OUR TEAM
Dennis M. Kelly Jr.
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner
Mr. Kelly began his professional career as an officer in the United States Army. While on Active Duty, Mr. Kelly served at various echelons from platoon through division headquarters, where he oversaw the planning and execution of operations and security integration in high-risk regions such as Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, and the Republic of Korea.
After leaving active service in 2018, Mr. Kelly joined Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he had an active role as a senior manager overseeing program development within its Strategic Initiatives team. He assisted in managing a $2B+ business portfolio, advised senior leadership on business performance, and designed processes to mitigate risk to AWS and its clients.
While at AWS, Mr. Kelly continued to serve as a Major in the Rhode Island Army National Guard. He most recently served as a battalion operations officer, overseeing the training and development of 350 soldiers. In this role, he was an operations officer for a joint task force that spearheaded the State of Rhode Island’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His responsibilities included overseeing and securing three alternative hospital sites, COVID-19 testing sites, and state government buildings.
Mr. Kelly graduated from Providence College with a B.A. in Political Science. He also obtained an M.A. with Distinction from the United States Naval War College. He is also a graduate of various military courses, including the United States Army Ranger School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, and the Cavalry Leader Course.
Brian J. Kelly
President & Partner
Mr. Kelly joined Kelly Protective Services after serving as President of Asset Protection Group Security and Sterling Investigative Services. Mr. Kelly previously served as the Executive Vice President of D.B. Kelly Associates.
Mr. Kelly also served as the Director of Investigations for the Transco Group, a primary service contractor devoted to warehousing, distribution, and transportation for the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. In this position, Mr. Kelly was responsible for implementing investigative services related to insurance fraud, surveillance and undercover operations, and personnel background/integrity checks.
Previously, Mr. Kelly served as a State Investigator for the Division of Criminal Justice in the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General. In this position, he was responsible for conducting criminal investigations related to major frauds, narcotics, and organized crime. He has been involved in witness protection details, surveillance operations, and background investigations related to state government appointees.
Mr. Kelly graduated from Providence College and is also a graduate of several university and professional education programs related to security management and investigations, including those sponsored by the American Society of Industrial Security and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Robert J. Lenehan
Vice President, Investigations
Mr. Lenahan Joined KPS in April of 2025. During his over 27-year career in the FBI, Mr. Lenehan has conducted or supervised hundreds of investigations into the background, associations and character of individuals, to determine the veracity of witnesses, subjects, victims and participants in criminal activity, recording and reporting the results of those investigations completely and accurately, for evidentiary and testimonial purposes. He has gathered and documented evidence in those investigations and presented the results of that work in Federal and State Courts as part of the Government’s prosecutorial responsibilities.
Since he retired from the FBI in early 2001, Mr. Lenehan has conducted and directed due diligence, security background, and various corporate and sensitive organizational investigations as a licensed Private Investigator in New Jersey and the New York Metropolitan area.
John Valla, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Valla joined KPS as Chief Financial Officer in April of 2025. Before this, he was the CFO of APG Security from 2016 until 2020, when APG Security was sold to a national security provider. He has more than 40 years of tax, financial, and management Experience. Mr. Valla also served as the CFO of Cardiff Holdings, a national leader in credit card production and security. At Cardiff, he played a key role in positioning the company for sale in the global market space. Mr. Valla also held significant roles as CEO and CFO at Medical Resources, Inc., an outpatient diagnostic imaging provider, and a partner at Ross Anglim, Angelini & Valla, a public accounting firm. Mr. Valla graduated from Seton Hall University, obtained the title of CPA, and won the Turnaround Management Association’s “2009 Mid-Size Transaction of the Year Award”.
John Murphy
Vice President, Special Operations and Intelligence
John C. Murphy is a nationally recognized security professional with more than three decades of distinguished experience in law enforcement, executive protection and corporate security leadership. A former Special Agent in U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, John has managed global protective operations for U.S. Cabinet members, foreign dignitaries, and U.S. Ambassadors in high-threat environments. His final tour in the Diplomatic Security Service was as the Special Agent in Charge of Secretary of State Colin Powell’s protective detail.
Throughout his career, John has led complex security programs across the government, private sector, and sports and entertainment industries. As the Director of Security for the Washington Redskins, he oversaw all physical and personnel security operations for one of the NFL’s most visible franchises. While with the Redskins, he also oversaw security operations for Redzone Capital Management and Dick Clark Productions. He supervised counterterrorism and law enforcement training programs for allied nations in the federal space, including oversight of numerous, multimillion-dollar, specialized programs for the Department of State’s Office for Antiterrorism Assistance. His assignments have included extensive interaction with the White House, Capitol Hill, the United Nations General Assembly, and global postings in Europe and South America.
In addition to his federal service, John has held senior security leadership roles in the private sector, directing corporate security for publicly traded companies and managing crisis response, risk mitigation, and executive protection initiatives. His expertise includes high-level security consulting, contingency planning, emergency management, and the development of strategic security infrastructure for major events and facilities.
John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Providence College and is professionally fluent in Portuguese. He brings to Kelly Protective Services a rare blend of operational experience, strategic insight, and international perspective that strengthens the firm’s mission to deliver client-first, threat-informed protective solutions.
Unmatched Expertise
Our leadership, spearheaded by Dennis M. Kelly Jr. and Brian J. Kelly, combines real-world military acumen and corporate strategy to ensure your safety. From high-stakes operations in Afghanistan to risk mitigation at Fortune 500 companies, we bring a legacy of dependability to every client.
Customized Solutions
We do not believe in one-size-fits-all. KPS collaborates closely with you to design a security strategy unique to your needs. Whether it is uniformed guards, risk assessments, or executive protection, we have you covered.
Cutting-Edge Innovation
Staying ahead of evolving threats is non-negotiable. Our team leverages state-of-the-art technology and advanced methodologies to ensure initiative-taking effective solutions for modern security challenges.
