By Academy Staff

Jeffrey M. Kellner graduated from THE Ohio State University in 1975. Between then and entering law school, Jeff worked in Montana for the park service. He graduated from Capital University College of Law in 1985. After law school, he worked for two years as a law clerk for Judge Calhoun in Columbus, OH. He then went to work as Staff Attorney in the Office of Frank Pees, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee in Worthington, Ohio. He worked for Frank Pees for 12 years until he was appointed as the Standing Chapter 13 Trustee in Dayton, Ohio as George Ledford’s successor. He served as Trustee from January 1, 2001 until today, September 30, 2019.

Jeff loves to socialize and have a good time. An active member of the NACTT, he almost always attended their annual conference. Jeff’s staff attorney, Scott Stout, recalls, “At the NACTT in Puerto Rico, we ate our weight in lobster. Same thing in Boston with the full-sized lobsters. That’s why I think Jeff moved to New Hampshire – to get closer to the lobster.”

Apparently, Jeff was also a boss who enjoyed allowing his office to occasionally let down their hair. Stout said, “We always had great parties and picnics at the office especially the Halloween parties. Anything Disney and Jeff was on board – dressing as Donald Duck to Winnie the Pooh. He also likes to wear his Grumpy jersey quite often.”

Stout continued: “Jeff also loved to serve on committees and seminars. However, he was known to spread himself too thin and became known as the Great Voluntolder. Inevitably something would come up, he would have a conflict, so me, being his staff attorney, got voluntold to do his presentation. However, the UST got the last laugh as Jeff had to go to Minneapolis the first week of September, with only 4 weeks to go to retirement, to do a presentation at the UST regional meeting there. (He did try to get out of it)!

Another Ohio Trustee, Marge Burks, had this to say: “I consider him a good friend and a gentleman. He would ALWAYS find a seat for me at seminars and get me a glass of white wine and then find something to tease me about. Professionally, he was always so easy to work with!”

“So Jeff Kellner has decided to hang up his spurs, close the books on his career as a bankruptcy trustee, and head for New England. While congratulations are certainly in order, many trustees, colleagues, and friends in the chapter 13 community will no doubt miss Jeff and his thoughtful, measured approach to bankruptcy law. Jeff has contributed to the NACTT over the years as a standing trustee and as a staff attorney, and his willingness to educate others through seminars and mentoring has had a positive impact on trustees nationally and locally in Ohio. I’m confident that Jeff’s change of scenery will provide more time for outdoor activities such as hiking and snow skiing. And maybe he’ll even root for another team besides his beloved THE Ohio State Buckeyes! With gratitude for his dedication and commitment to the practice of bankruptcy law, I wish Jeff and his wife a very happy, healthy retirement for many years to come.” The Honorable D. Sims Crawford, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Alabama.

Jeff, you will be greatly missed!