Mellonee Kennedy joined Disability Rights North Carolina in May 2021 as an Attorney. Her work focuses on Medicaid Appeals for the purpose of maintaining people in their homes and out of institutions. She holds an MSW from Florida State University and a JD from St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami. Mellonee previously worked with DRNC primarily monitoring facilities. She then worked in private practice with a focus on family law and civil litigation. She returned to DRNC following 11 years of legal advocacy for children in foster care through the Wake County Guardian ad Litem program. Mellonee feels it is a privilege to work with DRNC colleagues, people with disabilities, their families, and their communities. She says “DRNC provides the greatest platform available to me in working to create meaningful change as well as defend and assert civil rights.” When not working, she enjoys spending time with her children, dogs, cat, and budgies, Jellybean and Sprout.