Kelly has spent the last decade promoting social justice and amplifying the voices of marginalized populations, specifically justice-involved and low-income individuals and families, through program monitoring and evaluation and applied research. Prior to working at the Begun Center, she worked as part of the Research and Evaluation Team at the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois, where responsibilities ranged from the management and curation of court administrative electronic records and analysis and reporting on court activities and policy for internal and external publications to overseeing the implementation of grant strategies related to reducing racial and ethnic disparities in court. Previous roles include serving as Program Coordinator for a deferred prosecution program, leading the Information Management Team as a consultant for the Administration for Children and Families, and a brief stint as a first-time Data Officer for a small non-profit on the outskirts of County Dublin, Ireland.
Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology from Boston College and a Master of Social Work from Columbia University in New York City. She is a licensed social worker.