Who is Kevin Ballinger? Some would say he is a department head for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS). Others might say he is a military retiree. If you ask his wife, he is a husband. If you ask his children, he is a father. He is many things.
After an hour conversation, one would probably agree that is he is the epitome of a human Swiss army knife. He is versatile, well rounded and performs various functions. Another feature about Ballinger is that he just so happens to be a candidate running for county commissioner representing Florida’s District 4.
So, who is Kevin Ballinger?…
He is 57 years of age and has accomplished quite a lot so far in his life. Born and raised in Indianapolis, he grew up in a low-income household. Despite not being able to afford much, he spent much of his time outdoors and discovered joy through keeping active. His family also sculpted him through a strict and disciplined upbringing, which was the grassroots for his acceleration.
Being the first in his family to go to college and graduate with a degree, he went to Columbia College in St. Louis, Mo., and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He also attended St. Leo University in St. Leo, Fla., where he graduated with another BA in criminal justice/homeland security. Afterwards, he pursued a master’s degree in criminal justice/critical incidents.
Ballinger also found himself enlisting in the United States Navy. This was another “first in the family.” Through the years spent in service, he held positions all revolving around national security. He spent 12 years as a limited duty officer. His titles included radiological controls, anti-terrorism and nuclear weapons. “I managed thousands of people and $750 million budgets and had a whole lot of exposure to just managing people, projects and buildings,” states Ballinger. Becoming familiar with security management from a national level geared him toward his passion to protect the public.
After living life in the Navy, Ballinger continued to take up a living serving his country. He opened his own security company called Wintara, which he named after his daughter, Tara. He also was the founder of a company called Strategic Force. In both duties, he conducted many security and vulnerability assessments for communities. Ballinger expresses his views, saying, “Over 30 years ago, I took an oath to protect the United States and protect this country from all enemies foreign and domestic. When I retired from the military and took off the uniform, it didn’t stop the oath. You don’t stop doing what you’re trained to do or what’s in your DNA.” His wife, Kendra, calls him “Kevin the Superman.” When he sees a problem or situation, his natural tendency is to provide aid in the most effective way he can.
As of today, Kevin owns a home in Orlando, where he and his wife have been settled for the past six years. While living in Florida, he has been employed through OCPS as a senior manager for Security Systems and Operations and now works for them as department head of Central Support Services. Playing the role as a department head, he and his team focus on the custodial aspect of the schools. Within his department, he accounts for about 11,000 workers and exercises a budget of $50 million.
For Ballinger, the next chapter in his life that he feels necessary is to fill the shoes of a county commissioner. His whole life has evolved around bettering masses of people, keeping them safe and mastering budgets of high volume.
District 4 covers Orange County and is considered a growing area. He wishes to see the community grow at a pace it is ready for. With growth comes the demand for more security. Kevin says his top three areas he wants to focus on are education, youth and development. He wishes to strengthen the community and solve problems as a local unit. Additionally, since the area is just now blooming, his strategy is to look to other districts and see how they developed over the years. “Let’s not reinvent the wheel every time,” says Ballinger. He stresses how we should learn from each other’s mistakes to see what worked and what did not in terms of building up a society.
If you ask Kevin who he is, he will tell you that he is a man who is not afraid to think outside the box. He keeps moving forward with good intention and simply finds happiness in helping others. He knows that holding a position such as district representative entails chunks of responsibility, but his past careers have shaped him well for it. He says there is no instruction book on how to be a commissioner. You jump into the job knowing how to perform or not.
Elections for District 4 will take place in 2018. To help support Ballinger or learn more about him, you can follow his Facebook page or visit his website at www.kevinballinger.com.
