(Click to view larger image)



Melina and Bob enjoy a rare and peaceful moment while the twins play. (Click to view larger image)



Melina loves spending time with the twins, Sophia and Marcus. (Click to view larger image)

     by Sherri Eastburn

     photos by Harold Lee Miller

     Hair and makeup by Jill Dennis and Christina Lockette for Tyler Mason Salon Spa

     With a staunch, no-nonsense approach, Melina Kennedy very confidently threw her hat in the political ring last fall. And her name quickly created a Hoosier household buzz.

     Backed by an impressive resume and the endorsement of Mayor Bart Peterson behind her, Kennedy ran against incumbent Carl Brizzi, as the Democratic candidate for Marion County prosecutor in what turned out to be one of the most closely watched races in the state. Experience as deputy mayor and as an attorney for more than a decade led Kennedy to run for office. Her campaign focused on enhancing the power of the prosecutor's office through community partnerships.

     "I really felt that leadership in government was a calling for me," she says. "I really love leading teams in government to success. And this really means impacting people's lives in a positive way."

     Kennedy passionately debated against Brizzi and spent long hours campaigning door-to-door.

     Along the way, she met a female supporter who lost her sister to domestic violence. Kennedy listened closely to the story and left the woman's home with a deeper understanding of just how much a prosecutor's role impacts lives in the community. She also heard from women who praised her for being a positive role model for younger women with an interest in public service and politics.

     One particular word that describes her best is relentless, Kennedy says. "It takes a lot for me to give up on anything." However, despite those tireless efforts, Kennedy lost to Brizzi by a narrow margin.

     She gracefully accepted the defeat and doesn't look back on the experience with regret.

     "Now that the election is over, I look forward, not (to the) past," she says. "I wish the prosecutor the best in his second term."

     Even before the political hoopla faded, Kennedy swiftly moved forward with a new career goal.

     The private side

     Now a partner at the Indianapolis law firm of Baker & Daniels, Kennedy's daily responsibilities include economic development and environmental law. From her list of accomplishments and her rather serious public demeanor, people may assume that Kennedy is all business - all the time.

     But then, those people probably haven't seen Kennedy romp around on a toy-cluttered carpet with her twin toddlers, Marcus and Sophia.

     "I love to sing to my kids in a really goofy voice," she says with a smile. "Sometimes my husband pleads for me to stop."

     Her life began in Northbrook, a Chicago suburb as Melina Maniatis. Her late father was a Greek immigrant and small-business owner. Her mother, who happily babysits her grandchildren whenever possible, was a busy, stay-at-home caretaker for Kennedy, her two older brothers and a younger sister.

     Describing herself as serious and slightly tomboyish, Kennedy says she fell in love with ice skating when she was 5 years old.

     "I loved the feeling of getting out on the ice at 5 a.m., when nobody else was awake," Kennedy says. "It's a very introverted sport that suited me well at that age."

     By the time she entered high school, Kennedy fell out of love with figure skating. Instead, she threw her energy into running track. And she did so with the same focus she had developed for skating. As a high school freshman, she was a member of the state track team.

     Throughout her childhood, family dinner conversations included debates and discussions about government issues. While still in high school, Kennedy started pondering the possibility of studying law, she says. But a clear career choice was not official until she enrolled at Indiana University. During her undergraduate years, she studied environmental science. She then earned a master's degree from the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs and a law degree with honors from the IU School of Law.

     Although she was busy achieving academic goals and excelling in 800-meter competitions, Kennedy also made time to notice a handsome fellow track star named Bob Kennedy.

     "Bob has a quiet intensity about him that I saw right away," she says. "He is the least pretentious person I've ever met and basically does whatever he puts his mind to without any fanfare."

     After sharing a quiet dinner at a favorite Thai restaurant, Bob Kennedy proposed in front of Beck Chapel in Bloomington.

     "From what I remember he was a little nervous," Kennedy says. "But he certainly had no reason to be since there was no question I wanted to say 'yes.'"

