 2019. In her current role, and under her role at CBE, Karaffa advises boards and CEOs on corporate governance matters, board and director effectiveness, CEO and leadership evaluation and performance, board and management alignment, and compliance and risk matters. She works with public, private, and nonprofit organizations in a wide range of industries globally. Prior to joining CBE, Karaffa served as general counsel of Clarolux LLC. Before beginning an in-house practice, she practiced law in New York City with a focus in real estate, banking law, and litigation. Prior to attending law school, Karaffa served as program director of Jefferson County Teen Court. 
Karaffa is currently the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Northside Charter High School in Brooklyn, New York, serves on the patient advisory board for a privately held pharmaceutical company, and serves on the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Patient Safety Committee and Patient & Family Advisory Council. She served as co-chair of the CLE Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section from 2015 through 2017. Karaffa founded and served on the Board of Directors of YP Civitan of Greensboro from 2013 through 2016. She received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in political science from Samford University and a Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law. Karaffa is admitted to practice law in the state of New York.