08/19/2026
🌟 Ambassador Spotlight 🌟
Kelly Harnett began calling Spearfish home over a decade ago after spending time in Montana, Wyoming, the Southern Black Hills, and Belle Fourche, where she served as a Reserve Deputy prior to relocating. She is an AVP Mortgage Originator with BankWest Mortgage, where she uses her decades of experience to help individuals and families achieve the dream of homeownership.
Kelly is the founder of two local nonprofits—Hobo’s Healing Heart (2014), which provides financial assistance for emergency veterinary care and pet cremation to families in need, and Beautify Spearfish (2018), which promotes litter prevention, sustainability, and native pollinator conservation. She serves on the City of Spearfish’s Bee City USA Committee and remains active in numerous community initiatives. She previously served on the board of Black Hills Regional Ski for Light for nearly ten years and on the Northern Black Hills Rotary Club Board, where she served as Marketing and Publicity Chair. She has also volunteered with numerous local organizations and community events throughout the Northern Hills and is a certified Grief Coach.
Kelly holds degrees in Natural Resource Management, Fish and Wildlife Management, and Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and Biology, with a focus on black bear ecology and management. She worked as a Wildlife Biologist and Wildland Firefighter for the State of Ohio and served as an EMT in Hocking County. Under the mentorship of renowned bear biologist Dr. Al LeCount, she participated in black bear research and management projects while contributing to a variety of wildlife conservation efforts throughout her career. She also attended Black Hills State University’s Master of Sustainability program, focusing on native pollinator and habitat conservation.
Kelly remains involved in wildlife studies and conservation efforts near and far. She has assisted with a Black Hills Red-bellied Snake project in South Dakota and an urban bobcat study in Arizona. An animal lover at heart, she has fostered and rehabilitated more than 150 severely neglected and abused dogs.
Gifted with a servant’s heart, Kelly believes strongly in giving back to the community she calls home. She considers herself a “boots-on-the-ground, get-things-done” community member who is passionate about supporting local businesses, caring for neighbors, and creating positive change. As a Chamber Ambassador, she hopes to help businesses take advantage of the many benefits the Chamber offers while exploring new opportunities that strengthen both the business community and the region as a whole.
In her spare time, Kelly enjoys spending time with family, traveling, hiking, skiing, gravel riding, tending her pollinator garden, creating art, and exploring the beauty of the Black Hills.
