Dave Kelm Email & Phone Number

Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel serves as key advisor to Executive Director and Board Chair. Portfolio includes fiscal operations, IT, government relations, legal & regulatory matters. Partners with Human Resources and Senior Managing Director for Academic Affairs.

Springfield, Illinois, United States

Executive team member of world-class destination museum and research library leading legal strategy, legislative initiatives, litigation management, intellectual property compliance, human resources and labor, contractual negotiations, internal/external investigations, and records retention. Corporate Secretary to Board of Trustees; Ethics Officer.

Member of mid-sized commercial litigation and transactional law firm with a portfolio that included universities, municipalities, non-profit corporations, and estate planning. Served as corporate counsel to numerous municipalities and special districts to include elected board counsel, investigations, records requests, regulatory management, and ordinance.

Springfield, Illinois Area

• Member of six-attorney in-house team charged with providing counsel and representation to the 47 member House Republican Caucus, policy and communication staff and district employees. Responsibilities included:
• Negotiate & shepherd legislation involving pensions, civil law, election law & other issues;
• Oversight of human resource issues including policy and disciplinary measures;
• Assist ethics officer in counseling legislators and staff;
• Draft necessary contracts and agreements;
• Team leader for audit investigations.

I develop, research & write the monthly article and/or column discussing events, organizations and people involved with the business environment of the greater Springfield region.

Springfield, Illinois Area

Serving Central Illinois clients with legal issues involving corporations, small business, non-profits & estate planning.Serving statewide clients in environmental matters particularly as they pertain to the petroleum industry & underground storage tanks.Developed, implemented and led government relations, strategic communications and grassroots campaigns.

Theatre Department

Adjunct Professor teaching Lighting Design; lighting designer for two-three department productions per year; advisor to theatre faculty and theatre students for technical theatre issues.

Contract attorney working on the Underground Storage Tank (UST) team to facilitate the remediation of out-of-compliant UST owners throughout Illinois.

Associate with corporate & small business client portfolio. Handled workers' compensation and general liability defense matters.

Resposible for client development, brand identification, internal & external communications efforts and partnerships.

The Kelm & Kirk Show - daily call-in, talk show.

Strategic communications consulting firm representing non-profits, advocacy associations and issue campaigns.

Juris Doctor, Concentration In Civil Litigation

Honors in Insurance Law Civil Practice Clinic; Rule 13 license Legal Research and Writing Teaching Assistant

Master Of Public Administration (M.P.A.), Public Ethics

Political Science Teaching Assistant Philosophy & Ethics Teaching Assistant

Bachelor Of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) & Bachelor Of Science (B.S), Technical Theatre/Theatre Design And Technology & History

Activities and Societies: Honors College Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity