Tom Kelly joined NDI's Serbia program as its resident senior director in 2007. He brings to the Institute more than 20 years of experience with campaigns and communications, specializing in message development and media relations for nonprofit advocacy organizations, political parties and candidates.

As senior director, Mr. Kelly has developed and implemented comprehensive governance, election, youth, women and minority programs focused on linking citizens with their elected and government officials. These include:

• Managing the “Rec na Rec” Parliamentary & Presidential Debate project [2] in coordination with the Republic of Serbia Public Television Network. This included four formal candidate debates in April and May 2012.

• Managing “Srbiji Treba Tvoj Savet!” (Serbia Needs Your Counsel), a six-month voter registration drives to enhance participation in the National Minority Council Elections held in May 2010. 

• From 2007 to 2012, designing and managing NDI’s Youth and Women’s Leadership Academies in coordination with local partners. Under Mr. Kelly’s guidance the academies have expanded to include non-political participants with an interest in public advocacy and citizen participation.

• Managing a $1 million Get Out The Vote program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, during Serbia’s presidential and parliamentary election between January and May 2008.

Before joining NDI Mr. Kelly held leadership positions in several successful political and advocacy campaigns including the election and re-election of a member of parliament in the British House of Commons from South Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Mr. Kelly assisted the director of the “National Voice” United States Voter Registration Initiative in 2004 with the implementation of a five million person voter registration drive administered by dozens of nonprofit organizations across the U.S.  

For seven years before joining NDI in 2007 Tom helped develop public relations strategies and opportunities for several nonprofit organizations including: Allina Hospital Foundation; Environmental Defense Fund, Hennepin Medical Society, Minnesota Smoke-Free Coalition, Citizens for a Safer Minnesota, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, National Environmental Trust, American Cancer Society,Grassroots Solutions, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and NDI.

A native of Roseville, Minnesota, Mr. Kelly worked as the communications director for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party (DFL) and a U.S. Capitol Hill reporter for FDC Reports, covering health care and pharmaceuticals legislation.