Kenneth Kelly

Kenneth serves as Chairman and CEO of First Independence Corp and First Independence Bank, a commercial financial institution in Detroit, Michigan. Under his visionary leadership, the corporation has tripled enterprise value in eight years. He currently serves as chair of the American Bankers Association, representing the voice of the nation’s $25.1 trillion banking sector, and has held leadership roles on the boards of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, several FDIC Advisory Committees, and board member of the Detroit Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Certified by the NACD in board leadership, Kenneth is a recognized for his expertise in governance. He was chairman of the Auburn University Engineering Alumni Council and was honored by Auburn University with the naming of the Kenneth Kelly Engineering Academic Excellence Program Reception Area and served as the commencement speaker in 2021.

Before his banking career, Kenneth spent 27 years in the electric utility sector with Southern Company, where he led negotiations for major renewable solar projects valued at $3.4 billion. His leadership and entrepreneurial achievement have earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of Detroit’s Top 500 Corporate Leaders and winning EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2024. He received the “Michigan Banker of the Year” by the Michigan Bankers Association in 2024. He was awarded one of eleven “Michiganians of the Year” in June 2026 by the Detroit News, for his contributions to improve Michigan for all residents in the state.

Kenneth is the author of Prepared Before I Let Go. Kenneth holds an electrical engineering degree from Auburn University and an Executive MBA from the University of Alabama. His wife is Dr. Kimberly Kelly PharmD and they have two children: Kerra Alexis is a 4^th year dental student at Howard University and Kenneth Alexander II is a Broadcast Journalism graduate and an MBA graduate from the University of Alabama.

Kenneth Kelly

ABA Speakers Bureau