     As a professional athlete, Bob traveled frequently to train and compete. He often competed in Europe. He also trained with a group of Kenyan athletes in London and Melbourne, Australia. Long chunks of time apart and juggling two very demanding schedules sometimes took their toll on the young couple.

     "I think the hardest parts were the small things like not being together on our birthdays or having a tough day at work and having to make an international call just to talk about it," she says. "I always knew there was an end in sight and that, for him to be successful, this kind of sacrifice was necessary at that point in our lives." Proudly, Kennedy says her husband of 14 years placed sixth at the 2000 Olympics and holds two American records in track and field.

     "At track meets, I would be so nervous before his race and sitting in the stands was sort of a helpless feeling. There was nothing I could do to help from there," she says. "Bob said he sort of got a flavor for that same feeling on election night. You want to support your spouse in any way you can. But sometimes it's out of your control."

     Now retired from professional running, Bob Kennedy launched and manages three area stores in Carmel, Fishers and Broad Ripple called The Running Company.

     In some ways, theirs is a nontraditional home, Kennedy says.

     When the pair married, they knew their career choices would demand an unconventional lifestyle. That realization has never been a problem for either of them.

     While Bob Kennedy furthered his career as an accomplished athlete, his wife pushed forward on her own professional goals.

     After graduating from law school, she landed a job as a judicial law clerk for the Indiana Supreme Court, working for Justice Frank Sullivan. While Kennedy gathered experience as a young attorney, her husband enjoyed the glory of the 2000 Olympics and set his sights on competing in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

     That goal had even more meaning for them since her father was Greek, Kennedy says.

     Exploring new ventures

     In 1998, Kennedy volunteered to do policy research for Mayor Bart Peterson during his campaign against Mayor Stephen Goldsmith.

     "He was an unknown person at that time," Kennedy says of Peterson.

     Two years later, Peterson invited Kennedy to join his administrative staff as assistant deputy mayor. "One of my first assignments was to work with the domestic violence community in the city and help put together a comprehensive plan to address family violence," she says.

     A year later, Kennedy became director of economic development. She oversaw the city's efforts to attract higher paying job opportunities, including the launch of BioCrossroads, which focuses on life sciences economic development. In 2004, Peterson appointed Kennedy deputy mayor of Indianapolis. "I oversaw two major city departments and advised the mayor on a variety of policy issues in economic development, crime issues and basic issues involving city operations," she says.

     In the midst of her own demanding career and her husband's grueling training schedule for the 2004 Olympics, a couple of surprises entered the mix.

     "Two days before we left for the Olympic trials, we found out we were pregnant with twins," Kennedy says. "And then, right before the trials, Bob suffered a severe injury."

     Accepting that Bob would not compete in the 2004 Olympics was an emotional blow for them both. Her husband made great sacrifices in his efforts to reach that ultimate goal a second time before retirement.

     Quietly observing his disappointment made her sad for him but also extremely proud, Kennedy says. "After the trials, without even a pause, he turned around and congratulated the other athletes," she says. "That was one of the moments I was most proud of him."

     Her husband is definitely not a chatty kind of guy, not the kind of person who brags or boasts. He is very humble, according to Kennedy. In fact, it is not unusual for people to know Bob for months or even years, before knowing about his athletic career.

     Instead of telling stories about his own accomplishments, her husband tends to focus on the well-being of others.

     "Bob is incredibly caring," Kennedy says. "He really cares about other people and I love that about him. I've seen him in some incredibly stressful situations and he always comes out a gentleman."

     Knowing they were finally expecting not one baby but two, after years of trying to become parents, eased the pain about the loss of competition in Greece.

     "Sometimes the sun shines and sometimes it rains," Kennedy says with a smile. "And it all evens out."

     Twin transitioning

     During her pregnancy, Kennedy, also an avid runner, slowed her physical routine. Carrying twins led to some awkward moments physically for this petite woman. And some frequent, sometimes comical, comments from people in the community kept her smiling.

