Frank Kelly III
CEO | Kelly & Associates Insurance Group
Frank serves as CEO of Kelly & Associates Insurance Group, Kelly & Associates Financial Services, KELLY Exchange Services and KELLY Integral Solutions—collectively known as Kelly Benefits.
As a group insurance administrator, broker, and consultant specializing in health care, Kelly & Associates Insurance Group has been recognized as the largest employee benefits administrator in Maryland and one of the largest in the mid-Atlantic region. Kelly Benefits has also developed an integrated payroll and workers’ compensation insurance solution that is growing rapidly. Since Frank was named President in 1994, Kelly Benefits has grown from a corporate client base of 1,000 to more than 10,000. Annualized premiums and payroll administered and under management have risen from $20 million to over $4 billion.
A long-time board member and past president of both the Baltimore Association of Health Underwriters and the Maryland Association of Health Underwriters, Frank III has earned professional designations as a Registered Employee Benefit Consultant, Registered Health Underwriter, Health Insurance Associate, Life Underwriting Training Council Fellow and Chartered Life Underwriter. Frank was honored as the BAHU person of the year in 2001 and inducted into the MAHU Hall of Fame in May 2012.
Frank obtained his insurance license in 1984 while still in college and worked at the company in telephone sales during the summer months. Two years later, after graduating from college, he became an account executive for small businesses in trade associations. In 1988, Frank was named Sales Manager and then in 1989, Vice President of Sales for the company. When he was promoted to Executive Vice President in 1991, he assumed responsibility for overall marketing and all operations of the company. In 1994, Frank was named President of KELLY; in 2007, he was named CEO.
Outside the office, Frank has been involved in many community and civic activities. He is past Chairman of the Board of the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, where he served as a Board member from 2001-2009. He was on the Baltimore County Department of Social Services Board for many years and served as its Chairman from 2003-2005. Frank also served as Chairman of the Maryland Fellowship of Christian Athletes and on FCA Lacrosse Leadership Boards for nearly 20 years as well as served on the FCA National Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2003 and 2014 to present. Frank was inducted into the FCA Hall of Champions in 2013 and the FCA Ring of Honor in 2016.
Frank also serves or has served on the Boards of Calvert Hall College High School, Calvert School, US Lacrosse Foundation, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Living Classrooms Foundation, Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Greater Baltimore Committee, AFRO Charities, Inc. and the World Vision Leadership Council. Frank was elected into his alma mater, Calvert Hall College High School, Hall of Fame in 2013, and was inducted into the US Lacrosse Greater Baltimore Chapter Hall of Fame in 2018.
Frank and his wife, Gayle, are currently the Chairs for the Helping Up Mission’s $61 million “Inspiring Hope” campaign. The Center will ultimately provide up to 210 women, struggling with poverty, homelessness and addiction, and their children a place to call “home” while receiving the help they need. Frank also recently helped lead and complete a campaign to build the FCA Park Heights football and cheerleading teams a new “Park Heights Saints Community Center” at 4804 Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, Maryland. The renovated rowhouse/center was dedicated on March 20, 2019.
A 1986 graduate of Cornell University with a degree in business management, Frank was recognized as a Red Key Scholar Athlete, played football and captained the lacrosse team, where he was an All-Ivy League selection. His interest in lacrosse continued after college with several seasons of professional box lacrosse for the Baltimore Thunder of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League and many years with The Maryland Lacrosse Club, where he was an All-Club selection.
Frank was an assistant football and lacrosse coach for many years at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland and has coached youth teams in soccer, football, basketball, baseball and lacrosse. Frank and Gayle are the proud parents of Frankie and his wife, Acacia; Stephen; Jacqueline Lee and Joseph Kim. They live in Lutherville, Maryland.
Frank Kelly shares how sibling rivalries can actually turn into a better business.