Steve Kelly
Vice President of Economic Development
Lawrence Chamber 

Steve Kelly joined The Chamber of Lawrence/EDC of Lawrence & Douglas County as Vice President of Economic Development in January 2017. At The Chamber and EDC, Steve oversees for the organizations’ various economic development initiatives, ranging from business recruitment and retention to workforce development. Mr. Kelly is a longtime Lawrence resident. Before moving to the The Chamber/EDC, he was the Deputy Secretary and Director of Business and Community Development for the Kansas Department of Commerce. During his time at Commerce, he was responsible for the programs and resources focused on business and community development and international trade. Steve was part of the agency for over 25 years and worked in a variety of different capacities during that time. Mr. Kelly received his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University. He also holds an MBA from the University of Kansas. Prior to joining Commerce, Steve was the marketing and operations manager for a small publishing and software development firm. He’s also done business and loan development work for a finance organization.