Our staff highlight for the month of February is Mrs. Kelly Murray. Kelly is the Certification Officer for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Jax State University. Mrs. Murray graduated from Jax State in 1985 with degrees in Management and Marketing and spent her early years after college working in advertising and marketing in Atlanta, Georgia, primarily as a corporate meeting planner.
Mrs. Murray moved back to Alabama and began working in radio broadcasting, doing everything from sales to traffic manager to commercials, and even a short stint on-air on Saturday mornings. Soon after her daughter was born, she and her husband bought an environmental business, which they sold in 2009. Kelly knew that she was too young to retire, so she sought employment here at her alma mater, Jax State.
Kelly's first position in 2012 was Coordinator of Student Records in the Registrar's Office. She then moved to CEPS as a Certification Advisor, then as Coordinator of Teacher Education Services. Now, as Certification Officer, she feels that she has truly found her place. She loves day-to-day aspects of the position. She works with a wide variety, from our teacher candidates to the Alabama State Department of Education. She has the privilege of working with an amazing team and feels so fortunate to get to collaborate with such a wonderful mix of personalities and positions. Mrs. Murray truly loves her job and does not plan to retire anytime soon.
Kelly has been married to her husband, Steve, for almost 32 years and they have one child, a daughter, who is married and lives with her husband in Atlanta. The Murrays live on a mountain on 20 acres outside of Jacksonville, which allows their three dogs to run and play without having to be fenced in. Kelly and her husband love to travel and were blessed to celebrate their 25th anniversary in Ireland. Having been an army brat growing up, she has also had the privilege of living in Japan for several years during her early high school days. She and her family were always ready for a new adventure.
Mrs. Murray enjoys seeing a process from start to finish, and is able to have that opportunity every day, working with our student candidates as they move from eligibility to internship to graduation, certification, and beyond. If there is anything that Kelly can do for you, please don't hesitate to go see her in Room 405 of Pod 4.
We are very thankful to have Kelly on our team, as she is a huge asset to the College of Education & Professional Studies and Jax State University.
