Kenneth N. Cates, SASHE, CHC (Immediate Past President)

Principal, Northstar Management Company, St. Louis, Mo.

As co-founder of Northstar Management Company, Ken brings 38 years of experience to the Northstar team. In this capacity, he serves as a project principal on Northstar projects. He has worked on more than 1,000 projects lifetime, representing a cumulative value of more than $2.5 billion.

Ken is a renowned speaker for education conferences and programs on the project process. He has been actively involved for many years with FGI, serving on the Health Guidelines Revision Committee in addition to his board service.

Ken earned his Bachelor of Science in construction engineering at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville (SIU-E) and completed the civil engineering curriculum at Washington University in St. Louis.

In 2009 Ken was honored with the Crystal Eagle Award from the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), which recognizes an outstanding ASHE member for excellent leadership qualities, innovation, and overall contribution to ASHE and the field of health care facility management. In 2012 he was inducted into the SIU-E Alumni Hall of Fame.