Kelly Downard is a graduate of the University of Dayton, School of Business Administration, and the Bellarmine University Graduate School of Business where he received his Master of Business Administration.  He served on active duty as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971 and the reserves thereafter. He is a Certified Public Accountant and, prior to joining PNC Bank, Kentucky, Inc. in July, 1975, he was a tax supervisor with the Louisville office of Ernst & Ernst. 

He was also the founding President and CEO of Louisville Community Development Bank from 1996 until April 2002 and as President and CEO of its affiliate, Louisville Real Estate Development Company from 1996 until 2003. He held various positions in the PNC Bank organization, including President of the PNC Mortgage Company, Senior Vice President of PNC Private Banking, manager of construction lending, commer¬cial loan group manager, and manager of strategic planning and corporate tax.

Mr. Downard is active in the community and has held officer positions and memberships in several business, profes¬sional and civic organizations. In 2003, he was appointed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Financial Advisory Board. He was elected to the new Louisville Metro Council from District 16 in November 2002 and re-elected in 2004 and 2008 where he still serves. In 2003, he served as Chairman of the Republican Caucus as well as serving on several leadership, finance and economic development committees. In January 2004, he was elected President of the Louisville Metro Council. He is currently serving in his second year as Chair of the Government Accountability and Oversight Committee and Vice-Chair of the Budget Committee.

As the Councilman for the 16th District of Louisville Metro, Mr. Downard represents twenty suburban cities and numerous homeowner associations. The suburban cities are Barbourmeade,  Broeck Pointe, Brownsboro Farm, Crossgate, Glenview, Glenview Hills, Glenview Manor, Goose Creek, Graymoor-Devondale*, Green Spring, Hills and Dales, Indian Hills*, Langdon Place*, Manor Creek, Murray Hill, Northfield, Prospect, Spring Valley, Ten Broeck and Thornhill.

*Shares representation with other council districts.