Jane Kelly

Jane Kelly grew up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and then attended the University of Colorado, where she graduated with degrees in economics and mathematics. After living in Denver for a few years, she moved to Aspen and raised two sons, who both still live in the Roaring Fork Valley with their families.

After a twenty-year career with the Aspen Skiing Company — starting seasonally as a ticket seller at the Campground lift in Snowmass, and ending up reviewing contracts and responding to general liability claims — Jane replaced Sally Mencimer at the Aspen Center for Physics as their Administrative Vice President in 1995. She says of her time at ACP, “It was a move from brawn to brains, and there were a few adjustments to be made – such as realizing that at the Center, it was ‘astronomy’, not ‘astrology’, and ‘cosmology’ rather than ‘cosmetology’. It was a wonderful experience. The Center is an incredibly valuable institution, flying under the radar for the most part, with an assortment of the world’s most talented, interesting, clever, humorous, and dedicated scientists, who participate and contribute their valuable time and resources in order to ensure its existence. It was a privilege to get to know them and to be involved with the operation of the Center.”

In 2017, Jane retired and has been enjoying life in Carbondale — playing tennis and biking in the summer, skiing in the winter, reading, cooking, and playing bridge all year round — and spending as much time as possible with her active and diverse family. She is delighted to be a General Member of the Center, which allows her to stay involved with the Center and some of its participants.