Ken Etten has been a parishioner at St. Francis de Sales for about 35 years. He has been an important part of the history of St. Francis de Sales as well as pillar of the Lake Geneva community, generously donating his time and talents by sharing his knowledge of architecture and design.
A young architect in the ‘70s and ‘80s, he worked for 2 other firms before teaming up with Ron McCormack to start McCormack+Etten /Architects LLP in 1992. “I’ve always had an interest in history and historic buildings, including my home here in Lake Geneva…which was built around 1855.” He’s done a lot of projects on that home and has been the Chairman of the Lake Geneva Historic Preservation Commission for 20 years. His firm has worked on a number of historic structures including the Riviera, the Geneva Lake Museum, Horticultural Hall, a number of downtown retail buildings, several lakefront estates, and more! Ken and his wife, Diane, have two daughters, Emily and Ashley and have lived in Lake Geneva since 1983.
Ken has served in many volunteer positions at SFDS, including the past 20 years with the Buildings and Grounds committee! He has taken part in a number of “hands on” projects including the remodeling of the old Convent into classrooms and helping to build the upper playground. He participated in a lot of school parent volunteer positions when his daughters were in grade school at SFDS including playground duty, working in the kitchen for fundraisers, and serving on the school board. Probably his major contribution was acting as the architect when the Parish Center was built in 1993. He designed it, tweaked it, and oversaw the construction. “…The best part of being an Architect is seeing people using and enjoying a building that you were a part of creating and reminding yourself that this started as an idea in your head!” For many years the School Gym served as the gym, cafeteria, and Parish Hall for both school and parish events, causing major scheduling problems. Building a Parish Hall had been discussed for a number of years, and Father Dave Braun took the lead to start a capital campaign. While there were several conflicting points of view (the need for a new school gym vs. a parish hall), Fr. Dave always emphasized that we were a “faith community” and that our highest priority was to provide gathering and meeting spaces to serve those within the parish and the community. “The Parish came together and raised over $1 million to build the current Parish Hall and Father Dave’s dream became a reality, and, as demonstrated by its constant use, fulfilled his vision of serving the St. Francis Community.” Most recently, Ken has been working tirelessly on Project 2017, helping with the design and architectural drawings of the church restoration project. “I’m very excited to see the final results of the renovation and in seeing this historic church returned to its original character and style.”
How does his Catholic faith affect his life? “In my personal life, it guides me in how I treat my family and other people I know and meet. In my professional life, it impacts how I deal with my employees, clients and tradesmen. I often think of when my daughter Emily went to Marquette University and the first time I saw their school motto—BE THE DIFFERENCE. Making a difference in other people’s lives and in the world around us is the best way to put our faith into practice!” Thank you Ken, for “being the difference” in all that you have done and continue to do for St. Francis de Sales Parish!