Kelly Kehoe competed, coached and judged in speech and debate competitions around the world for 12 years prior to moving to Oregon to teach communication studies courses full-time at Portland Community College. She is also the Director of Communications for the nonpartisan nonprofit, First Amendment Voice, and the newsletter editor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' Oregon division. Prior to teaching and directing communications for nonprofit organizations, Kelly was a local business journalist and marketing coordinator for the Orange County Register. While completing her Master's degree in Communication Studies, she was invited to present her research and "Great Ideas for Teaching Students" (GIFTS) at multiple conferences including the National Communication Association's annual conference (2017, 2018) and the Western States' Communication Association's annual convention (2017, 2018, 2019). Specializing in new media, political satire, interpersonal communication and intergenerational conflict, her research culminated in the Master's thesis, "Entitled Snowflakes with Student Loans and Side Hustles: Media Governmentality and the Paradoxical Construction of the Millennial Generation."
