Meet TXCPA’s 2025-2026 Chair Billy Kelley

From Biochemistry to Business Leadership

By TXCPA President and CEO Jodi Ann Ray, CAE

William J. (Billy) Kelley, Jr., CPA-Permian Basin, CGMA, is the Chair of TXCPA and managing partner at Dutton, Harris & Co CPAs in Midland, Texas. A Baylor graduate and CPA since 2003, Billy brings over 20 years of experience in both public and industry accounting.

A past President of TXCPA Permian Basin and former TXCPA Treasurer, Billy has served on numerous committees and boards, earning recognition such as TXCPA’s Young CPA of the Year and Rising Star Award. He’s also a graduate of the TXCPA Leadership Development Institute.

Beyond accounting, Billy is an entrepreneur, community leader and dedicated family man. He’s active with organizations like the Museum of the Southwest, Midland Community Theatre and the University of Texas Permian Basin. He and his wife Felicia also established a scholarship at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business.

Read on to discover Billy’s journey and vision for the future of TXCPA.

Before becoming a respected CPA and TXCPA’s 2025-2026 Chair, Billy Kelley was on a very different path. As a college student, he initially majored in biochemistry with plans to enter the medical field until one pivotal realization changed everything. “I remember taking a general bookkeeping class in high school,” Billy recalls. “I understood it – and I enjoyed it.”

That memory resurfaced during his time at McLennan Community College, where he made a bold decision: to change majors and pursue accounting. With encouragement from inspiring professors and a scholarship to Baylor University – at the time, they would give two accounting scholarships from McClennan Community College to major in accounting at Baylor – his new path began to take shape.

At Baylor, he found both academic support and a community that would shape his career. He graduated with a degree in Accounting and Financial Services and Planning and passed the CPA Exam shortly after. That early shift in direction laid the foundation for a career that has included roles in both public accounting and industry, as well as entrepreneurship and leadership at the highest levels of the profession.

Billy’s professional journey includes time with firms like KPMG and Weaver, experience at Basic Energy Services, and eventually becoming the managing partner of Dutton, Harris & Co CPAs in Midland, Texas. What truly energizes him now is working with family offices and family-owned businesses, helping them grow and thrive.

He finds evaluating business models intriguing and takes great satisfaction in uncovering opportunities for growth and development. The potential to drive meaningful progress is what keeps him energized and committed to advancing these businesses. “Being able to make an impact where it matters – on job creation, generational planning and long-term development – is the most rewarding part of what I do today,” he says.

Of course, growth comes with challenges. One of Billy’s most significant personal transitions was moving from a technically focused CPA into a leadership role. Leading teams, making strategic decisions and managing people requires a different skill set, and a mindset shift. It’s a challenge he welcomed and one that helped him grow not only as a professional but as a mentor and motivator.

His curiosity and exposure to business owners in his accounting work also sparked an interest in entrepreneurship. He’s since launched or partnered in several ventures outside his CPA firm. Accounting and consulting gave him an insider’s view of how businesses succeed – or don’t. “That inspired me to get involved and build something myself,” Billy shares. “When challenges arise, I ask myself: can this really help others? That keeps me motivated.”

Fueling the Future

As the accounting profession faces a talent shortage, attracting the next generation is more critical than ever. Billy is deeply involved in efforts to build the CPA pipeline, working closely with TXCPA’s Pipeline Task Force and Young Professionals Advisory Board.

“TXCPA has had a strong focus on pipeline issues for years,” he explains. “We have to understand what younger professionals want – not just from a job, but from a community. We must meet them where they are and engage them through the technology and communication styles they use. That’s how we grow the future of the profession.”

For young professionals considering starting their own business or firm, Billy offers practical yet heartfelt advice: know what you’re signing up for. “It’s a commitment every single day. You have to be ready for the ups and downs. It can be a hard road. Surround yourself with people you can learn from and ask yourself: do you really want to lead and make the sacrifices and commitments to make it work? Leadership isn’t easy, but if it drives you, that’s your path.”

