Ken is a native Batavian having lived his entire life in the Chicago suburb of Batavia. He served 35 years in law enforcement, ending with 12 years as the Sheriff of Kane County, and the International President of the FBI NA Association, the largest professional police association in the world. He also served 41 years in the Army, rising through the ranks to retire as Chief Warrant Officer 4. He served in Viet Nam and Desert Storm with ten years at the Pentagon and ten years teaching at the U.S. Army Intelligence School.

Ken attributes his deep faith to his mother who was a very devout Catholic throughout her entire life. It was after retiring that Ken started paying attention to what people were saying to him regarding his faith. While he had been asked, several times, if he had ever thought of becoming a Deacon, he never took it seriously until then. The thought sunk in and he started to pray and discern whether he was being called to a new phase of his life. Ken was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2014 and serves at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Batavia Illinois. He has also served at St. George Byzantine Catholic Church in Aurora, Illinois.