Commissioner Patrick Kelly - 1st District (Chair)

Patrick Kelly is the Douglas County Commissioner for District 1 and is the current chair. He was elected to a second term in 2022. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Patrick moved to Lawrence in 1989 after growing up in Long Beach, California. Prior to his work on the Douglas County Commission, Patrick served six years on the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission.  He was also a member of the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission for several years. As a commissioner, Patrick has served on the Lawrence Affordable Housing Advisory Board, the Behavioral Health Leadership Coalition, and the Lawrence-Douglas County Economic Development Council.

Patrick is an educational administrator for the Lawrence Public Schools and has worked at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.  In 2014 Patrick opened the Lawrence College and Career Center, a unique educational facility providing college courses and work-based learning opportunities for USD 497 students in partnership with Johnson County Community College, Neosho County Community College, Peaslee Tech, and others. He is a faculty member at the Kansas Leadership Center and provides leadership training for Leadership Lawrence, Leadership Douglas County, and other organizations.

Patrick and his wife, Amy, live in the Perry Park Neighborhood. His daughter Brynn is a college senior. His stepdaughter Victoria recently moved back to Lawrence. The entire family enjoys participating in community theatre, traveling and enjoying all Douglas County has to offer.