Chelsea O’Kelley
Director of Communications
Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Chelsea O’Kelley has been Director of Communications at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) since June 2020. In her role at the commission, Chelsea coordinates and implements communication strategies to promote business activity and economic growth throughout the state.
Chelsea graduated summa cum laude from John Brown University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations. She joined Governor Asa Hutchinson’s staff as a speechwriter and digital media coordinator shortly after earning her degree. Chelsea held several different titles over the course of her five-year tenure in the Governor’s Office. In January 2018, she was named Governor Hutchinson’s press secretary, becoming the youngest gubernatorial press secretary in the nation at the age of 24. Less than six months later, Governor Hutchinson promoted Chelsea to deputy director of communications, a title she held throughout the remainder of her time in the Governor’s Office.
A native of Garland, Texas, Chelsea is an active member of her local church and has been involved in nonprofits Immerse Arkansas and Dwell. She and her husband, Clint, live in Little Rock with their three-year-old daughter, Riley.
