Student Spotlight: Kevin Kenna, UNC ’20

Our team at the Family Enterprise Center is checking in with students and family businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic and hope to stay connected as the crisis continues. We are inspired by the work our students are doing with their family businesses and would like to share some of these stories with our network.

This week’s student spotlight is on Kevin Kenna, the former alumni relations director for the Undergraduate Family Business Club, a 2020 KFBS graduate, and former student of our Family Business Class. Kevin’s father, Tom, founded Kenna Custom Painting in 1988. Kenna Custom Painting is based in Raleigh and provides interior and exterior painting services as well as wallcovering and special coatings.

During quarantine, Kevin has been home with his parents and four older brothers. He has had the opportunity to learn more about the family business from his parents and work alongside them. His parents have kept him involved with many family conversations in which important business decisions are made regarding the current pandemic, which Kevin says he greatly appreciates. Kevin also had the opportunity to help his Dad apply for the Paycheck Protection Program loan for small businesses.

Kevin is going to begin a training pipeline at Kenna Custom Painting in the upcoming weeks and he’ll start out in the field as a painter. Kevin reflected on this opportunity, “This way I’ll learn from the employees and the trade on how to do the job and run job sites.” Post-grad, Kevin plans to work for Lithko Contracting in project management on similar large-scale commercial projects as the family business, but in concrete instead of paint. Kevin is excited about this opportunity, as it will help him “better round his abilities and training to potentially bring back to the family business one day”.

We’re proud of you, Kevin!