Kelly moved to Richmond Beach in 2018 after many years living in SE Asia and working for international NGOs including IUCN and the Ford Foundation. She was an active member of the Bangkok Community Theatre and the Caravan Theatre in Bangkok, as well as a guest lecturer in theatre at Chulalongkhorn University. She served on the board of the Bali International School (now Bali Island School). Kelly is a graduate of Pomona College (BA in theatre design) and Carnegie Mellon University (Masters in arts management). She and her husband and have four grown children who live in various countries and a Bali dog. She is a Director at the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association for Children.