When first meeting Ken Ostini, his six foot plus stature is rather imposing, but his friendly, warm manner and easy banter quickly expose his love for Lompoc as well as his long history in our community.  My interactions with Ken initially looked to be short lived.  He became the CEO of the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce as my time on the board came to an end, hardly allowing us to learn each other’s name. Fortunately for me, a short time later, our paths crossed again and again on a regular basis as I was able to work with him for several years on different activities within our valley. 

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Ken over a cup of tea for him and coffee for me.  I thanked him for all he had taught me about our community, it’s history and for the gift of support he had given me in our time of working together.  Having someone believe in your vision and cheer you on through the execution, challenges and successes is something I wish for everyone to experience at least once in their life.  As our conversation continued to all things Lompoc I learned more about Ken, who he is and what the influences in his life have been.

Born in Lompoc of two longtime Lompoc farming families, the Ostini’s and Collier’s, Ken was the was the youngest of three children.  He describes himself as being shy and reserved as a youngster, as well as average compared to his siblings.  I found this fascinating as these are definitely not adjectives that come to mind when I think of Ken.  He said it was in going to Allan Hancock College and playing baseball there, being invited to play on the Santa Maria Indians by General Manager Scoop Nunes, joining the Army and in developing some close friendships that he was able to observe how extroverts operated.  Through these relationships he learned to be more comfortable in public settings and he fondly recalls the camaraderie he enjoyed with his fellow teammates on the Indians. Ken, however, describes himself as a mediocre baseball player and truly believes it was only because of Scoop’s confidence in him that he experienced the success he had on the team that year.   

From college Ken joined the military where he developed his independence and ability in decision making.  He graduated near the top of his unit from basic training, affording him the opportunity to go to Leadership School in Georgia and then continued to seek out leadership roles throughout his three year tour of duty.  He also credits the military ‘with helping him come out of his shell’ because he was forced into public speaking as part of his duties.  Though he claims it is still not something he feels completely comfortable with, I have seen Ken at many public functions, microphone in hand, appearing to be quite at ease as he chats with the audience.  This gives me hope that sometime in the future I too, may be able to hold a microphone without my hand and voice shaking.  It was during his time working for the Air Force at Vandenberg he met Lt. Col. Smoot, someone who still inspires him today to be a role model and to think of how to benefit the people involved rather than personal gain when accomplishing things.  It was also Lt. Col. Smoot, that through his leadership, showed Ken the importance of having a plan in place that is flexible and adaptable to the immediate needs presented while keeping in mind the long-term goal. This was one of the many lessons I learned from Ken and value to this day.  

Ken shared with me the most inspirational experience in his life was the birth of his children and lovingly speaks of how he was present for each occasion.  He also spoke of how after having children the world became a different place with his focus shifting from himself to them and while there were hard times, he wouldn’t change a thing. Finding himself divorced he treasured the time he spent with his children, prioritizing their needs over his and learning how to cook, something he now does for pleasure.  For Ken, family is a priority and he stated many times as we talked ‘I am a firm believer in family, no matter what’ but this I already knew from listening as he talked about his parents, siblings, children and grandchildren over the years.

Surprisingly for me, it was the experience of working at the Chamber and with the community that Ken considers life changing and bringing him to the place he is today.  Having worked in the government sector most of his life, this was a complete change and not something he had considered.  He had grown tired, however, of the governmental bureaucracy and he contemplated retiring from the government, possibly pursuing opportunities in law enforcement or agriculture, the two areas he had some experience in.  About that time he heard of the opening for the Chamber CEO position and on impulse threw together a resume, had a phone interview, then a personal interview and was ultimately offered the position.  He accepted with the idea of becoming a cheerleader for the Lompoc Valley stating ‘If it’s good for the Lompoc Valley I want to be involved in it.’  I would argue that he became THE Cheerleader of the Lompoc Valley and the rest of us were along for the ride.  

As Lompoc’s cheerleader Ken has found his voice in serving on the Planning Commission, Military Affairs Committee, School Board, Youth Leadership Lompoc Valley, Parks & Rec Commission, Elks Scholarship Committee, Veteran’s Stand Down Committee, numerous other community groups and was instrumental in helping establish Explore Lompoc.  In addition he enjoys speaking with youth groups and children at elementary schools, expressing the importance of giving back to your community and sharing your knowledge and experiences.   He reminds them ‘The one thing I want you to remember that this is all being done by volunteers.  I see a lot of organizations falling apart because younger people are not volunteering, so as you start your careers and families remember to give back to your community.’ 

Throughout our discussion Ken consistently wove his family into the conversation and it was no surprise when he stated his family were his heroes.  First and foremost were his parents who taught him the meaning of community through their actions on the ranch and how they assisted other ranch families when there was need.  The distance between properties didn’t matter.   What mattered was they were part of the ranching community.  He also spoke of the unconditional support his mother showed him throughout his life and how much that meant to him. In addition to his parents, his brother Ed and his sister Donica, where people he looked up to when he was younger and Donica has continued to be an inspiration and a model to him with her dedication to education as a teacher for over 30 years in the agriculture and the beekeeping community in Chico.  As Ken said, ‘It is always family.’

For Ken, however, family is more than those that are related by birth and genetics.  Family is community and in Ken’s case I am grateful it is the Lompoc community.  I am also grateful for the time I spent working beside Ken and having the opportunity to learn so much about life from him.   ~♥~