Citizen Spotlight: Kenny Slavens

*“Kindness goes a long way,” says Kenny Slavens (photo S Jason Cole).*

Every good team has that awesome support player that helps separate them from the rest of the pack, Mahomes has Kelce, Jordan had Pippen, and Excelsior Springs has Kenny Slavens. Kenny isn’t loud or boisterous, but he’s there supporting his community, doing the things that really make a difference, and is one of the people who help set Excelsior Springs apart from other communities.

Kenny is a family man, fiercely committed to his wife and children. After nearly 15 years as a firefighter, he recently made the decision to change his career, not because he didn’t love being a firefighter but because he wanted to be there for his family. Kenny explained, “a couple of years ago as a firefighter, I had to work fifteen 24-hour shifts in a month, and by the end of that month, my middle child would just be bawling and grabbing my pant leg and begging me not to leave anytime I went anywhere, even the grocery store. At that point, I told my wife that something had to change and that was kind of the jump start.”

*Family Matters: Kenny and Niki Slavens with their three kids Maddie, Boston, and Brooks (submitted photos).*

Taking his service mindset from the fire department and patient care as a paramedic Kenny is now serving people in a different line of work. He reached out to some friends and ended up finding a good fit working with Flat Branch Home Loans. “I love serving people and I really like numbers, I’m a real numbers nerd. So yeah, it was all kind of a perfect storm coming together,” he said. Kenny feels like his link to the town and the people he’s made connections with both in growing up here and in working for the fire department have really allowed him to hit the ground running in his new role. So far, he’s really enjoyed helping first-time home buyers achieve their goals. “I like watching others succeed. I think there’s enough success out there for everybody. And so for me, if I can be a small part of that. It really jazzes me up and kind of gets me going,” said Kenny.

Over the years, growing up in Excelsior Springs, he says he’s seen the community improve but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the support and kindness the community shares with one another. “I think kindness goes a long way, I truly believe that. The more people that you can show kindness to and the more people you help, the better your life is. It’s really fulfilling,” Kenny said. Now, he’s working to help his kids to see how kindness can change the world. Each day he tells his children, “make somebody smile today,” it’s his mantra and how he pursues life. “There’s so much negativity out there, if you can show a little bit of kindness, why not, right?”