A Leader on the Field Mike’s father and mother instilled a strong work ethic that helped Mike succeed inside and outside the classroom. He began his football career as a fullback for the Center Township Rams: a team in the Butler Midget Football League. By the time he reached junior high school, he had grown from a fullback to a tackle.While in high school, his football career was exceptional. His team played in two WPIAL Championship games. He was named the following: All-MAC Conference First Team in 1964 and 1965, WPIAL Second Team in 1964, WPIAL First Team in 1965, All-State First Team in 1965 and Honorable Mention All-State in 1964. Upon graduation from Butler High School in 1966, Mike earned an academic/athletic scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. He started as an offensive tackle then switched to the other side of the ball, playing defensive tackle during his freshman year. Unfortunately, a severe knee injury ended his collegiate football career. With his elite football aspirations cut short, Mike took the advice of his former Butler football coaches, Art Bernardi and Paul Uram, and directed his energies toward other aspects of his life: faith, family, academics, and friends. A Leader in Small Business Mike graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1970 and immediately began working for his father’s business, Kelly Chevrolet-Cadillac, Inc., which was established in 1953. Mike quickly excelled in the automotive industry, earning accolades on the local and national level for his job performance. He received the Cadillac Crest Club of Outstanding Sales Performance Award and the Chevrolet Motor Division Customer Satisfaction Leader Award. Also, he served on the Chevrolet Dealers Advertising Association of Pittsburgh board and the Cadillac Consultants of Western Pennsylvania board. Mike’s motivation to succeed continued when he purchased his father’s dealership and became the dealer owner of Kelly Chevrolet-Cadillac, Inc. in 1995.With a great desire to expand his business in the late nineties, Mike acquired the Hyundai and KIA franchises. Due to his business expansion, Mike currently employs 109 hardworking men and women from the region. Along with being fortunate enough to sustain and expand his business in difficult economic times, Mike continues to serve on various auto industry boards. Presently, he serves as Chairman of the Hyundai Eastern Region Dealer Council, Vice Chairman of the Hyundai National Dealer Council, and Secretary and Treasurer of the Hyundai initiative “Hope on Wheels,” which is an organization that has donated over $14 million to childhood cancer research institutions nationwide. A Leader in the Community Along with a stellar career in business and a desire to continue to create more jobs in this region, Mike realizes the importance of actively giving back to one’s community. His love for Butler is clearly visible to all those around him though his current and past participation as a volunteer and board member of various community organizations. Mike currently serves as a board member on the following committees: Housing Authority of Butler County,The Gathering of Butler County, Pullman Park, Butler Quarterback Club, Butler Midget Football, Butler Area Baseball Association, Redevelopment Authority of Butler County, and the Moraine Trails Council of Boys Scouts of America. Presently, he is the Chairman of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Butler, a Councilman for the Butler City Council and Vice President of the board for the Maridon Museum. Mike also established and served as President of the Butler Quarterback Club and The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation: an organization that provides unique, creative and innovative opportunities beyond the regular educational programs for students in the Butler Area School District. Beyond his work as a committee member on various boards, Mike also serves as a volunteer and supporter of numerous organizations. In 1999, Mike was inducted into the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame for his superb involvement in coaching and supporting Butler youth sports. Also, Mike is a strong supporter of Butler’s war on drugs; he has donated vehicles to the Butler City Police Department and the Butler County Drug Task Force. Mike is a big fan of the Butler Golden Tornado Marching Band, a band that participates in prestigious parades across the country; he tries to help them in their fundraising efforts by donating vehicles for raffles. Moreover, Mike and his wife, Victoria, a former elementary school teacher, try to find ways to help elementary students in the Butler Area School District through their establishment of the Mary McTighe Kelly Creative Teaching Grant for elementary educators and the Lighthouse Foundation’s One Warm Coat Program: a program in which Mike partnered with other local businesses to collect over 500 winter coats for students in need in the Butler community. As the parents of three former Butler High School cross-country runners, Mike and Victoria are strong supporters of the Butler Road Race: an annual race that benefits high school cross-country runners in Butler County with scholarships. Due to his strong support of the Butler community, Mike has received the Catholic Charities Mary DeMucci Award and the 1994 Butler Area High School Distinguished Graduate Award; therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Mayor of Butler named October 26, 2001 as “Mike Kelly Day” for his dedication to his hometown. A Leader for You in Congress Living up to his character, Mike vouches to be a fighter for the citizens of this district, not for his colleagues in Washington. Mike has always done what is best for his family, friends, community and business. He has the experience and a proven track record of expanding a business by creating jobs to fulfill demand while sustaining jobs when the economy struggles. He has lived within his means and thinks Washington should function no differently. When he purchased his father’s business in 1995, he borrowed money using collateral and did not have his children co-sign any of his loans. Mike sees Washington using our children and our grandchildren as the co-signers to these massive spending bills that are being signed into law in record time. Mike vouches to run Washington like his business; if a program is not working, then throwing more money at it will not fix it. We need to cut wasteful programs. The people in Washington have never had to put their own money on the line, so when they spend our money, they do not see a problem with it. Using his own money and collateral to buy and build a business, Mike realizes that money is a precious resource. Mike believes that the wasteful, out-of-control spending and disregard to the hardworking taxpayers’ money needs to stop, so we can get government out of the way and let America work. Mike lives in Butler with his wife, Victoria. He is the father of four children: George III, Brendan, Charlotte and Colin. He is the grandfather to four grandchildren: George IV, Vivian, Elizabeth and Helena.