WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced Karen Kelly, his former District Director for Kentucky, will be returning as his Chief of Staff in Washington in April. As a native of Pike County, Kelly is eager to serve her home district once again. 
 
“It is incredibly valuable to have a Kentuckian leading my legislative operations in Washington, and no one is better suited to help navigate the current political climate on Capitol Hill, than Karen Kelly,” said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the House. “She has been a trusted advisor over the years, helping establish and operate several key programs dedicated to Southern and Eastern Kentucky, including SOAR – Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Operation UNITE and Eastern Kentucky PRIDE. Karen has made countless friends and partnerships in our region through her work on those programs and assisting our local leaders with federal projects. In Washington, she will head up my legislative agenda, joining me on the front lines as we continue fighting for federal funding and improving policies that benefit our people in Kentucky’s Appalachian region.”
 
Kelly served as District Director in Kentucky for nine years, and previously served as Rogers’ Field Representative in Eastern Kentucky. 
 
“There’s no greater champion for Southern and Eastern Kentucky than Congressman Hal Rogers, and I count it my greatest honor to serve the Dean of the House on Capitol Hill,” said Kelly. “Congressman Rogers is deeply respected as an appropriations Cardinal and has thrived in securing critical federal dollars for projects at home that would have never been selected by Washington bureaucrats. I look forward to joining his legendary legislative work for the benefit of our rural region, where it’s needed the most.”
 
Kelly helped Rogers establish SOAR – Shaping our Appalachian Region – a non-profit organization focused on revitalizing the economy in Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District. She also effectively led the Eastern Kentucky PRIDE program, a non-profit organization that has helped clean up the environment and improve environmental education. Kelly also served as the founding President/CEO of Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment, and Education), a non-profit organization that has successfully helped curb the opioid epidemic and save lives in our region. She also launched the National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, which will host the 13th annual conference April 1-4, 2024. 
 
For more information about Congressman Rogers’ work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media. 

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