Kelly has worked in IT for the past 25 years. He started out installing ethernet cable for a major US corporation and discovered how much he loved technology. After working his way up to Systems/Network Administration, he discovered a new love for leading people: not being the boss, but being the person to go first, make the hard calls, take the blame, give the credit, and elevate the team through clarity and humility.
Now, Kelly works as the Director of IT for a group of K12 public charter schools. This means navigating technology in general, and AI in particular, in some singular ways. It is interesting when the default mode is to treat two-thirds of users as threats on the one hand, and on the other, as a group that needs to be protected. It is quite the balancing act to strike, but it is good. He loves that his team is contributing to the good of future generations.
Kelly has found that success in building and leading teams, engaging cross-functionally, and negotiating with vendors relies heavily on him being who he is meant to be. He chooses to be kind, humble, professional, and to communicate with clarity. When he can operate within these principles and his strengths, he can, and has, made a significant difference in his organizations and in the lives of the people he comes into contact with.
