Donor Profile

Ken Chesnut

A Circle of Promise Member

Ken Chesnut is a member of BGCMA's Board of Directors and a member of the Circle of Promise. A graduate of Duke University, Ken earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and spent two years in the U.S. Army, including a tour in Viet Nam. He is a Principal of a Real Estate Development, Construction, and Property Management Company in Atlanta, and the President and COO of its affiliate Company whose mission is rebuilding the fabric of urban communities.

Ken spent his formative years as a member of the Boys Club in Wilmington, North Carolina.

While his neighborhood was considered "disadvantaged," Ken was luckier than many - he didn't join the Club under court order, as many kids do as a last chance before entering the juvenile justice system. He wasn't referred by a homeless shelter, as some kids are, and he wasn't recommended by a school counselor who had run out of ideas on what to do with him.

Ken started going to the Club because it was in his neighborhood, he had friends there, his parents thought it would be good for him - would keep him off the streets after school - and because he could play basketball and other sports there.

Ken's father died when he was 14, a very impressionable age, and a time at which his life could have taken a different turn. But Ken's attachment to his Club grew even stronger. He says the Executive Director and the Activities Director became his male role models and actually helped guide him through his teenage years.

When asked what people can do to help at-risk kids today, Ken says, "Just get involved. Do whatever you can to get a kid going in the right direction and help him stay in school. We can help these kids become good citizens who are contributing to society."