SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Brenden Kelly Tuesday to lead the Illinois State Police as its director, the third prosecutor tapped to run ISP.
Kelly currently serves as the State's Attorney of St. Clair County, a post he's held since 2010. He previously served as an Assistant State's Attorney and has had a wide range of experience with law enforcement.
As a college student, Kelly volunteered with a nonprofit group that worked with law enforcement combating child prostitution in Calgary, Canada. During his military service as an officer in the United States Navy, Kelly conducted research on Israeli-Palestinian joint police patrols in the Middle East.
As an Assistant State's Attorney, he served on the Illinois State Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Council. He was appointed by former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission in 2013 and was recently appointed by Governor Bruce Rauner to the Illinois Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform Commission.
Kelly has also been named to the Attorney General's Sexual Assault Task Force. He received his Juris Doctor from the St. Louis University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in government and international relations from the University of Notre Dame.
Kelly's appointment is pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
