Ken Kaleel, 51, served as mayor of Ocean Ridge from 1998 to 2012. He and his wife, Rema, have three children, Jacqueline, Nicholas and Alexandra. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
You could say that Ken Kaleel was following a path that led him toward participating in Ocean Ridge politics.
“The truth is, after Rema and I had our baby daughter, Rema would take the baby out in the stroller and the sidewalk ended on A1A and didn’t continue to the inlet. It was frustrating because she couldn’t get to the beach or the inlet. She wrote a letter to the commission, and they approved an extension of the sidewalk,” Ken Kaleel said.
One step leads to another, so to speak…
Certainly, Kaleel is no stranger to community service organizations, boards, committees and such. (See his favorite quote below.) “That was given to me when I was in the Boynton Beach Rotary,” he said. “Those words certainly make sense, and they are easy.”
Involvement in that organization “led to a lot of chairs,” he explained. Along with being a chairman and Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary, he was the founding chairman of the Devos-Blum YMCA of Boynton Beach, chairman of the trustees of the YMCA of South Palm Beach County, past chairman of the Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce and past chairman of the St. Mark Catholic School. He was also a past president of the Palm Beach County League of Cities and a board member of the Florida League of Cities. Currently, he’s on the board of Gulf Stream School, the Bethesda Hospital Foundation and the YMCA of South Palm Beach County.
In Ocean Ridge, he was appointed commissioner in 1996, was on the Board of Adjustment and the planning and zoning board before that, and became mayor in 1998. With all that going on, challenges blend in to one another.
“There were a lot of changes that took place during my term as mayor and just pushing those things through was challenging. With the Town Hall, Ocean Ridge did not own any land other than the piece that the building sat on. Gathering up the land around the building (which was falling apart), that was a challenge. And the storm water — we had several bouts of flooding where the water was higher than the cars. We knew we had to do something. They were both challenges. The wildlife preserve on A1A and Woolbright — that was another challenge. Now that’s a very nice area that doubles as a storm water drainage basin.”
In addition to the projects, getting people to focus and head down a path was another challenge. That’s why he created Focus 2000. “It was developed to get several residents and all the boards together in one meeting for a retreat, to develop goals, then, for the following 10 years, we pushed those things forward. It’s been a guiding principle.”
Consensus is essential, he said, and to that end, facts must come out, goals defined, and peoples’ emotions must be dealt with, he noted.
As of early April, Kaleel stepped down as mayor because it was time, he said, but he can see that he might return to government in some form later.
Being mayor made him realize that democracy takes a lot of work, he said. “It’s not something given to you and it has to be respected. You cannot always listen to the loudest voice or voices because there’s a whole chorus of people who are quiet — they feel strongly but don’t sing the loudest and everyone must be represented.
“Listening is very important, but ultimately you have to make a judgment. Sometimes you are right and sometimes you are not. But people tell me that they realize that I’ve thought issues through and looked at both sides. It’s important to think about all aspects and not be narrow minded, that’s for sure.”
— Christine Davis
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A. I grew up in Canfield, Ohio. I went to a public school and then on to Ohio State University, where I graduated with a degree in business administration.
I worked after college for a couple of years and then went to the University of Miami School of Law. Growing up in the Midwest, in a small town, instilled a deep sense of family and community values.
Q. What professions have you worked at outside of public service? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A. I am attorney by profession. In the past I have had ice cream stores, drove 18-wheel trucks and worked in sales.
Q. What was your favorite part about being mayor of Ocean Ridge for so many years? What were your major accomplishments while in office?
A. My favorite part of being mayor of Ocean Ridge was the ability to work with people to try and improve the town.
My major accomplishments include the initiation and development of Focus 2000, which set the stage for vast improvements to the town; obtaining the land from National Wildlife on the corner A1A and US 1, which ultimately became a combined stormwater drainage basin and preserve; implementation of the stormwater drainage project; pursued the land acquisition of property surrounding Town Hall; building of the new Town Hall and worked with Palm Beach County to develop the Thompson Street Natural Preserve, which was initially designed on a napkin. There are number of other items that we were able to successfully complete through the efforts of residents and the efforts of past commissioners and town staff and residents. The past 16 years have been an exciting time of change for Ocean Ridge.
Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today?
A. The best advice I can give to a young person selecting a career is to do what you love to do. Follow your passion as long as it makes some economic sense.
Q. How did you choose to make your home in Ocean Ridge?
A. My wife and I were living in Boca Raton when a Realtor introduced me to Ocean Ridge in 1989. As fate would have it, we purchased the home from two professors from Ohio State University represented by the Realtor whose husband I ultimately replaced on the commission.
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge?
A. My favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge is that there is no place in Palm Beach County with the diverse small-town feel so close to the ocean and parks. I think we have more natural public space per capita than any other coastal community.
Further, the people in our town are great! We have a diverse population with older residents and younger families. I have made a lot of friends in Ocean Ridge. It is a wonderful community.
Q. What do you feel is the single most difficult decision the town will have to make in the next five years?
A. Although I believe all of the “heavy lifting” has been completed, the town will still have to deal with the constant pressure of growth on the barrier islands, including the development of Briny Breezes, the consolidation of services such as police, fire and other public services.
Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
A. As for inspirational music, I like any music that instills hope and the promise of a better tomorrow. Music that I relax by is Jimmy Buffett.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. I keep the Rotary Four Way Test on my desk: “Is it truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?” My next favorite quote that I tell my children is “You are a product of the company that you keep.”
Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
A. As for an actor to play me in a movie, my wife would want George Clooney. I would want Clint Eastwood. I would probably get Will Ferrell.
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