Before joining Georgia Tech, Kelly worked as an independent consultant managing her own firm, Smith Creative Services, based in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. metro area.

Prior to forming Smith Creative Services, she was a founding partner of Ad Astra, LLC, a full service marketing, communications and public relations boutique firm. She gained global experience in the communications field while employed with Veolia Transportation, a private multi-model transportation company headquartered in Paris, France, where she served as Director of Communications for its North American operations, based in Chicago, IL.