John J. Kelly, Jr. is the Chairman of the Board of Pan-American Life and has served on the board since 1994.  He also serves as a director of the Whitney National Bank, the World Trade Center, and, formerly, was a founding director for the National D-Day Museum. He is a past chairman of the Advanced Microstructures and Devices Foundation (CAMD), the National Security Industrial Association, Amphibious Warfare Committee, and the U.S. Navy League Industrial Executive Board. He also served as the head of the Southern USA Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.  He is also actively involved in New Orleans civic and Mardi Gras organizations, as well as local and state economic development activities.  

Mr. Kelly has published several articles on national defense and industrial issues and some of the awards he has received are: Outstanding Technical Innovation, Offshore Technology Conference; U.S. Senate Productivity Award; Propeller Club’s Maritime Man of the Year Award; and the highest civilian awards given by the United States Navy (Commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service) and the Navy League of the United States (Robert M. Thompson Award for Outstanding Civilian Leadership).

As chairman of the Louisiana Technology Council, Mr. Kelly has organized and chaired national forums held in New Orleans on the role of technology in homeland security, which have featured senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Kelly was President of Bell Aerospace Textron (formerly Bell Aircraft), where he led an organization involved in Liquid Rocket Propulsion, Lasers and Advanced Electronic Systems.  He was named President of Textron Marine Systems Division based in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1986, an organization he had led since 1973.  Textron Marine and Land Systems is the United States industry leader in the development and production of the Landing Craft Air Cushion for the U.S. Marine Corps and for the U.S. Coast Guard’s innovative 47-foot motor lifeboat.  The organization is recognized for numerous technical innovations that serve customers in seventeen countries.  Mr. Kelly retired from Textron Marine and Land Systems in 1998.

Mr. Kelly received a BSME degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from St. John’s University.  He attained the rank of Captain in the United States Air Force and has held high-level security clearances.