One of the things I like most about my job is getting the opportunity to meet new people. I have met some interesting people in my short time at Indiana Connection, and Elaine Smith, profiled in our September feature, is no exception.

Elaine and her husband, Tom, came to our office so we could take photos for our feature story about her career in the FBI. After being a teacher for almost a decade, she switched careers and became one of the first female FBI agents in the Chicago bureau. During a tour of our office, she told Kiley (our photographer for this story) and me some stories about that time in her life. Tom was also an FBI agent, and they said Elaine was the first FBI spouse to join the program after marrying an agent. They joked that some people thought her joining the agency would lead to a divorce, but over 50 years later, these high school sweethearts are going strong.

The Smiths have one daughter, and I thought it was amazing that their daughter was 7 years old when Elaine got a break in her case with Ken Eto and Chicago organized crime. She said that although it was a lot to juggle, she and Tom had help from Tom’s mother to make sure everything was covered at home.

Elaine also mentioned that she had a soft spot for people who work with electricity. Her father worked to bring electricity to parts of Kentucky after the Rural Electrification Act in the 1930s. That experience allowed him to become an electrician in Chicago after WWII. Elaine said she will always be thankful for his electrician career because it enabled him to pay for her and her sister to attend college.

The Smiths are warm and engaging, and Kiley and I enjoyed talking to them. I hope you take the time to read our feature inside and feel as inspired by her story as I do.