Kenneth Kelly of McDonough said he can still recall what sparked his interest in engineering as a child.
“I was pretty decent in math and science,” he said. “In sixth grade, I built a lamp as part of a science project that was due. It sparked when I plugged it in, and created smoke around the outlet of that plug at the middle school. Here I am, 40-plus years later, and I’m an engineer by training.”
Kelly, 52, is one of six new inductees to the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. The honor was made official during a ceremony in Tuscaloosa, Ala., February 22.
Kenneth Kelly of McDonough was recently inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. Special photo
Kelly grew up in Eufaula, Ala., and graduated from Auburn University in 1990 with a degree in electrical engineering. He also earned his executive MBA in 1998 from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and has worked in the engineering field for approximately 27 years.
Kelly is currently the chairman and chief executive officer of First Independence Bank, having worked previously at Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Southern Power. During his engineering career, he led negotiations for solar projects totaling more than $3.4 billion in partnership value.
“When I worked for Southern Company, I negotiated the acquisition of the first solar facility in the state of California, which was a $500 million investment,” he said. “It really kind of opened the door for solar projects. It made it more viable to approach those types of projects around the country. It proved that those types of projects were commercially viable projects.”
Kelly moved to McDonough in 2004, and retired from Southern Company in 2017. Throughout his career, he made contributions in engineering, industrial marketing, nonprofit leadership, corporate finance and planning, managing investments and trusts, human resources, supply chain management, and commercial and industrial sales management.
The Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame has inducted fewer than 200 members since its inception in 1987. Kelly found out about his Hall of Fame induction in August of 2019, calling it a highlight of his career.
He said when the news came, he wasn’t expecting it.
“It was a huge surprise to me when I was told that I had been selected to be inducted,” he said.
Kelly added that the moment was “bittersweet” because his parents — who he counts among his greatest influences — have already passed away. He hopes his Hall of Fame achievement will help to encourage young people to explore their passion, particularly those who are interested in math and science STEM courses.
