Kelly is the Deputy Director and joined NMCOG in May 2023. In this role, Kelly supports the Executive Director in oversight of the organization, specifically in contract administration and management, public affairs and communications, and oversight of planning activities and programs. She also manages NMCOG's transportation program, and participates in management of local and regional planning efforts in housing, economic development, climate and resiliency, transportation, land use, and GIS.
Kelly brings to NMCOG a career of interwoven planning and communications experience. Most recently, she served as Assistant Director of the Department of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Arlington, where she coordinated the implementation of the Town's master plan, oversaw land use and housing policy development, and managed the Department's community affairs. She also worked in placemaking and the public realm for the Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation and as an urban planner and project manager for two private-sector firms, Utile and NBBJ, where she worked on neighborhood and comprehensive plans for communities across the eastern U.S.
Kelly received her Master's in Urban Planning at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and received her B.A. in Sociology at Tufts University. In 2022, she received a certificate in Local Government Leadership and Management from Massachusetts Municipal Association and Suffolk University. Prior to completing her undergraduate degree, she had a 10-year career in marketing, advertising, and graphic design. Kelly is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).