BACKGROUND
With a quick smile and laughter that rings through most of his comments – and a passion for karaoke (his favorite songs to perform are Little Red Corvette and Ice Ice Baby,) Quentin Jennings may not fit the profile of the typical attorney. But, as they say, the truth is stranger than fiction and he’s been an attorney for more than 24 years. He’s also had some pretty amazing and atypical mentors.
First, he had a hard-working and self-giving single mother who worked two and three jobs and still found time to coach him on the importance of education and giving back to the community. Then, there were two partners at the Kansas City law firm he was at for 20 years who coached him in how to be a good dad as well as a good human being and business leader with a healthy spiritual life. And now, the busy CEO, Tadd Miller, who four years ago persuaded him to relocate to Indianapolis and housed him briefly before his family could join him, talks to the Milhaus team often about the importance of family life and faith.
Quentin is the General Counsel for Milhaus, an award-winning, mixed-use developer that specializes in Class A, urban, multi-family residential buildings, headquartered in Indianapolis, but with an office in Kansas City and satellite locations in Austin, TX, Denver, CO, and St. Petersburg, FL.
He oversees the legal department of several attorneys and a paralegal, interacting with all aspects of Milhaus’ development, construction, property management and asset/capital management divisions. He toggles daily between his practical experience and his dual education in law and business – at one point or another using every bit of it as he grows and stretches to serve Milhaus and Indianapolis. Previously, he served as a partner in the Kansas City law firm Polsinelli P.C., an AmLaw 100 firm with more than 1000 attorneys in 19 offices nationwide, where he worked for almost two decades focused on mergers and acquisitions.
Growing up in Blue Springs, a Kansas City, Missouri suburb, Quentin showed an early talent for “the gift of gab,” as he describes it. He is told that at age five he once stood up on a bus and started dancing and belting out a Michael Jackson song. So began his love of karaoke, and so began his reputation for absolutely ‘no fear’ of talking to (or singing in front of!) complete strangers.
“My unique gift is that I’m able to talk to anyone,” he says – and it helps to make him the collaborative leader he is.
In high school, he developed a group of five best friends that he still has today. Drawn together by their love of sports, family stories (all but one came from homes affected by divorce), and smarts (all were honor roll students), the five formed a close and supportive network – a fact that made leaving KC harder, and building a local friend network in Indy is something he is actively working on.
Blessed both academically and athletically, Quentin, a former collegiate athlete (football and track), graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Sports and education are something he nurtures in his own children, Braylen (12) and Olivia (7). One of his dreams is to see them play collegiate sports while pursuing education too, learning the same lessons he did about persistence and grit and teamwork and adversity – lessons he still leans on today.
Quinten earned a bachelor’s degree from U Mass in political science, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri, Columbia, School of Law and an Executive MBA from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Bloch School of Management. Along the path, he followed his mother’s encouragement to give back, volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCA programs, Catholic Charities, and Boys and Girls Clubs throughout college and grad school.
As a newcomer to Indy in 2021, C7 has been the perfect place to network and make friends. He is also just beginning a program through his local church, Saint Luke Catholic Church (Meridian), called Exodus 90.
“It’s a 90-day spiritual exercise for the brotherhood of Catholic men, designed to cultivate a deeper relationship with God through prayer, communal support, and self-denial, inspired by the biblical story of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery,” he explains. As a group, they commit to meet together and reflect on the overall journey, engage in daily prayer for an hour, abstain from alcohol, sweets, snacks, social media and other distraction, engage in exercise and cold showers, and stay accountable with a partner. Although the program doesn’t officially start until January, Quentin is leading his small group and meeting with them already in August.
His wife, Melissa, has become very active at Saint Luke, and it has been a source of friendship and fellowship for them and their family. They have also become heavily invested in Cristo Rey High School and Milhaus now sponsors an intern from the school’s Corporate Work Study Program.
“Education is such a passion of mine,” he says. “I’m always one to give back. People who’ve helped me out have been so influential in my life and that’s of our reasons to get involved in Cristo Rey.”
The Jennings live in Indianapolis and Quentin enjoys having coffee and conversation with a new friend, so reach out to him at the address below.
QUENTIN’S IDEAS FOR A BETTER INDY
- PAY IT FORWARD. Quentin’s father was absent in his life, but he’s had men who’ve stepped in to teach him how to be a good father, a good employer, a good mentor – and so he wants to do those things for others. “One time my boss in KC saw my wife and I out for our anniversary dinner. He picked up the tab without telling us,” he relates. “It was my first or second year on the job there, and it really taught me the kind of employer and person I wanted to be. How you treat people is important and hopefully they will pass it along to someone else like I have now been able to do. My bosses were my father figures in this.”
- CHALLENGE TO AN EXCEPTIONAL INDY: “I really wish we could come together and find a way to end homelessness,” he says. “I have watched family members go through it and it’s painful. Wouldn’t it be amazing to find a solution and fix it?”
QUENTIN JENNINGS TRIVIA
- Favorite hobby besides work: Karaoke
- Go to snack & beverage: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups & Orange Hi-C
- Favorite restaurant, locally: Tony’s of Indianapolis on Washington
- Favorite places for a vacation: Santa Rosa, in the Florida panhandle. We go there often!
- Secret Dream: Maybe being an entertainer or actor, and definitely seeing my kids play some type of collegiate sport and graduate college.
Please reach out and connect with Quentin at quentin.jennings@milhaus.com.
