Ward 16

Cleveland City Council Majority Whip Kevin J. Kelley has served the Ward 16 community since April 2005.  Councilman Kelley is committed to maintaining the quality of life that Old Brooklyn residents enjoy. 

Since taking his post, Councilman Kelley has worked to foster growth and unity in his community. His most notable accomplishments include the compilation of an Old Brooklyn Master Plan, which focuses on coordinated greenspace planning, joining the MetroParks Zoo to the Erie Canal Towpath Trail, and working to meet the community development goals of the community stakeholders and residents.

As Chair of the Aviation and Transportation Committee, Councilman Kelley has focused his attention on passengers’ rights and accountability at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.  Under his leadership, the Council passed a Passengers’ Bill of Rights that all taxis are required to display in their vehicles and follow.   

Councilman Kelley has a strong community service background.  Following his graduation from Marquette University, he volunteered at the West Side Catholic Center as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Following his year of service, the Councilman worked at Recovery Resources assisting mentally ill adults obtain income, healthcare, and housing, while earning a Master’s Degree form Case Western Reserve University in Social Administration.

Councilman Kelley then became the Program Director for the Community Assessment Foundation, where he supervised a program that assisted former offenders in reentering the community. He also worked at the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board as a Services Specialist. Councilman Kelley later rejoined Recovery Resources to manage their programs assisting mentally ill defendants who are under the supervision of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and the Cleveland Municipal Court.

Councilman Kelley graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cleveland Marshall College of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the Cleveland State Law Review.  He is an associate attorney with Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur.

Councilman Kelley is a member of the Board of Trustees for ParkWorks Cleveland.  He is also a former President of the Board of Trustees for the May Dugan Multi Service Center on Cleveland’s west side and a former member of the Board of Trustees for the Community Assessment Foundation.