SUN CITY – Ken Andersen is very serious about one thing in his life – he wants to help make things better. For his community, his company where he worked, and for the people around him.
He has translated this belief into a lifestyle of leadership and service everywhere he has lived and worked. He was an alderman in Rolling Meadows, president and vice president of homeowners associations in Palatine and Elgin, and he used his people skills to provide people-related management leadership to two employers in a 45-year business career.
Sun City resident Ken Andersen replaces the board seat left by the passing of James Van Fleet. Andersen has lifelong leadership and community-involvement experience. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
All of this has brought him to one of the top positions of leadership in Sun City. He was selected recently to replace the late James Van Fleet on the seven-member community association board of directors. He will serve the remaining nine months of Van Fleet’s term, ending on Dec. 31 of this year.
In Sun City, Andersen is a classic example of the guy who says yes to organizations, and who seeks to keep himself busy in his âretirementâ years. He is probably best known here for his leadership of the Neighborhood Watch and the development of the âNeighbors Helping Neighborsâ program. This innovative activity received a national award for the Sun City Neighborhood Watch program a couple years ago.
But his total Sun City experience almost gives new meaning to the phrase, join and participate.
âI didn’t come here to sit around,â he said. âI play softball, play pickleball, got involved in the Angler’s Club, and am a member of the Computer Club. I’ve simply been joining and participating all my life, and I see my time here as an extension of what I have done before.â
âIn the Neighborhood Watch, we had to build an organization,â he recalled. âOn the board, I am privileged to join something that is already doing very well. We have a beautiful community, and I want to play a part in continuing and maintaining our lifestyle here. I like to listen to people, find out what their ideas and problems are, and then implement solutions and programs. Being on the board will allow me to do that.â
Andersen grew up in Chicago, earned an engineering degree at Southern Illinois University, and spent 45 years working in product development and management for Skil Power Tools for 18 years, and for Echo Outdoor Power Equipment for 25 years.
âWhen I got my first job, I quickly discovered that I didn’t want to be the type of engineer that sat at a computer. I needed to be working with people to get things done,â he said. âAt Echo, I had the privilege of retiring from my regular job and serving two additional years as an adviser to the company president on issues of product liability.â
He attended his first Sun City board meeting on Wednesday, Mar. 18.
