Kelly Lee is the chief cultural officer for the City of Philadelphia and the director of the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, appointed by Mayor Jim Kenney. In her role, Lee works to increase access to quality arts education, job opportunities for artists, and cultural experiences in the City’s neighborhoods, and is the steward of the largest and oldest public art collection in the country.

Prior to joining the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Lee worked at Innovation Philadelphia, a nonprofit that supported the growth of technology-based creative businesses. Lee also worked in economic development at PECO Energy and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce where she applied her knowledge of Philadelphia’s arts and cultural assets and quality of life as a highly effective business attraction strategy. As director of communications of the Pennsylvania Convention Authority, she leveraged the arts in Philadelphia in marketing the Convention Center and the City to attract conferences and conventions to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

A native of Philadelphia and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Lee currently serves on the board of directors of the following organizations: Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia History Museum, Please Touch Museum, and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She serves on the advisory boards of Philadelphia Fashion Incubator, PHL Diversity, Arts and Business Council, and Penn Museum. In addition, she is the co-chair of the City of Philadelphia Music Industry Task Force and serves on the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ PIFA Committee.