Leadership Tri-Cities is honored to recognize Cathy Kelly and the Catherine Kelly Charitable Fund for their extraordinary generosity and continued commitment to making the Tri-Cities a stronger, more compassionate place. Thank you for being a leading sponsor of Class XXIX!

Cathy Kelly embodies the spirit of leadership through her lifelong commitment to giving her Time, Talent, and Treasure in service to the Tri-Cities community.

For more than 40 years, Cathy has been a passionate supporter, participant, and champion of the local arts. She was instrumental in sustaining and growing the Academy of Children’s Theatre (ACT), serving four terms on its Board of Directors. In 2015, she helped relaunch the campaign to build a new theater space, celebrating the completion of the Windermere Children’s Theater in 2024.

Cathy’s creative leadership has also fueled the arts through original productions, including The Best of Bette ~ A Tribute to the Divine Miss M and Celebrating Tapestry ~ A Tribute to Carole King, both of which raised funds to support ACT for several years. A professional singer for most of her life, Cathy has performed with BlueZette…A Music Trio for over two decades and appeared in countless productions with ACT, Richland Players, Mid-Columbia Musical Theatre, and CBC’s Summer Showcase.

Her dedication to community extends far beyond the stage. Cathy has created musical fundraisers for Tri-Cities Chaplaincy’s “Evening for the Angels” benefit, supports the CBC Foundation as an Arts & Humanities Scholarship Donor and Reviewer, and is a passionate advocate and major donor for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho.

Cathy has also lent her expertise to numerous boards, including SARC, ACT, Richland Players, Mid-Columbia Musical Theatre, and Leadership Tri-Cities. More recently, she joined the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition as a Recovery Advocate, serving on its Fundraising Committee and Board of Directors to help bring the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery to life.

Cathy’s steadfast belief in the power of community shines through her words:

“I’m committed to continuing my contributions of time, talent, and treasure for the betterment of my community.”