Habitat Spotlight: Meet Ken

Ken (above, far right) has been with Habitat for Humanity of Omaha for 8 years. He grew up in Beatrice, Nebraska, 30 miles south of Lincoln. He relocated to Omaha through his job at Gallup back in 2003.

Ken is the Chief Operations Officer at Habitat Omaha, which means no day is like another,

“What I do is support all of our workers to ensure they are as productive as they can be,” Ken says. “I don’t like the word no. So much of my days and weeks are finding ways and ideas on how to maximize, achieve, and win in everything we do as an organization.”

His essential work items are his computer and cell phone because they, “help me stay ahead of people chasing me.”

When he’s not working at Habitat Omaha, Ken can be found refereeing high school and college level basketball and football, and says “for 33 years it is what I’ve done instead of woodworking or souped up cars.” His song of the week is “Empire State of Mind” performed by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

When Ken first started working at Habitat Omaha, he was surprised by the passion of the staff and volunteers, not to mention the growth potential of the organization and careers available in the nonprofit world.

“It’s both scary and exciting to think of all of the lives we affect and effect by what we do,” he adds.

If you think you have what it takes to join the Habitat Omaha team, Ken had this to say, “Come ready to work, think and be ready to fail and then come back and win. It is not for everyone. It is a lifestyle [that] incorporates you personally, spiritually and in your work life.”