Prior to entering provincial politics Kent has served as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the City of Mount Pearl and he has worked as Chief Executive Officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Newfoundland, as Executive Director at United Way of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, and as the Manager of Corporate Development at Stirling Communications. He has also served as the Chief Commissioner and Chair of the Board of Governors for Scouts Canada. Kent became CAO of Mount Pearl in October 2017; he resigned in 2020.