Kenneth Kelly – Chairman and CEO, First Independence Bank

Event Date: November 16, 2026, 11:30am – 1:30pm Event Location: International Ballroom, JW Marriott Kenneth is the Chairman and CEO of First Independence Corp and First Independence Bank, a minority depository institution in Detroit, Michigan. Under his visionary leadership, the corporation has doubled its book value in five years. He currently serves as chair of the American Bankers Association, representing the voice of the nation’s $25.3 trillion banking sector, and has held leadership roles on the boards of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and the FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion, among other industry committees. Certified by the NACD in board leadership, Kenneth is a recognized for his expertise in governance. He made history as the first African American chairperson of the Auburn University Engineering Alumni Council and was honored by Auburn University with the naming of the Kenneth Kelly Engineering Academic Excellence Program Reception Area. Before his banking career, Kenneth spent 27 years in the electric utility sector with Southern Company, where he led negotiations for major renewable solar projects valued at $3.4 billion. His leadership and entrepreneurial achievement have earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of Detroit’s Top 500 Corporate Leaders and winning EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2024. Kenneth is the author of Prepared Before I Let Go and the owner of MyLegacyItems.com, a platform for managing legal documents. Demonstrating his commitment to economic inclusion, he led the effort to open the only Black-owned bank branch in the Twin Cities after George Floyd’s death. Kenneth holds an electrical engineering degree from Auburn University and an Executive MBA from the University of Alabama.