Kevin Jameson

Kevin Jameson has walked on fire with Tony Robbins, run with the bulls in Pamplona, and even jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at 10,000 feet. Keynote speaker, presenter, author, inventor, and patent holder, Kevin has also crawled into the belly of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, eaten street food in the heart of a desert village in India and has gone into the Australian bush for a walkabout with his son, without so much as a guide or a map. It all started with what some might consider his most harrowing feat ... knocking on the doors of total strangers with an armful of light bulbs to sell at the tender age of 11. From that first introduction to cold calling on prospective clients, through his high school graduation, Kevin worked in all manner of jobs to figure out what he loved to do. In the end, Kevin racked up an impressive list of businesses and sales experiences. Starting as an advertising entrepreneur at age 19, then entering the electronic security industry, he founded and sold two companies, and worked throughout North America and around the globe for nearly 40 years, with industry leaders such as ADT, Bosch, GE and eventually spending the bulk of his global sales career at Honeywell, International. But wait, there's more! Kevin has studied with the best in person. Starting with Zig Zigler and his "See you at the Top!" sales training program, then Tom Hopkins, Og Mandino, Brian Tracey, David Sandler, and even Harvey MacKay and his "Swim with the Sharks." Plus, among others, he has studied Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) with its founder, Richard Bandler, the art of improvisational sales with Alan Arkin, Hot Button Selling with Paul Macauli. He has completed many of the long-standing Dale Carnegie Courses. His accolades include: winning the DECA Sales Presentation Excellence Award, a four-time winner of the Honeywell President's Club Award, and Honeywell Salesman of the Year. Kevin had the responsibility for growing his worldwide sales, regularly topping nearly 200 million dollars annually. But money was not his ultimate measure of success. When his first wife, Ginny, together for 32 years, developed Dementia, he provided years of primary caregiving and planning, trying to figure out the best ways for her to continue living a full life. Progression of her symptoms initially meant bringing in in-home care for a few hours a week, which over time, led to live-in care supplemented by him, eventually finding that her safety and comfort required even higher levels of support. After the heart-wrenching decision to move her to a full-time community, Kevin continued to care for her almost daily. She initially lived in a secure Dementia unit just a few miles from their home, moved to the general skilled nursing care after a few years, and finally to an inpatient hospice 30 minutes away. All this prepared him to understand better the entire journey of care many people living with Dementia and their circle of caregivers experience. When it came time, Kevin decided to leave his six-figure career to devote his days to the care of his wife until her passing. Today, Kevin has undertaken a new aspect of his life by launching the first, nationwide, all-volunteer nonprofit, the Dementia Society of America (DSA). Dedicated to increasing awareness in America to the broad spectrum of conditions that fall under the umbrella of Dementia, while helping those seeking local Dementia support services and help, find it. Most everything they do is done for free, mainly through the largess and generosity of individual donors and corporate contributions. A second big focus of their efforts is around creating more opportunities for people with Dementia, living in secure Dementia units and elsewhere, to enjoy a wider variety and a greater number of music & art activities to stimulate their brains and enrich their lives. And the third aspect of DSA's mission is to recognize caregivers and innovators that benefit the Dementia community. Dementia is a global epidemic affecting an estimated 9 million people in the U.S. and maybe five times as many around the globe. The Dementia Society of America gives back to those living with Dementia, their caregivers, and care partners, by enriching the quality of their lives. They shine a light on the fears and the unknowns – helping people take steps to get ahead of the curve, and as he says, "Create the best possible tomorrows by taking the most meaningful actions today." In 2016, Jameson was honored by his alma mater and asked to deliver the 50th-anniversary commencement speech, along with bestowing on him an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service for his life's body of work serving others.