Margaret Blake Kelly is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 accountant

Accountant

An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...

 and politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

. She served as the State Auditor of Missouri from 1984 to 1999. She was the first woman to hold statewide office in Missouri, and the fourth Certified Public Accountant

Certified Public Accountant

Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...

 to hold the auditor's position. She is a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

.

Kelly was born in Crystal City, Missouri

Crystal City, Missouri

Crystal City is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,523 at the estimated 2009 census. It was 4,247 at the 2000 census....

. She received her Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri

University of Missouri

The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...

 in 1957. She also received a MBA

Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...

 from Missouri State University

Missouri State University

Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...

 (then Southwest Missouri State University) in 1975 and earned her CPA

Certified Public Accountant

Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...

 certification in 1982. Before entering public life, Kelly worked for 20 years for various private sector accounting firms.

Kelly's first elected position was as Cole County Auditor. She was elected to that position in 1982. In July 1984, Governor Kit Bond

Kit Bond

Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...

 appointed Kelly as State Auditor, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of James F. Antonio. Upon her appointment, Kelly became the first woman to hold statewide elected office in Missouri.In November of that year, Harriett Woods

Harriett Woods

Harriett Woods was an American politician and activist, a two-time Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Missouri, and a former Lieutenant Governor of Missouri...

 was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, giving Woods the distinction of being the first woman elected to statewide office.

Kelly was elected to a full term as state auditor in 1986 and was re-elected in 1990 and 1994. Although she was consistently re-elected as state auditor, Kelly was unsuccessful in her efforts to win other statewide office. In 1992 she was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, but was defeated by Democrat Roger B. Wilson

Roger B. Wilson

Roger B. Wilson is an American politician who was the 52nd Governor of Missouri from October 16, 2000 to January 8, 2001. He is a Democrat.- Early Life and education :...

. In 1996, she ran against Governor Mel Carnahan

Mel Carnahan

Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...

, but Carnahan was re-elected by a large margin. Kelly did not seek re-election in 1998 and retired from public life.