Gary Kelly’s Biography Gary Kelly is Sport Tourism Manager for Tourism Kingston in Kingston Ontario. With an annual budget of over $90K, the Sport Tourism division works with local community sport organizations and event planners in preparation of bids; actively marketing the city of Kingston as a choice destination for sport events; and, facilitate local municipal groups and committees for hosting national championships and signature events such as the recent Barclays Churchill Cup matches and IIHF World Junior Pre-Competition Camp and Games held in Kingston in 2008. Recent highlights for Kelly include the formalization of a Sport Tourism Business Plan and new Strategic Action Plan for Kingston. Kelly works closely with a local advisory committee of sport stakeholders including local business leaders. Kelly graduated from Acadia University, Wolfeville, Nova Scotia with a Bachelor of Kinesiology (BKin ‘00) with a specialization in Sport Management. Post graduate studies in Sport Administration were undertaken at Durham College, Oshawa, Ontario in 2001. Kelly’s interest in sport began in his youth with involvement in amateur hockey and football. During university, Kelly switched roles from player to administrator with the Acadian Men’s Varsity Hockey Team and began his future career behind the scenes. Previously held positions include Maple Leaf Sport & Entertainment (Toronto), Toronto Maple Leafs Community Fund (Toronto), and the American Hockey League (AHL) Hamilton Bull Dogs Hockey Club (Hamilton, Ontario). Kelly was part of the original Cosmos Sports (Mississauga) team in the position of Director of Marketing & Sales which supported clients such as the Canadian Professional Soccer League and the Toronto Argonauts. Kelly relocated to Kingston in 2004 to assume the position of General Manager of VP Hockey Operation for the Kingston Aces AAA Senior Hockey Club. In 2006, Kelly joined Tourism Kingston, a division of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation as a sport event consultant prior to the formation of a Sport Tourism division in 2007 upon which he was named Manager. Kelly brings in-depth and hands-on experience with all facets of sport tourism and sport event planning. From development of marketing plans for the Kingston Aces to fundraising initiatives such as Toronto Maple Leafs Have a Heart Dinner and Golf Tournament, Kelly brings passion and professionalism to all his endeavours. He has overseen sponsorship sales for the Hamilton Bull Dogs, game day operations for the Toronto Argonauts and participated as a volunteer with the Vanier Cup 2000. Kelly currently is a Board Director with Sport Kingston, a community sport council committed to develop, maintain and promote quality community sport and encourage and assist the development of sport tourism in the region..