Decatur, GA — Decatur City Commissioner Kelly Walsh on July 21 announced her intention to seek a second term.

The election is Nov. 2. Walsh represents District 1. To see a map of the city’s commission districts, click here.

“We have accomplished a great deal as a governing body over the last few years, and despite the pandemic, the city is still very resilient and on a path to full recovery,” Walsh said. “Now more than ever our city needs a forward-thinking leader with experience and integrity, and a resolve to implement policies that offer the most benefits to the most residents.”

Walsh, who was elected in 2018, is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb 2018 and in 2020 graduated from the Center for Leadership at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Atlanta.

While serving on the City Commission, Walsh graduated from Leadership DeKalb with the Class of 2018, and was then accepted to the Center for Leadership at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Atlanta, from which she graduated in May 2020.

“An important part of my role on the Commission is to be an active learner, listener, and leader,” she said. “I’ve spent a great deal of time studying land use, zoning, urban planning, and importantly, the complexities of creating and preserving affordable housing. I’ll continue to bring my experience to bear with effective tools and critical insights for implementing smart growth strategies here at home.”

She’s lived in Decatur for 16 years and she and her husband Pat have two children. Before being elected, Walsh received the Decatur Hometown Hero Award in 2015 for her service on boards such as the Decatur Active Living Advisory Board, the Clairemont Elementary PTA, as well as being a part of several non-profit boards. Those nonprofits include Girls on the Run, Atlanta Track Club, and most recently, the Decatur-DeKalb YMCA, her campaign announcement says.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Ariz. She’s currently a full-time Realtor with Keller Williams, located in downtown Decatur.

“I’m excited to see our Destination 2030 Strategic Plan through to adoption and getting off to a rapid start,” Commissioner Walsh said. “Working on a team like the City of Decatur Commission that fully agrees on the common values of making Decatur a welcoming place, with opportunities for everyone to be healthy and thrive, is really the best job I can imagine having.”

Her campaign website is VoteKellyWalsh.com.

If you appreciate our work, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $3 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community. To become a supporter, click here. 

Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.