By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Voting Day in Limestone County is on March 5th, and Kelly Davis is sincerely asking for your vote. As she has been out campaigning, she has been told more than once how encouraged citizens were to see a candidate out getting to know voters and that her visit was greatly appreciated. “You really do want to serve,” she has been told, and others have said, “Grassroots still means something.” While out knocking on doors, Kelly had the opportunity to speak at length with a woman who is voting for the first time in her life and hear her concerns. This is something that Kelly sees as both a sacred charge as well as a responsibility, and it is something that fuels her to serve. Recently, I asked her what she has learned during this current election season, and with a smile she said, “Politics is hard work, and I am not scared of hard work. I am up for the challenge, and I have a new-found respect for anyone who throws their hat in the ring. It is an experience I shall always cherish.” Kelly is confident about the outcome of the election, and added, “If you see a need or opportunity to serve, you need to take action.”
What Kelly will dedicate herself to if she is elected is being fiscally responsible, delivering customer service, and improving efficiency. She also wants to utilize her experience working in a law firm to support Limestone County’s judicial and law enforcement systems in all that they do as they come into and out of the courthouse. “My goal is to handle documents and payments with honesty, security, and integrity,” she said. More than anything, Kelly wants everyone who comes into the office to “be greeted by a friendly face, and treated with kindness.” She added, “People come in to the courthouse on what can be the worst day of their life, and while the clerk’s office can’t give legal advice, it’s so important to be available and willing to help in any way that you can.” Kelly wants to offer support with an eagerness to help, and customer service is her highest priority. The Circuit Court Clerk’s position is one of great responsibility. The office handles things as varied as absentee voting, passports, evictions, managing juries, preparing subpoenas, collecting fees and fines, organizing court dates and courtrooms, managing warrants and more.
By way of experience, in addition to the six years she worked for a law firm here in Athens, Kelly has spent the last four years working for Synovus Mortgage, and understands the need for meeting deadlines consistently. She has been an Ambassador and Co-chair of the Ambassador program for the Limestone County Chamber of Commerce, and is an active member of First Baptist Church in Athens. She especially enjoys teaching Sunday School to middle school girls. Kelly is a member of the Athena League, and has been involved with Athens Main Street and the United Way.
Kelly attended Calhoun, UNA, and Athens State, and is married to JP, who was her high school sweetheart. They have two children, Sadie and Jack. Kelly is the daughter of Greg and Dianne McAlister, and wants people to understand her thanks for everything — from having praying grandparents to experiencing the opportunity to be a vibrant, 21st century American who has a vote and a voice. Her passion and love for this community is in part born out of a desire to have her children grow up in a city that is even more wonderful than when Kelly was playing on a state championship softball team at Athens High.
Kelly knows we have something special here, and she wants to make it more so. She describes her self as a conservative, and wants to do her part to have those values be a benchmark for the Circuit Court Clerk’s office. “I want to see Limestone County thrive and prosper,” she says, and by that, she does not just mean economically. Kelly understands that without a strong faith and the values that go with it, no amount of hard work, passion, and dedication will cause a community to prevail. She is ready to roll up her sleeves, strengthen the clerk’s office, and serve Limestone County from the heart. If this sounds to you, the voter, like the type of candidate that you want to see in that position, then vote for Kelly Davis for Circuit Court Clerk on Tuesday, March 5.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner