As Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at Gary Community Ventures, Reilly Pharo Carter leads state and local policy and advocacy strategy to strengthen public systems and expand opportunity for children and families.

By leveraging the organization’s policy entity, Gary Advocacy, Reilly works to strengthen Colorado’s policy ecosystem and advance durable, bipartisan policy solutions that support family economic mobility and child well-being. In 2024, she helped lead the successful passage of the Family Affordability Tax Credit, landmark legislation that contributed to a historic reduction in child poverty and helped position Colorado as the state with the lowest child poverty rate in the nation.

Reilly brings nearly two decades of leadership in Colorado’s policy landscape. Before joining Gary, she founded RPC Consulting, advising organizations working to improve outcomes for Colorado children. She previously served as president and CEO of Climb Higher Colorado, where she launched the Systems Impact Institute fellowship program and fostered partnerships across community and policy leaders. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, including as government affairs director and vice president of education initiatives.

Born and raised in Colorado, Reilly enjoys hiking, biking, fly-fishing, spending time at the Botanic Gardens, catching live music at Red Rocks and browsing the shelves at the Tattered Cover with her husband and two children.