Christopher Kelly

Christopher Kelly

Degree: 2014, MPA

Job Title: Senior Economic Researcher

Chris is a proud 2014 graduate of the University of Delaware’s MPA program. During his time as a graduate student, he had the privilege of serving as a Public Administrati​on Fellow at the Institute for Public Administration and a Legislative Fellow at the Delaware General Assembly. As a public administration fellow, Chris was able to work on projects related to public education and transportation policy. Through these projects he was able to develop skills in engaged research, writing, and data analysis. He is a firm believer that this combination of applied research experience and his academic coursework was critical to ensuring that he had the knowledge and practical skills necessary to succeed in a career in public service. The skills he learned are transferable to a variety of policy areas and assist him greatly in his current role.

Chris is currently the Senior Economic Researcher at the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. In this role he serves as the head of DPP’s research and business intelligence functions by ensuring that the business leaders, external partners, and the team have the information they need to promote prosperity and economic well being for all Delawareans. Before joining DPP Chris was an Associate Policy Scientist at the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration where he conducted public service research to support government officials and other key stakeholders in addressing the issues faced by their communities. He currently resides in Kent County, Delaware and enjoys visiting all the great restaurants and parks across the state with his wife and dog.​ the House Judiciary Committee for his career interest in state government.

As Legislative Director of the House Majority Caucus, Eric manages agenda and floor requests from all 41 House members while acting as an advisor to House Leadership. As Executive Assistant to the Speaker, he manages the Speaker’s board appointments, legislative activities, and constituent relations with the 14th Representative District (Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, and Lewes).

While earning his MPA, Eric worked as a Public Administration Fellow at the Institute for Public Administration where he split his time being both a Legislative Fellow and a core member of the College Application Month (CAM) team. As a CAM team member, he visited high schools in every corner of the state to assist students with their college applications. Eric’s former experience in youth development made the CAM project a perfect fit. He is the former Director of Teen and Athletic Programming at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, where he served over 200 youth in Western Sussex County and acted as a consultant for state-wide initiatives.

During his time at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, Eric also volunteered at the Biden Institute and the Department of Political Communication where he co-founded the Resident Student Organization: Make It Count Campaign, a nationally recognized voter engagement initiative through TurboVote and Democracy Works.

Eric is a lifelong Delawarean who enjoys all the state has to offer from surfing at the beaches, rock climbing at the Delaware Rock Gym, or hiking through the State Parks.