Jim Kelley 

Managing Partner 

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Jim is a managing director and co-founder of Vestar Capital Partners. Prior to forming Vestar in 1988, he was a private equity executive with the First Boston Corporation in New York. Before Jim’s career as an investor, he practiced law with a leading Colorado law firm.

 

Currently a director of Presence Marketing, St. John Knits and HealthGrades, Jim previously served as a director for Celestial Seasonings, Del Monte Foods, Consolidated Container, Michael Foods and Wabtec, among others. He is also a board member at The Nature Conservancy Argentina and The Piton Foundation | Gary Community Investments. Previous community boards include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Denver Foundation and the Clayton Foundation.

 

Jim earned a B.S. from the University of Northern Colorado, an M.B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame. Originally from Colorado, Jim is married with three children and lives in Denver.