Meet Ken
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
It has been a journey to this campaign. My service to this country began when I enlisted in the military at eighteen. I am very proud to be the fifth generation of my family to serve in the Army. When my daughter was born in 1981, I was living as a military officer. I knew that the world would not give her what I had been given. I was inspired to fight for a better future in which she would be able to thrive without barriers that have blocked the way for many who do not look like me. I am a proud girl dad and it took me down a different path. I do not want to go backwards to the “good ‘ole days.” After January 6th, I decided to step and and try to serve my family, my neighbors, and my country in a bigger way.
There is a wall that prevents my children and their peers from being able to achieve what I have been able to achieve by being part of the “Baby Boomer” generation. The American Dream needs to be available to every generation - and right now it is just not accessible, no matter how hard people try to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” How are we going to help younger generations to achieve the American Dream? We need leadership that believes in turning around and helping the next one in line - the generations that will come after us who will need leadership to make changes NOW. Hard work needs to pay off.
I know a lot of folks are unhappy with the way things are right now. You have every right to be upset with Congress because Congress is not representing you. The systems of checks and balances needs to work - not just work for the interest of a few. I have a proud history of dedication to serving others and I am ready to serve in Congress.
Ken worked in telecommunications, building broadband systems. Broadband is to the 21st Century what roads and electricity were to the 19th and 20th Centuries – essential infrastructure. Ken observed that large corporations will never put workers before shareholders or serve small, rural communities that don’t return “enough” profit. Workers need laws that support their rights. Rural communities need government investment in new and existing infrastructure.
Ken started a construction company specializing in historic renovation in rural Virginia. He learned to navigate government regulations. Some regulations are crucial to creating public trust in business. Others need to be modified or rescinded. When the housing crisis crashed the economy, Ken was hired to oversee infrastructure renovation at Monticello. He learned to work in and appreciate the non-profit sector.
After Monticello, Ken joined an engineering firm and managed upgrades to water management systems in the 6th District. He worked with contractors and municipalities in Roanoke, Elkton, Augusta County, and Woodstock to protect our rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Ken learned about the essential role of farmers and rural communities in protecting our environment.
Ken settled in Rockingham County on a small farm with his fiance, Michele Thomas. January 6, 2021, upended his vision of organic farming in retirement.
“If we don’t get back to pragmatic problem solving, mutual respect, and putting country before party, our democracy will not survive. We can do better.”
-Ken Mitchell