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A lifelong resident of Maryland, Kelly Russell is serving her fourth consecutive term as a Council Member (formerly Alderman).

Ms. Russell chose law enforcement as a career to give back to the community and in 1983 chose Frederick as the place to build her career and home. She is a graduate of the 25th Frederick Police Academy and served with the Frederick Police Department (FPD) as a sworn police officer for 22 years.

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She served in the Traffic Bureau and was promoted to Sergeant in 1988, becoming the first woman to serve as Assistant Commander of Special Operations. She also served as Supervisor in the Criminal Investigation Division, Community Services Division, and Patrol. She was promoted to Lieutenant in 1996, only the third woman to achieve that rank. She retired as Commander of the Human Resources Division in June of 2005. 

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She attended Shepherd College, the University of Maryland at College Park, and Montgomery (MC) and Frederick Community Colleges (FCC). While working full time as an officer, she completed an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice.

She is the owner and steward of an historic home in the College Park neighborhood of the city. She enjoys working in her yard and vegetable gardens, and on home restoration projects.

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She is a founding member of the City’s Green Team, which she shepherded to formal adoption as the standing board now known as the Sustainability Committee. She also served on the original Bicycle Advisory Committee, which earned the City its first designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community with the League of American Bicyclists. That committee later became the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). In 2024, they expanded in mission and were codified into law as the Active Mobility Advisory Committee (AMAC).

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Community Service

She currently serves on:

• Active Mobility Advisory Committee (AMAC)

• Delaplaine Arts Center Board of Trustees

• DMVMoves Government Partners Advisory Group

• Downtown Frederick Partnership

• Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards (MDCCS) - Commissioner

• Maryland Municipal League (MML) Frederick County Chapter Vice Chair

• MWCOG Transportation Planning Board (TPB) – former Chair

• Transportation Services Advisory Council (TSAC)

 

During her time in office, she has also served on:

• Downtown Safety and Services Initiative (DSSI)

• Frederick County Coalition for the Homeless (FCCH) - Homelessness Safety Committee

• Green Team 

• Green Street Ad Hoc Committee

• MWCOG Board of Directors - Alternate

• Planning Commission – Secretary

• South Frederick Corridors Plan (Frederick County) Scoping Group

• Sustainability Committee

• Taxicab Commission – former Chair

• Watershed Advisory Committee

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