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Laura Kelly
Executive Director at Holston Habitat For Humanity
Laura Kelly is an experienced professional currently serving as the Executive Director at Holston Habitat for Humanity, dedicated to providing affordable, energy-efficient, and ADA-accessible housing in the Tri-Cities, TN & Bristol, VA region.
Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Social Thought and Political Economy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies from Northeast State Community College, and Spanish studies at the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With a diverse organizational history, Laura has held various roles such as Johnson City Regional Planning Commissioner at the City Of Johnson City, Executive Director, Assistant Director of Field Operations, Assistant Director of Programs, Regional Coordinator, Recruiting and Hiring Program Manager, and Center Director at Appalachia Service Project, as well as a Marketing Intern at Taunton Press.
Highlights
At the June 20th City Of Johnson City City Commission meeting, I was appointed as one of the newest members on the Johnson City Regional Planning Commission. 😀 I'm eager and honored to fill this role and to work alongside other thoughtful, strategic, and community-minded leaders in our area to address challenges and opportunities with growth & land use. Feel free to contact me to discuss growth management in JC. #Planning #Growth #Zoning #JohnsonCity
Today, over 400 Habitat advocates visited with legislators from all 50 states. 🎉 It’s been incredible learning from peers, and I definitely had butterflies walking around the Senate buildings! It’s important that we know our representatives and talk to them about their districts & what’s happening on the ground.
Collectively, we requested increased funding allocations on three specific funding sources (USDA 502, SHOP, HOME) for housing production, infrastructure development, property purchase, rehabilitation, and more. We also requested that our reps become co-signers on a bipartisan bill that would incentivize public/private partnerships to build housing units for homeownership & complete rehabs through a tax credit program (Neighborhood Homes Investment Act). Finally, we reminded them that our work across Tennessee and the United States is critical, but we also represent a global network of Habitats in 70 countries that are working to build decent housing for all.
I’m grateful for the work of Habitat for Humanity International, Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee, and locally Holston Habitat For Humanity. Building homes, communities, and hope truly matters. ❤️
