Paul M. Kelly, a native of Syracuse, New York, earned a bachelor's degree in business from Le Moyne CollegeAfter.
in working the law office of a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York for five years, Kelly moved to New York City in 1985 and taught accounting and business courses at a parochial high school.
During this time, Kelly pursued higher education at Fordham University's Graduate School of Education, earning a master's and doctorate in higher education administration.
In 1987, Kelly joined the administrative staff at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, serving as a registrar and academic advisor to graduate and undergraduate students, and also teaching as an adjunct associate professor of English.
For 28 years, Kelly maintained continuous employment at the college while simultaneously pursuing a career as a playwright and filmmaker.
His published plays have received positive reviews and have been performed at Off-Broadway and Regional Theatres, earning him a membership in the Dramatists Guild of America.
In 2019, Kelly was awarded a Lifetime Membership by the Guild in recognition of his achievements and dedication.
Kelly is a founding member of two New York City playwriting groups and has written, directed, and produced several SAG-AFTRA short films.
His films have won numerous festival and competition awards.
Kelly has also created a series of super short films, including Another Visit, Who Ate All the Children?, MT7, Free, Bruno, Maya and the Pothole, Rough Road, The Unattended, Fowl Fury, Burying Chekhov, Elegy, A Flying Squirrel's Tale, Origin Story, A Head Above the Rest, Wishful Keep, and Uncaught.
When not working on creative projects, Kelly retreats to his lake house in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, where he develops scripts for future stage and film projects.
