The journey our lives take can seem a bit meandering in the moment. Things fall apart. Choices are made, for good or bad, that have a long-lasting effect. We move from job to job and place to place for all kinds of reasons. Which is why it’s often surprising when, looking back, we can see just how necessary each step was to get us where we needed to be.
Such is the case for Natasha Kennedy, who shared her story to 20 women as part of the Women United Speaker Series. The presentation—a lunch hosted at the Logan County Courthouse Friday afternoon—centered around how she ended up as a Logan County Family Court judge at the age of 34.
“I was the child of a custody order,” Kennedy, whose parents divorced when she was two, began. Her mom and dad both remarried, leading to half siblings and lots of moving, which included “almost every apartment complex” in her hometown of Greenville, Ohio.
“All of this has influenced my way of thinking, so I can sympathize with families going through it.”
But even as an adult, one event after another had an impact on Kennedy’s course to the bench. While earning her undergraduate degree at Ohio University, she made the decision to go into law. That led her to the University of Akron School of Law, a four-hour drive from Greenville. For this small town girl, it was another step out of her comfort zone and into a future focused on helping people.
“That’s where I got my love for public service,” Kennedy said of her time at Akron Law. But it wasn’t in the classroom. Rather, she became a certified public intern, which gave her the opportunity to handle misdemeanor cases in municipal court. “I loved it,” she said, adding, “Law school … not so much.”
After graduating and passing the bar, Kennedy’s career had recognizable ups, like working with families and children, and downs, which included behind-the-scenes research-focused positions she described as “painfully boring.” But those jobs eventually led to her first position with Logan County as assistant prosecuting attorney in 2014.
Once again, she loved her work. Once again, she was presented with an opportunity; this time, one that would move her out of her job as a prosecutor and into a role that would, within only a few years, lead her to the bench.
The opportunity came when Prosecutor William Goslee asked her to be his magistrate after he was elected to the Logan County Court of Common Pleas in 2016. This meant another position behind the scenes and one she found, in a word, unrewarding. The nature of the work meant she couldn’t handle felonies, which made up a majority of the cases.
Then, another glitch when Goslee retired. Though she continued judging non-felonies, like foreclosures and civil stalking, Kennedy was admittedly nervous about her next step. Until the day Judge Dan Bratka pulled her aside and offered her a position as his magistrate for the family court. A plus? She could now handle any trial, leading to a full caseload.
Once again, Kennedy loved her work. Once again, she felt she was where she needed to be. And, once again, her boss decided to retire. This would turn out to be a fortuitous turn of events for Kennedy’s career.
Because Bratka made that decision before his term ended, his replacement would need to be a Republican candidate appointed by Governor Mike DeWine. Kennedy then went through an extensive application and interview process—including a one-on-one meeting with DeWine in person.
July 16, 2021, the governor himself called to give her the news. Natasha Kennedy would be the next Logan County family court judge. And on Aug. 2 of that year, Judge Bratka, whom she describes as “an incredible boss and an incredible mentor,” had the privilege of swearing her in.
“I got here because of the relationships and mentors I had along the way,” Kennedy concluded. “I deal with people at their worst; families in crisis who need intervention. And because I know what many of them are going through, I feel this is where I’m meant to be.”
Judge Kennedy and her husband, Bellefontaine Police Department Officer Andy Kennedy, have two sons and are expecting a girl in June. Though she loves her job, she sees it as the second best decision she ever made … behind marrying Andy.
The next event in the Women United Speaker Series will be Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. when they will hear from Thelma Matthews with the Cracked Pot Studio at Union Station, which is where the event will be held. They will follow that with a two-part flower pottery class in March. For more information, visit the United Way of Logan County website at uwlogan/women-united.
