Kelly is a respected attorney and zealous advocate having been practicing law for over 20 years. Kelly has a proven track record of being a voice for our children and families while passionately working against social injustices. Kelly operates her own law practice in Snellville. Kelly's work has focused on Juvenile Court where she is often a voice for our voiceless children. Kelly has also done work for the Gwinnett Neighborhood Stabilization program working to bringing affordable house to the community and serves as an educational advocate in an effort to lessen the school to prison pipeline. 

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In addition to practicing law Kelly has worked as an adjunct professor at Georgia Gwinnett College and Shorter University teaching graduate courses in judicial processes, political science, legal studies and ethics and leadership.

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Kelly was born and raised in Gwinnett County and is a graduate of Brookwood High School. Kelly's mother, Carol Kautz, a retired school teacher and cheerleading coach from Lilburn Middle and SJN, and her father, Tom Kautz, who managed a local hardware store and coached basketball for Lilburn Middle and Berkmar HS, instilled in Kelly the importance of a strong work ethic, dedication to community, integrity, and treating people with fairness and compassion. 

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Thanks to the influence of her parents, Kelly knew at a young age that she wanted to become an attorney and an advocate within her community. As a young adult, Kelly worked with the late Governor Zell Miller on keeping our youth safe from drugs and motor vehicle accidents and was recognized as an Outstanding Georgia Citizen for her efforts. 

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After high school, Kelly became a Double Dawg at the University of Georgia. Kelly graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice and her Juris Doctorate Degree for law. Kelly was inducted as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi. Kelly continues to be a strong supporter of the University of Georgia. She is a member of the Alumni Association and was an inaugural member of the Executive Committee for Women of UGA where she chaired events such as Cookies and Cocoa with Hairy Dawg to raise scholarship funds. The University of Georgia Alumni Association has recognized Kelly as a 40 Under 40.

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Kelly Kautz was elected the first female Mayor of Snellville.  Prior to being elected Mayor of Snellville, Kelly served as a Snellville City Councilmember for 5 years and briefly served on the Planning Commission. As an elected official Kelly developed a reputation for being straight forward and for having the courage to stand-up for what is right for the community. When Snellville was the only city in Gwinnett to not recognize MLK Day as a holiday, Kelly made sure to change it. Kelly co-founded the MLK Day parade and day of service. Kelly began efforts to diversify the City of Snellville's board appointments and staff including hiring the first African-American who held an administrative position-City Clerk.  

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When residents and business owners struggled, Kelly worked hard to find ways to lower tax burdens and find economic incentives. 

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As an elected official, Kelly understood the importance of hearing from her constituents. Kelly began several programs to provide the opportunity to hear from constituents and diverse groups of community stakeholders such as the Pastor Roundtable. Part of these programs was the Student Roundtable, where students from South Gwinnett, Brookwood, and Shiloh met with Kelly once a month to work on community projects. As Mayor, Kelly understood the importance of giving our youth a voice in the community. This program has grown into the current student ambassador program in Snellville. 

Kelly is respected by her peers and is active in the legal community. Kelly is the founder and served as the president of the Juvenile Law Section of the Gwinnett County Bar and of the Gwinnett County Criminal Defense Bar. Kelly has been recognized as a Rising Star Super Lawyer. Kelly has participated in Leadership Gwinnett and is a member of the Gwinnett Association of Women Lawyers. Kelly has also served as a Mock Trial coach and a judge for GCPS. 

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Kelly has demonstrated her commitment to our community by investing her time and skills in big and small ways. Kelly was the president of the Gwin Oaks PTA for several years, a team mom and head coach for Brookwood Baseball, a head coach for i9 basketball and a head coach for NFL Flag Football. She has served on the Board of Directors for STRAP, a youth mentoring program for at risk youth, and for LettumEat!, a non-profit that provides food services to the needy. Kelly also serves as a judge for Miss Georgia preliminary pageants and the Miss Brookwood Pageant. 

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Kelly's greatest joy and the driving force behind everything she does is being a single mother of an elementary aged son who attends public school in District 94.     

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Each role that Kelly held has taught her the importance of integrity, the power of leadership, and the impact of action. Whether advocating in a courtroom, mentoring students, or helping neighbors navigate local challenges, Kelly has always sought to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.