Kelly moved to Salt Lake City from Big Bear Lake, California in 1986 to attend Rowmark Ski Academy at Rowland Hall St. Mark's high school. After graduating he studied at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington for 2 years before returning to Salt Lake City to finish his undergraduate education at the University of Utah where he graduated with a B.A. in film studies. Kelly worked in film production for five years, primarily on the television series’ Promised Land and Touched by an Angel before earning his real estate license in 1999. Working as a real estate broker for the past 20 years, Kelly opened a local, independent real estate brokerage in 2011, eightline real estate, where he works today. Great Salt Lake has been an iconic symbol threaded through Kelly’s life, from his first sights of the lake in 1985 as he drove in for a ski race when it’s waves were crashing up and over Interstate 80, to a dry 2020 summer paddle board with his daughter that was briefly graced by a cooling rain squall. In times between he howled at the full moon from her shores in 1990 and was fortunate to have a solo experience at Spiral Jetty in 2013 as it was perfectly revealed. The call to help preserve and protect the lake as a Friends of Great Salt Lake Board of Director spoke to Kelly like few things have and he is excited to be serving the cause.