A resident of Athens for ten years, Kelly has been a classroom teacher in the Clarke County School District for the past eight years. For five years he taught Language Arts and Georgia Studies at W.R. Coile Middle School. He now teaches History, Government and Economics at Classic City High School, the District’s Performance Learning Center alternative school, where he was chosen Teacher of the Year in the school’s inaugural year. He has been active in expanding the school’s curriculum and providing opportunities to encourage at-risk students to complete their high school diplomas.

Kelly is the son of Commander Darryl Girtz (U.S. Navy, retired) and Joanne Claridge. He was raised in Norfolk, Virginia with a strong sense of personal responsibility and concern for others. He twice graduated summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Old Dominion University and with a Master of Arts in Teaching from Piedmont College. He also holds a certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of Georgia. Kelly resides on Pulaski Street with his wife, Mary Ellen Cappelmann. Kelly is active in the Pulaski Heights Neighborhood Association and the Athens Area Human Relations Council.