Kelly began his career working for LHWW Architects in Kansas City, MO. In 1988 he was selected as an Architect supporting the Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, KS. Since then, he has filled increasingly responsible design and project management positions for the Department of the Army and US Army Corps of Engineers. In 2013 Kelly deployed to Afghanistan for 9 months. In August 2017 Kelly was selected as the Program Manager for the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital (GLWACH) Replacement program at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO