After facing numerous challenges, Patricia Kennedy has proven that she has the loyal heart of a guardian who serves. Her determination and drive have supported her family, former businesses, and the residents of Redford for many years.
In December of 1956, Patricia's parents moved to Redford. She grew up in the township and developed a love for the community. As an adult, she remained in her hometown and continues to live in the township where she has lived for her entire life and now shares with her husband with whom she has been with for 38 years.
The idea of service is not unfamiliar to Patricia. She watched her father, Edward T. Kennedy, serve the residents of Redford Township as the elected Treasurer from 1964-1984.
At the tender age of 13, she started helping her father with the Dog Program, then held at the Redford police department, which helped issue pet licenses, in addition to helping with township neighborhood cleanup initiatives.
While still a student at Thurston High School, she participated in a program in which she worked at an animal hospital. Years later she obtained a certification in dog grooming in 1977. To this day, her love for working with animals is still dear to her.
Patricia acquired years of hands-on experience working with various businesses in office administrative work. Years later, leaning on her business knowledge and coupled with her husband’s knack for electronics, she and her spouse opened and ran a successful computer business in Redford for many years before closing it due to an unforeseen family health challenge. After closing the business, she continued her quest to self-develop, earning an associate degree in health care administration, proving that she could get a degree at any age.
In 2008, she conducted a successful campaign to run for office after being encouraged to seek a seat on the Board of Trustees. Her goal as a Trustee was to help develop a harmonious Trustee Board and advance the business plans for the Township.
Later in 2016, she ran an unsuccessful campaign for Supervisor. Still determined to serve the community, in 2020, she again ran for office in the Township. This time she won her second seat on the Board of Trustees.
In her years as Trustee, she has seen many of her goals for Redford accomplished. There are, however, still a few areas that she hopes to improve, including continued ADA accessibility enhancements in local parks.
Over the years, she and her husband have remained in Redford because she likes the feeling of the close community that Redford offers, and she takes every opportunity to get to know neighbors.
These days, in addition to serving the board and assisting her husband, her plans to stay physically active include continuing her love of working with animals by being a dog walker, a pastime that she was active in years ago.