Don Kennedy is a resident of Makaha Valley on Oahu, Hawaii and a longtime resident of Nevada: Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe. He's a three-time published time author or as the infamous W.C. Fields referred to writers, "scrivener." He has been writing most of his life. He's a member of the Hawaii Writer's Guild. An interview/book reading is featured on YouTube, "Inside the Writer's Studio" episode 25, with Host Eila Algood for the Hawaii Writer's Guild. He has three published books, Kids Say The Darndest Things To Santa Claus Volume 1, 2 and 3. All 3 books have received several awards and five-star review ratings. Volume 4, the final, will combine all 3 books into 1 and is set to be published in the fall of 2023.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Kennedy is a graduate of Concordia College, Milwaukee, studying the ministry. He began writing as Editor of his high school newspaper and sports reporter for the local city newspaper. Kennedy was a Congressional Page in the U.S. House of Representatives for then House Foreign Relations Chairman Congressman Clement J. Zablocki, a staff assistant to Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Martin J. Schreiber and an elected member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.
He was a radio and TV broadcaster and print editor/publisher for more than a decade. Kennedy was a city editor and sports editor for the Henderson Homes News and Boulder City News, reporter for the Pahrump Valley Times, editor of Vegarama, Las Vegas Top Spots, Las Vegas Sports News and Las Vegas Pizazz magazine, publisher/editor of Going Places/Southwest Traveler magazine and feature writer for Valley Electric's Ruralite magazine. He was a radio personality on KVOV and KREL radio stations plus hosted a syndicated travel radio program, "Going Places," on the local NBC Talk Radio station. He provided voice-overs and commercial broadcasting on several TV stations.
For the next 35 years, Kennedy was a casino marketing executive with titles of manager, director, vice president, corporate vice president, AGM and CMO in seven states: Nevada, California, Oregon, New Mexico, Louisiana, Indiana and Oklahoma.
He has served as a judge for the prestigious Romero Awards plus been a guest speaker/lecturer at numerous seminars, conferences, conventions and several universities. His final nine years in the gaming/resort industry was as Player Development Manager at Primm Valley Casino & Resorts, part of Affinity Gaming. A Roast/Toast celebrating his career was held in 2015 and is available on You Tube titled "Don Kennedy Roast Primm 2015."
Kennedy enjoys travel, especially where there are lakes and oceans. He has been an active member and officer of the NFL Alumni Association for two decades as an Associate Member. He's a proud uncle to two nieces, a nephew, great niece and great nephew, and has two brothers.
Kennedy's nickname is "The Phantom," given to him by mentor and renowned casino marketing guru John Romero, because no one could keep track of him with his casino hospitality career constantly moving him around the country. Where he would land, nobody knew. Don's other nickname, "Makaha" is revealed in Volume 3.
His passion, every December for the past 25 years, has been serving as a volunteer Santa Claus for all those who needed him and "giving back."