Karina Kelso is the high school band director at Clarke Community Schools. Mrs. Kelso teaches marching band, concert band, pep band and jazz band in addition to individual lessons. Mrs. Kelso began her teaching career at Lenox Community Schools, teaching 5-12 band for 4 years. In her time at Lenox, she hosted the annual Lenox Junior High Honor Band and helped host the Iowa High School Music Association Solo/Ensemble Contest in 2013 and 2015. The band program also grew from 54 to 73 and both the high school and junior high bands received consecutive Division I ratings at Large Group Contest.

Mrs. Kelso is a graduate of Ballard High School and graduated summa cum laude from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. While at Iowa State, she also studied abroad in Florence, Italy.

Mrs. Kelso is currently an active member of IBA, SCIBA, IMEA, NAfME, and the Clarke Education Association. She was selected as the namesake for the Ballard Instrumental Music Academic Award as part of the Dollars for Scholars Academics Awards Night.