David Kelly graduated from University College Dublin, Ireland in 1987, and moved to Queensland in 1990. He was an Associate at Noel Robinson Architects before joining Bligh Voller in 1993, becoming a Practice Director in 1995. David was based in the Canberra office of Bligh Voller Nield for three years from May 1998 to April 2001.

He has extensive experience in the planning and design of large Defence, educational and institutional projects, and is particularly skilled at preparing and developing planning briefs and masterplans, in close consultation with user groups, ensuring that their requirements and objectives are fully incorporated in the final design. He has managed large teams on a range of major and complex projects.