Kennedy named 2008 DC Illini of the Year

ECE alumnus Rob Kennedy was recently named the 2008 Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington, D.C.’s Illini of the Year. Kennedy has been co-president of C-SPAN since December 2006 and co-chief operating officer of the company since 1995.

"It’s really quite an honor and a surprise," Kennedy said. "It was very humbling to be included in the list of past winners."

In his current roles at C-SPAN, Kennedy shares responsibilities with Susan Swain. Kennedy is in charge of technology and finance, while Swain heads the programming and marketing/communications departments. With their offices next door to each other, the two work together to conduct strategic planning and daily operations. Kennedy and Swain are also directors of C-SPAN’s Education Foundation.

"We make all of the big decisions together," Kennedy said. "And we bounce ideas off each other all the time. It’s a great relationship that we have built up for more than 12 years."

While C-SPAN, a private, not-for-profit company that aims to provide public access to the political process, currently has three television stations, a radio station, and a number of Web sites, Kennedy said he and other employees are focused on attending to their viewers’ wants and needs in the 21^st Century.

"C-SPAN’s main goal is to navigate changes as part of the technological revolution brought on by the Internet and other new technologies," he said. "We’re trying to survive the movement and remain valuable to our viewers."

Aside from his roles at C-SPAN, Kennedy is a board member of the Emma Bowen Foundation, an organization designed to prepare minority students for careers in the media industry. He also serves on the School of Communications Advisory Board at Elon University, his daughter Alison’s and son Rob’s college. In this position, he visits various classes at the university twice a year.

"My favorite part is talking to students because I learn a lot by finding out how young people consume the news and other media," said Kennedy, who created a MySpace account for C-SPAN after one of his visits.

Kennedy earned his bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Illinois in 1978. While on campus, the Springfield, Illinois, native joined the Lambda Chi fraternity, becoming scholarship chairman his sophomore year and later serving as ritualist and alumni chairman.

During his college years, Kennedy spent summers at Springfield Electric Company in Champaign, sparking his interest in business and finance. Although he concentrated exclusively on engineering courses at the beginning of his college education, his summer job led him to take electives in business and economics his junior year. He eventually obtained a master’s degree in business from the University of Chicago in 1980. In turn, Kennedy encourages all students, no matter their major, to explore their options throughout their college years.

"Branch out. Expose yourself to other fields," he said. "It’s a great opportunity."

In 1983, Kennedy became the director of marketing and programming for Centel Cable TV. He then served as the vice president of marketing and programming for Time Inc.’s Rochester, New York, cable system from 1984 until 1987.

Kennedy arrived at C-SPAN in 1987, working as the vice president of business affairs until he was promoted to senior vice president in 1989. He was named the company’s executive vice president and co-chief operating officer in 1995.

Kennedy was honored at the Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington, D.C., annual banquet Sunday, May 4. He attended the event with his wife, Cynthia Kennedy, a 1977 graduate from the University’s School of Music. During his acceptance speech, Kennedy acknowledged ECE Illinois for his success.

"I’m very thankful for my education in electrical engineering," Kennedy said. "I’m really amazed at what [Department Head] Dick Blahut and his team have done to keep on the forefront of new technology. The program has grown so much since I’ve been gone. It’s come a long way from the punch cards and slide rulers I used. They all deserve congratulations."