Doris Kelley is well-known in the Cedar Valley. Her personal and professional contributions have included a wide array of organizations, businesses and industries. She has lived in the Waterloo Cedar Falls area for approximately 30 years, serving on numerous civic and community boards and committees.

Kelley has an extensive professional background in community economic development, marketing and public relations. The scope of her experience encompasses leadership in downtown revitalization, corporate development, media relations, market research, public speaking and communications utility development and marketing.

As the former Director of Consulting Services for DesignLiNC, Inc. a consulting and design company based in Lawrence, Kansas, Kelley led the company’s telecommunications consulting efforts throughout the United States. She worked with municipal utilities and municipalities that were interested in exploring the technical and financial feasibility of owning and operating telecommunications networks.

Prior to joining DesignLiNC, Kelley was Director of Business Development for Black & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in the fields of energy, water and information. From April of 2003 thru January 2004, she served as the Telecommunications Coordinator for the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities. Kelley represented IAMU on state and national task forces, committees and public forums on all telecom issues. She served as the information resource for IAMU member utilities and others on all aspects of the telecommunications process including market research, designing, constructing, installing, marketing and operating broadband systems.

However, Kelley is best known for her involvement in the research, development, unveiling and marketing of Cedar Falls Utilities’ Communications Utility. She served as CFU’s chief spokesperson and marketing director from 1995 thru 2000.

Kelley assisted with revitalizing Cedar Falls’ downtown by forging effective relationships with city leaders, expanding the funding base, heightening the city’s Main Street program’s credibility and significantly expanding the volunteer base. Kelley served as the Director of the Cedar Falls Main Street Program from 1993 to 1995.

She was a marketing consultant for the Cedar Valley Economic Development Corporation and co-chaired a citywide committee supporting Cedar Falls’ referendum to create a municipally owned, state-of-the-art communications utility. Kelley also served on the Opportunity Waterloo Campaign Committee supporting Waterloo’s Telecommunications Referendum.

As an expert in telecommunications, Kelley is a well-known presenter at municipal conferences throughout the United States. She has presented numerous seminars and workshops including the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) 2000 National Pre-conference Seminar "A Roadmap for Entering the Telecommunications Market” and APPA’s 2003 National Pre-conference Seminar “Emerging Issues in Broadband,” “Making the Connection Between Telecommunication Infrastructure and Economic Development,” Digital City Expo, and “What is Marketing?”, APPA’s 2005 Community Broadband Conference.

In 1995, Kelley received the Governor’s Volunteer Award following her nomination by the Iowa Department of Economic Development; she is the past president of the Black Hawk Leadership Board of Directors; a past member of the Cedar Falls’ 2010 Strategic Planning Team; a past member of the Waterloo Main Street Board of Directors, where she chaired the Organization and Economic Restructuring Councils; a past member of the Cedar Valley United Way Board of Directors; the Cedar Valley’s Promise Marketing Committee; the University of Northern Iowa’s Advisory Board for Leadership Studies Program; and Chair of the Fiber To The Home Council Membership Committee. Currently, she is serving on the Waterloo Municipal Telecommunications Board of Trustees. Kelley was also recognized by the City of Cedar Falls for her service and contributions to downtown development. In 1998 she was inducted into International WHO’S WHO of Information Technology.

Doris was married to the late Ralph Kelley, a longtime employee of John Deere -- retiring in 2001 as Director of Safety. Together they have one child, Eric Kelley, Ph.D. who is a Research Instructor for the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology at the University of Pittsburg, Pittsburgh, PA.