Reilly has made a career of service work. Volunteering first in her children’s Chicago-area schools, her focus turned to Africa after visiting Kenya and Tanzania for the first time in 1995. She has subsequently been involved in a multitude of projects across the region, raising funds for an orphanage in Kitale, Kenya, assisting at community workshops in South Africa, and garnering support to enable college students to volunteer overseas.
She helped to found and served on the board of Authentic Human Development for Africa (AHDFA), which worked with township leaders in South Africa to establish adult education classes and women’s cooperatives. Presently, she sits on the board of Madonna Mission and volunteers with the organization as an English teacher for refugee women and children. Additionally, she serves as a board member of the African Rainforest Conservancy.
Reilly holds a BA in English and an MA in communication arts from the University of Notre Dame.
She began serving on Kellogg's Advisory Board in 2008.