As the president and chief executive officer of the South Tampa Chamber, Kelly works with business owners and community leaders each day to make South Tampa the best place to live, work and play. Kelly is a graduate of The Florida State University with a B.S. in Political Science. Prior to her work at the Chamber, her background includes sales, marketing, and management for ClubCorp, Marriott, Front Burner Brands and Millennium Copthorne Hotels.
Kelly is a graduate of the Institute of Organization Management (IOM), a 96-hour professional development program of the US Chamber of Commerce and has received her Florida Certified Chamber Professional designation (FCCP) from the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP).
Under Kelly’s leadership, the South Tampa Chamber is one of less than 20 chambers in the State of Florida to be designated a Certified+ Chamber and is recognized as a Three-Star Chamber of Valor by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for their military support. The South Tampa Chamber was also named the FACP Chamber of the Year in 2020.
A Tampa native, Kelly is actively involved in the community as a member of the Community Support Council for MacDill Air Force Base and as a Civic Leader for the Air Mobility Command. Kelly also serves as the Chair of Tampa Bay Air Fest and is a two-time past Honorary Commander for the 6th Air Refueling Wing. Kelly is a graduate of Leadership Tampa Bay, and previously served on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals.
Kelly has been recognized as a finalist for the 2024 Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine’s Women Who Win Award (Non-Profit) and the 2023 Business Women Award (Business Service), and is a two-time honoree for the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Businesswoman of the Year (Under 40 and Economic Development), a two-time honoree for Business of Pride (Ally and Community Enhancement), the Tampa Bay Business & Professional Women Foundation’s “Woman of the Year,” and was included in the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Power 100, a guide of the Tampa Bay area’s most influential business leaders. In 2022, Kelly was given the Air Force Commander’s Award for Public Service in recognition of her volunteer work serving military members and their families.
Kelly is a resident of South Tampa, with her husband Jim and son James, who enjoy travel, exploring the local community, and spending time with their rescue dog, Zoey.