Billy also believes mentorship is essential. “Find someone you can learn from and grow with. That can make all the difference.”

Leadership, Decisions and the Importance of the CPA License

Billy is also mindful of the weight of leadership. When asked what keeps him up at night, he doesn’t hesitate. “If I have to make a difficult decision that might negatively impact someone, I lose sleep over it. I try to evaluate all sides and make decisions based on long-term values. I want to get it right – for everyone.”

Despite the challenges facing the profession, Billy remains optimistic. He believes the CPA license is still one of the most powerful tools for credibility and opportunity in business but warns that we can’t take it for granted.

“The future of the profession is still bright. We must evolve and protect the CPA brand and license. The CPA license truly is a differentiator and we need to make the necessary changes to ensure it is well into the future. We cannot rest on the fact that it is not possible for the license to go away. It was created by law and it can be taken away by law. We need to be stewards of the brand, keep it relevant and continue telling our story."

Billy encourages TXCPA members to stay engaged and take pride in their work. “CPAs are not number pushers. We’re strategic, dynamic professionals making real business impact. Let’s honor the past but also leave footprints for the future. We owe it to future CPAs to leave this profession better than we found it.”

He said, “This profession is full of dynamic and creative business professionals. I want them to be engaged and give back to the profession to create new opportunities to have a profound impact on business and personal lives … and to create opportunities for the next generation.”

Family, Community and Giving Back

Outside the office, Billy’s life is rooted in family and community. He met his wife, Felicia, when he was attending McClennan Community College and she was a student at Baylor. The couple has been married for over 20 years and have two children – Layne, an incoming junior at Baylor, and Breleigh, a high school sophomore. “Felicia, Layne and Breleigh are my A-team,” Billy says with pride.

The Kelleys enjoy traveling together, and Billy finds time for reading, exercising and staying active. Managing work, family and community involvement is a balancing act, one that he navigates with intention. He controls his schedule as much as possible and has an incredible team around him who assists him in managing the chaos that comes with running a business.

Billy and Felicia also established the Kelley Family Endowed Scholarship at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, an act of gratitude and forward-looking generosity. “Baylor and the accounting profession have been amazing to our family. We wanted to give back and support others on their journey. We hope it continues to grow and help future students for years to come.”

Leading TXCPA with Passion, Integrity and Vision

Billy Kelley’s story is a powerful reminder that careers – and lives – don’t always follow a straight line. Sometimes, the best journeys begin with a course correction, a moment of clarity or a memory from a high school class. What matters most is having the courage to follow your passion, the discipline to lead with integrity and the heart to lift others along the way.

As he leads TXCPA into the future, Billy’s message to members is simple but profound: “Be proud of this profession. Stay engaged. Give back. Together, we can create opportunities for the next generation – and leave a legacy worth building on.”

Billy Kelley's Professional and Community Leadership Highlights

• Entrepreneur and Managing Partner of Dutton, Harris & Co CPAs PLLC in Midland
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
• Degree in Accounting and Financial Services and Planning from Baylor University
• Past President of TXCPA Permian Basin
• Past Chair of the Permian Basin CPA PAC
• Past Treasurer of TXCPA
• Served as Member of TXCPA's Executive Board
• Awarded the TXCPA Young CPA of the Year in Texas
• Graduate of the Inaugural TXCPA Leadership Development Institute
• Received a TXCPA Rising Star Award
• With his Wife Felicia, Established the Kelley Family Endowed Scholarship for the Baylor Hankamer School of Business
• Served with Numerous Local Community Service Organizations
• Served on Numerous TXCPA Committees, including the Strategic Planning Committee, Young Professionals and Emerging Professionals Task Force/Committee, Awards Committee, Chapter Coordinating Committee, Finance Committee, Audit Committee, and Membership Committee

About the Author: Jodi Ann Ray, CAE, is TXCPA's President and CEO. Contact her at jray@tx.cpa.