Jasen Kelly, longtime Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Saline County in Benton, recently announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for State Representative (Dist. 28). The seat is currently held by State Representative Kim Hammer, who has stated that he will not seek re-election in 2018, but rather will run for the Senate (Dist. 33) seat currently occupied by Jeremy Hutchinson.
The announcement follows:
Benton Resident Jasen Kelly announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for State Representative, District 28, today. The seat is currently held by State Representative Kim Hammer, who has stated that he will not seek re-election in 2018.
“With so many challenges facing the State of Arkansas, it’s important that we have elected leaders at the Capitol that understand how these challenges impact our local communities,” said Kelly. “I’ve spent my life trying to improve the lives of our young people and I believe serving in this capacity is important to improving their future.
As the CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Saline County, Kelly has shown dedication and leadership building one of the most successful Boys and Girls Club programs in the state and being a strong advocate for Saline County’s youth. He began his Boys and Girls Club career in 1998 as a Program Director and moved into the CEO position in 2006. He is a 1993 graduate of Glen Rose High School and 1998 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello, where he was 4-year letterman on the Boll Weevil basketball team.
In addition to his career, Kelly has served on various boards and civic organizations in his community. He currently sits on the board of the Saline County Executive Association, member and former President of the Benton Bauxite Rotary Club. In addition, he was honored as Saline County’s Man of the Year in 2013 and received the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce Visionary Award in 2014.
Kelly is a conservative that will work to make government more efficient and accountable. “Having a balanced budget isn’t enough. We had a balanced budget this year but key programs will go unfunded while we did very little to make government more efficient,” said Kelly. “We can do better and I want to be a part of that solution.”
“As a business leader invested in my community, I want to promote long term economic success for our district,” said Kelly. “I look forward to meeting with voters to listen to their concerns and discuss their issues and my ideas over the course of the campaign.”
Kelly is the son of Jim and Linda Kelly. He and his wife, Jennifer, a Benton School District teacher, have two sons, Eli and Colt. He has two sisters, Sara Brown and husband CJ of Bryant, and Brandee Hanke of Hot Springs. Jasen and his family worship at First Baptist Church in Benton.