     "People would stop me and say, 'Ma'am, are you OK?'" Kennedy says with a grin.

     On Jan. 11, 2005, Marcus and Sophia Kennedy entered the world.

     Their son is named after one of his father's best friends, an Irish runner named Marcus O'Sullivan. Daughter Sophia Holly "is named after my best friend from childhood who is still my best friend," Kennedy says.

     Driving home from the hospital with two extra people snuggled in car seats is one of her fondest memories. "To turn around with my husband in the car and see those two beautiful children in the car with us, it is a moment that's seared in my mind," she says.

     Adjusting to parenthood has been a comical, endearing mix of not taking anything too seriously, while trying to find and keep a personal and professional balance.

     "I've learned so much about the balance of life," Kennedy says. "You can achieve so many things while you are a mom. But I've had to learn to balance my time."

     To make her point, Kennedy recalls one example of leaving the mayor's office one afternoon, knowing she had to return in the early evening to testify during a counsel meeting.

     Like millions of other working moms, Kennedy rushed home to enjoy her children and prepare a quick dinner. Then she rushed from the kitchen to plop both babies into the bathtub for evening bath time before hurrying back to work.

     "I'm sure I at least had some oatmeal on my shirt," she says with a laugh.

     Because Bob's schedule is more flexible, full-time care outside the family is not usually necessary.

     "He is simply an amazing father," Kennedy says of her husband. "He spends time with our children and there is nothing that he won't do. Change diapers, up in the middle of the night when need be, whatever. The best thing is that he really knows how to make them laugh and they just adore him."

     Breakfast time in the Kennedy home equates to the dinner hour for other families.

     Early morning hours include at least a quick cup of coffee and plenty of begin-the-day play with her children. These are the hours her babies are bright-eyed and refreshed.

     Now 2 years old, the twins show distinctly different personalities. The children do not favor each other physically either.

     Marcus is dark-haired and dark-eyed. "And Marcus is more laid back and relaxed," Kennedy says.

     Sophia is fair-haired, "and she is always talking, running circles, just constant activity," Kennedy says. "Even though they are twins, they are wildly different."

     Personal matters

     During her very limited free time, Kennedy enjoys cooking.

     "My specialty is Greek dishes like lamb and potatoes," she says. A couple of personality quirks might be that she "really dislikes anything diet, especially diet sodas," Kennedy says. "I don't even prefer sugarless gum to the good sugar stuff."

     Her one true vice, rain or shine and even at the beach, is a hot cup of coffee.

     Time to participate in the community is always penciled in to Kennedy's already packed schedule. She is a member of the board of the Legacy House, which serves victims of violence. She also is a board member for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. "The Legacy House continues my interest in helping with victims of violence," she says. "And the Leukemia Society has a special place in my heart since my dad died from leukemia."

     Her father's death seven years ago painfully reminded her about how fragile life can be. "My dad went from healthy and vibrant to ill with leukemia in what literally felt like overnight and then died shortly thereafter," she says. "He never got to see his grandchildren, which breaks my heart. I step back more now than I ever have to remember that life is short and to appreciate what you have."

     Professionally, Kennedy says she is happy with her new position at Baker & Daniels.

     Will she consider running again one day for the Marion County prosecutor's seat? "I wouldn't rule that out. But I am not at a point where I can be sure either way," she says. "I guess I'm a person who says, 'Never say never,' although I think it's pretty unlikely."

     Kennedy is not a bit bothered about being perceived as rather stoic by those who don't know her personally. In fact, she admits the observation is rather true - at least during daytime hours. "I do tend to just want to get to the bottom line and move on," she says of her work. "Some people would be surprised that I have a silly side. But in my private life, I have a sense of humor and a softer side."

     Eastburn is an award-winning feature writer. She lives in Greenwood.

Article appears as published in the IW issue.