Kendall spent 26 years in local and state government in Maryland and North Carolina in a variety of roles, including running a financing bank and overseeing downtown development in Baltimore and managing the state-owned private mortgage insurance fund in Maryland. As housing director for the City of Durham, NC, she created a number of programs to increase the city’s affordable housing stock and improve housing quality through code enforcement. For 20 years, she has managed a private real estate company specializing in renovating and leasing historic residential properties in Durham. Kendall co-founded Economic Leadership with her husband, Ted, in 2013 and manages the administrative side of the business in addition to doing research.

Born in Baltimore, MD, Kendall received her bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Maryland, with concentrations in finance and accounting.