Alison (Ali) Climo is a seasoned social work professional, educator, and community strategist with over 25 years of experience in aging services, systems change, and community engagement. Originally from Massachusetts, she earned her undergraduate degree from Smith College, followed by both a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a joint Ph.D. in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Michigan. She later completed a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University, further strengthening her leadership and organizational development expertise.
Ali relocated to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1999, where she served for many years at Warren Wilson College as a faculty member and Director of the Undergraduate Social Work Program, later becoming the Director of Institutional Effectiveness.
Her community-based work has focused extensively on aging in place, dementia-capable communities, and cross-sector collaboration. For nearly two decades, Ali has supported aging services organizations across Buncombe County and surrounding Western North Carolina (WNC) communities in planning for the needs of a growing older adult population.
In 2017, she co-founded Age-Friendly Buncombe County, a nationally recognized initiative aligned with the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. As its coordinator until 2022, she led the development and implementation of strategic action plans, facilitated multi-sector partnerships, and supported the expansion of age-friendly principles into neighboring counties. Her leadership helped catalyze similar efforts in other WNC counties, where she provided technical assistance, training, and facilitation to local governments and nonprofits seeking to adopt age-friendly frameworks.
Currently, Ali serves as the Senior Community Engagement Specialist in Aging with the Cares Program at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Social Work. In this role, she designs, supports, and evaluates initiatives that build community capacity to support adults of all ages and abilities. She is a skilled facilitator and trainer in collective impact, a framework for large-scale systems change, and develops educational materials for diverse audiences including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), older adults, caregivers, and professionals in social work, healthcare, and education.
Three by the Fire Consulting’s tagline is: Gather. Reflect. Transform. Through this LLC, Ali offers strategic and collaborative leadership and coaching.
