Hero Miles and Hotels for Heroes programs, which similarly, allows the families of hospitalized service members to travel to and stay close by at medical centers where a Fisher House is not available.

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In addition, since 2001, the Fisher House Foundation has helped more than 10,000 military children attend two and four-year colleges across the country by providing more than $15 million in scholarships.

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The Foundation’s success and high accountability standards have earned it membership to the Combined Federal Campaign, one of the most exclusive fund drives in the world. It has also merited the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence – one of only 2,000 charities in the United States with that distinction.  The Foundation has been recognized by Charity Navigator for its operational efficiency, receiving a 4-star rating for 12 consecutive years.

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Ken has served as a Co-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. In this role, Ken supervised the development of the museum into a unique non-profit educational institution. Today the museum is a fully interactive living tribute to America’s history of innovation and public service that welcomes one million visitors per year.

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Ken served as Chairman of the Invictus Game’s Organizing Committee for the 2016 games in Orlando.  The Invictus Games uses the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for wounded, injured and sick Service men and women.  Working with England’s Prince Harry, the Games’ Founding patron, Ken led the effort to bring the Invictus Games to the United States.

 

The Invictus Games convened a week-long series of sporting events for 500 military competitors, 1,000 family members and friends of military personnel, and an international symposium focused on easing the transition of returning service members to civilian life. 

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A Trusted Advisor to the Military

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As challenges for America’s service members intensify, Ken has deepened his involvement with the military serving as a trusted advisor to Democratic and Republic administrations.

   

In 2007 he was appointed by the Bush Administration to the Presidents Commission on Care of America’s Returning Wounded Warriors tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the care America provides to wounded service members returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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For the past four years, Ken has served on policy boards in support of current U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and former U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

 

He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Business Executives for National Security (BENS), a non-partisan, non-profit organization that supports the Federal government by applying best practices to its most difficult national security issues.

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Additionally, Ken serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Army Command and General Staff College, a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers.

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In 2012, Ken’s commitment and service was recognized with the Defense Distinguished Public Service Award, the Department of Defense’s highest civilian honor.

 

Other honors Ken has received include:

 

• The Association of the United States Army awarded Ken with its highest honor, the George C. Marshall Medal (2009);

• A second Defense Distinguished Public Service Award – this time with Bronze Palm – in recognition of his work with the Department of Defense to assist the families of fallen service members with needed military death benefits threatened by the government shutdown (2010);

• Department of Veterans Affairs’ Secretary’s Award (2004);

• The U.S. Secretary of the Army’s Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service, (2005);

• The Special Forces Association’s Honorary Green Beret (2007);

• Selected as one of America’s best leaders by Harvard and US News and World Report in (2007);

• The United States Marine Corps’ Honorary Marine award (2011);

• The Order of Military Medical Merit (Inducted 2001);

• The Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Public Awareness Award (2006);

• A+E Television Networks’ Lives That Make a Difference Award (2004);

 

 

Ken attended Ithaca College and received an honorary Doctor of Commercial Science from the college in May 2016. He lives in New York with his wife Tammy. Ken is a proud father of three children, two of which are in college.

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Beyond his military philanthropy, Ken sits on the Board of Directors for New York’s Finest Foundation, the Association for the Help of Retarded Children and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, a non-profit that advances higher education for minority students by providing multi-year scholarship awards.