Kelly has vast experience in human resources, with a background in private industry and health care, including positions with Kemper Insurance Company and Saint Luke’s Shawnee Mission Health System.

In 2001, she became the Vice President of Human Resources for Mazuma Credit Union in Kansas City, Mo. Her responsibilities included staffing of the organization, maintaining fair and competitive employee compensation, resolving employee relations issues, and ensuring organization-wide compliance with all internal, federal, state and municipal regulations. During her time with Mazuma, she also played a key role in the executive search for senior and management employees.

Kelly is an active member of a number of professional and community organizations. She resides on the boards of the Southeast High School Alumni Association and the Eason/Niles Board of Directors; is on the advisory committee for the Academy of Finance; and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. As president of the Kansas City Chapter of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR), she has worked with area schools to teach students how to apply for jobs, write resumes, and conduct themselves in interviews. She has also volunteered as a YouthFriends mentor for students in the Kansas City Public Schools for over four years.