| Brian Kelsey was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2004, representing portions of East Memphis and Germantown. For the 2007-2008 legislative session Brian was elected Republican Floor Leader. He focused his efforts on keeping families safe in their homes, protecting taxpayer money from pork spending, and reforming education. As a freshman legislator, he led the way in ethics reform. In the wake of the “Tennessee Waltz” bribery scandal, Brian was the first member of the General Assembly to call for legislative hearings on his fellow members indicted for bribery charges to determine whether they should be allowed to keep their seats. He also filed an ethics complaint against the House Speaker Pro Tempore for her admitted acceptance of $200 cash from an FBI agent posing as an employer of a lobbyist on a gambling trip. Later, during a special legislative session on ethics, he introduced 33 amendments to strengthen the ethics bill and was able to extend the state anti-nepotism policy to the legislative branch. During the 104th General Assembly, Brian also contributed greatly to the protection of private property rights with his work on eminent domain legislation. In addition, he focused on tort reform, tax relief, and pro-marriage legislation. Brian currently serves on the Commerce Committee and the Children and Family Affairs Committee.
In the private sector, Brian works as an attorney at the law firm of Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston. He received his law degree from Georgetown University and his undergraduate degree, with honors, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Prior to his legislative service, Brian worked as a legal intern for President George W. Bush in the Office of the Counsel to the President. He also served as a legal intern for U.S. Senator Bill Frist and U.S. Congressman Ed Bryant. He interned, as well, for the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Senator Fred Thompson.
In addition to his legislative and legal work, Brian attends and volunteers at Fellowship Memphis church, tutors children at Lester Community Center, is a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association, is a member and former student chapter president of the Christian Legal Society and the Federalist Society, is a former member of the Shelby County Republican Party Steering Committee and the Shelby County Young Republicans Executive Board, and is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and the Memphis Bar Association.
Brian was selected to the Memphis Business Journal “Top 40 Under 40” in 2004 and the Business Tennessee Magazine “30 Under 30” in 2005.
Brian currently resides in Germantown, Tennessee and is a seventh-generation Shelby County resident. Biographical Information - Christian
- Attorney - Martin, Tate, Morrow, and MArston
- B.A. with honors, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- J.D., Georgetown University
Public Office - 105th Tennessee General Assembly
- Member, House of Representatives
- House Republican Floor Leader
- 104th Tennessee General Assembly
- Member, House of Representatives
- George W. Bush, Office of the Counsel to the President
- Bill Frist, U. S. Senatorial Office
- Fred Thompson, U. S. Senate Committee Office
- Ed Bryant, U. S. Congressional Office
Community Involvement - Republican National Lawyers Association
- Christian Legal Society
- Lester Community Center volunteer children's reader
- Federalist Society
- Shelby County Republican Party Steering Committee
- Shelby County Young Republicans Executive Board
- Tennessee Bar Association
- Memphis Bar Association
- Fellowship Memphis Church
Honors and Awards - Memphis Business Journal "Top 40 under 40" (2004)
- Business Tennessee Magazine’s “30 Under 30”(2005)
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