Let the local political season begin!  Kelly Walsh’s campaign sent out this announcement this morning…

Decatur resident Kelly Walsh announced Tuesday her candidacy for City of Decatur District 1 Commission seat currently held by Fred Boykin. Commissioner Boykin is retiring this year, having served the city in that position since 2001 and as Mayor Pro-Tem since 2016.

“My priority first and foremost is to listen to our residents and incorporate their views into decisions, knowing that inclusion of all voices is paramount to the continued success of Decatur,” says Walsh. “My goals are to work toward finding a balance between smart development that allows for green space enhancement and preservation, encouraging active lifestyles for all Decatur residents through walkability initiatives, and supporting the continued success of our high-quality schools. Together these efforts will combine to support the strong economy and vitality of our commercial sector.”

Kelly has lived in the City of Decatur with her husband Pat for 12 years, and has a long history of service to the community through her volunteer and leadership roles. The highlight of Kelly’s volunteer career in Decatur was receiving the Hometown Hero Award in 2015. Kelly has also found an outlet for her passion to serve and lead in the cross-section of health, fitness, and volunteerism through her 2012 appointment by the city commission to serve on the Decatur Active Living Advisory Board, and has served as Chair for two of the last five years. With two children in Decatur’s schools, Kelly served as the Clairemont Elementary PTA Co-President for three years, and is currently a PTA liaison to the Decatur Education Foundation. She is a Decatur 101 graduate and was accepted to the Class of 2018 Leadership DeKalb program.

“I am thrilled about the potential for Decatur to create a robust plan for the additional greenspace and land we will be able to utilize at the United Methodist Children’s Home. If we are thoughtful and plan strategically, we can make it a place where residents from across our city can come to be active, enjoy the outdoors, and build community through events and programming,” Walsh added. Kelly intends to leverage her experience in strategic planning in the role of commissioner, a skill set honed both in her professional and volunteer work. Outside of Decatur, Kelly has served as the past chair of the Metro Atlanta Council of Girls on the Run and was an executive member on the Board of Atlanta Track Club, the second largest running organization in the country.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. Kelly’s experience in public service dates back to early work post-college on Capitol Hill, followed by international development work promoting democracy and free elections in Africa for a non-governmental organization in Washington, D.C. After completing her MBA, Kelly came to Atlanta to work in international marketing and strategic planning for the global corporate headquarters of UPS.

Currently, Kelly is one of Keller Williams Realty Metro Atlanta’s top individual residential Realtors and has been the recipient of the DeKalb Association of Realtors’ Pinnacle Award. She is an active member of the Decatur Business Association.

“I am dedicated to making the City of Decatur the best it can be through hard work, strong leadership, and collaboration across all of our city’s diverse interest groups,” says Walsh.

For more information on Kelly Walsh and her campaign, visit her website at VoteKellyWalsh.com.