MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: 
Kim Ballew

  • Hometown: Ottawa, Illinois, now Spring, TX
  • Campus: UIUC
  • Illinois Degree(s) & Major(s): B.S. Business Administration (Organizational Administration)
  • Year of Illinois graduation: 2001
  • Favorite UI Memory: Having front row ""seats"" to the football & basketball games as an Illinette
  • Favorite Place on Campus: Halftime on the football field
  • Favorite Illini athlete: The 1999-2000 basketball team, well... the 2000-2001 also! (Honestly, it's a toss up! I DID love Lon Krueger as our head coach!)
  • Favorite class at Illinois: Any of the dance classes I took as electives
  • Favorite UIUC Bar/Restaurant: Joe's Brewery, which helped pay my tuition as one of my employers
  • Moved to Houston: 2001
  • What brought you to Houston: I wanted to move somewhere warmer than the midwest, and my sister and her husband were moving here for their careers. So - I came as soon as I graduated and started looking for my first job in HR.
  • Favorite things About Houston: I love that you can experience all the benefits of a big city without having to LIVE in the ""big city"" - and the people / diversity is amazing.
  • Favorite places in Houston: So many fun things we do around home as a family and for my own hobbies (kids activities, church, dance, etc.), getting out on the boat in Galveston Bay, seeing The Houston Ballet perform
  • Occupation: HR Vice President - Talent, Experience & HR Transformation at The Freeman Company
  • Something special about me: In the last year, I've returned to dance after a twenty-year break. You can now find me in a dance class or rehearsal ALMOST every day (in my ""spare"" time, HA!) and performing with our local theatre and dance program - DPAC. Upcoming performances include The Wizard of Oz musical and halftime at a Houston Dash game. I also love the many ways there are to serve in our community. The organization that stole my heart many years ago, and where I serve on the board of directors, is The Nehemiah Center, located near the Museum District, which is on a mission to provide assistance to low income families who are invested in seeking a better future for their children through education, emotional wellness and spiritual enrichment.
  • How to get in contact: LinkedIn

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