Kelly Paige was born in Georgia; grew up in Texas and Colorado; and has lived in eight other states and eleven countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and French; a Master of Arts degree in Russian History; and an MBA in International Management.

Kelly worked in the insurance, banking, and hotel industries; served in the Peace Corps in the Congo (DRC); was an Executive Director for three non-profit organizations in Korea, Guam, Okinawa, and Alaska; and spent 25 years working with the State of Oregon, primarily in Public Health. She lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with her husband Tom and two rambunctious corgis.