Q&A with Kenner
Where are you from?
Taylorsville, Utah - a suburb of Salt Lake City.
How did you get here to Utah?
I am very lucky to be from this place, and love being an ambassador for it (you should come!).
What are your hobbies?
Biking, hiking, camping, writing, film, and gaming (video, board, card, and most importantly D&D).
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
"How do you want to do this?" - Matt Mercer, Voice Actor & Dungeon Master Extraordinaire.
Was there a person or experience that made an impact on your life?
I had a baseball coach when I was 13 whose name was Milt Quinn (far left in the picture below). He was the father of the best ball player in the league, Kevin Quinn (No.8). Milt was an older dad, just like mine was (Joe Kingston, far right, one of two assistant coaches that Milt adopted), and he was very wise; instead of using the running of laps as a punishment for errors like my coach the previous year did, he ran with us at the beginning and the end of each practice. This helped to build camaraderie and trust between him and the team. What a great year that was - the Giants went undefeated through the regular season, and I was part of a state championship all-star team that went on to take second place in the Western US.
Tell us something about your job that you are very passionate about.
Mentoring and teaching. I enjoy sharing and learning very much. I have had the good fortune of being in charge of training programs within the firms I've been a part of and have taught as an adjunct at the University of Utah off and on for years.
Tell us something about your life you are very passionate about.
I'm passionate about having shared experiences with my family, whether those experiences are on vacation to a familiar or new place, or at the dining room table for D&D on Sunday afternoons. Here's us at a Giants game at Oracle Park in San Francisco:
What path would you have taken if you didn't choose architecture?
Like every kid, I thought I might be a fighter pilot or a baseball player, but the only serious career consideration for me was architecture. I was fortunate to have a great mentor for a mom who saw architecture as good for me because of my love of both art and science.
If I told you that you get to take the day off work tomorrow, how would you spend it?
If there's snow on the ground I would head to the Uinta mountains for a day of cross-country skiing - this is something my son and I took up recently, and we love it. It's incredible to see our favorite summer places under a blanket of snow, streams gurgling under icy cover.
When you first meet someone, what is something you hope they understand about you?
I am a teacher by nature and am happiest when I'm learning. Lucky for me, learning and re-learning are intrinsic to teaching. I'm likely to be at my best when I'm helping others learn.
What is your favorite season?
Though I love living in a place that experiences all four-seasons, summer is my favorite by far. Our high mountain desert doesn't get frequent rain, so planning around the weather is not a problem, and the low humidity makes 95 degrees totally bearable. And when it gets over 100, you can just make an altitude adjustment by heading to the mountains for the day...
