MACEL ELY II, author of "Ain't No Grave: The Life & Legacy of Brother Claude Ely," is the great nephew to Reverend Claude Ely. An ordained minister himself, Macel's professional experience is quite diverse. He presently serves as Training Specialist for the State of Tennessee's Institute for Public Service. Ely's job consists of facilitating training for Tennessee's governmental managers and executive leadership. Prior to coming to his current position, Macel served as Homeland Security Coordinator for the Center for Homeland Security Training. His duties included assisting in the development of a state-wide training for law enforcement and other city officials.

Macel is a licensed private investigator and a member of the Tennessee Private Investigation Association. He serves as an adjunct professor and serves as a board of director for Barnabas Ministries International and the East Tennessee chapter of the American Society for Public Administrators. Macel has earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Lee University and Kentucky Wesleyan College along with a Master's Degree in Public Administration and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Tennessee. Before coming to work for the Institute for Public Service, Macel also worked as a school administrator in Kentucky and a news reporter on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

He and his wife, Jamie, reside in Maryville, Tennessee.