Inspire your audience with a speaker they’ll Never Forget
KEVIN ENDURED THE BURNING
On September 11, 2001, Kevin was a Navy Lieutenant working in the Pentagon.
At 9:37 am that morning American Flight 77 crashed into building, killing many of his colleagues and severely burning Kevin over almost 50% of his body.
Today, Kevin shares his unforgettable story to connect with and inspire others to find significance in life's experiences, build resilience in facing adversity, discover meaning in the midst of suffering, and achieve success no matter the goal.
Throughout his life chapters, Kevin has sought to embody the thoughtful and powerful lessons shared over 60 years ago by Holocaust survivor Viktor E. Frankl in the book “Man’s Search For Meaning”. Lessons on perspective, attitude, appreciation, meaning, responsibility, success, and much more.
SERVICE
Kevin’s life story has many unique and inspiring chapters. His chapters of service began on the banks of the Severn River in Annapolis.
Graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994, Kevin answered the calls of duty and leadership, and embarked on a career that would demand determination, sacrifice, and resilience.
SACRIFICE
Kevin was working in the Pentagon’s Navy Command Center on 9/11. When American Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon it passed through his office space, destroying everything in its path and taking the lives of many fellow co-workers.
Miraculously, Kevin survived the initial explosion and while severely burned over nearly 50% of his body, managed to escape to relative safety.
At the Burn Unit he waged a grueling struggle to survive, flatlining in cardiac arrest twice, and was ultimately medically retired from military service.
RESILIENCE
Kevin fought hard to heal from his injuries, personally contribute to learning the lessons of 9/11, and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.
After a full recovery, he was selected to serve as one of 26 professional staff members on the National Commission On Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission.
Established by Congress and the President, the Commission was directed to examine the facts and circumstances of the attacks, identify lessons learned, and provide recommendations to safeguard against future acts of terrorism.
BACK IN THE ARENA
Following the 9/11 Commission, Kevin was determined to get back into the arena, and sought out service at the Central Intelligence Agency.
In short order, he was contributing in critical roles on our Nation’s highest priority Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation mission areas.
Kevin served as a member of the small team of dedicated Targeting Officers and analysts on the CIA’s “High Value Target 1” (HVT1) team that found Usama Bin Laden.
A STORY WORTH SHARING
In 2024, Kevin was asked to share, for the first time publicly, his experiences working on the CIA team tasked to lead the hunt for Usama Bin Laden.
LISTEN below to the CIA’s official Podcast The Langley Files.
This three-part, unclassified series, originally aired the week of 9/11, 2024.
From The Langley Files: “PART 1 - The 9/11 Survivor Turned CIA Usama Bin Laden Tracker”
“On the night of May 2nd, 2011, two helicopters flew low over darkened hills towards a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Inside the helicopters was a team of US Navy SEALs. Inside the compound was the most wanted man in the world. And hundreds of miles away, those with a “need to know” watched this highly sensitive operation unfold in real time – from the White House Situation room to the CIA and the Pentagon.
But for one such individual monitoring the operation against Usama Bin Laden that night, the events had a uniquely personal meaning. Because almost ten years earlier, he had stood in the C ring of the Pentagon when it was struck by a hijacked aircraft on September 11th, 2001.
He would fight to survive his injuries and endure throughout a harrowing recovery. He would become an investigator on the 9/11 Commission, seeking to understand the events behind the attacks. He would join CIA as a targeter—a high-tech detective searching mountains of data for actionable intelligence clues. And, ultimately, he would bring those skills to the HVT 1 team in CIA’s Counterterrorism Center—the CIA team dedicated to finding Usama Bin Laden. The CIA team whose work has made this operation against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader possible.
You might have heard of some of the individuals involved in the search for Bin Laden, but you haven’t yet heard this story. It’s the story of a 9/11 survivor turned CIA officer serving on the team tracking down the terrorist leader responsible for those attacks. And today on The Langley Files, you’re going to hear it, directly from him.”
Teams and Organizations
Kevin's life experiences offer valuable lessons to help teams and organizations achieve high-value impact.
In addition to his motivational keynote, Kevin can tailor presentations to include his unique, firsthand insights for all levels of your organization. Examples include:
“Don’t confuse effort with results” Lessons from the Hunt for Bin Laden for High-Performance Teams.
“Beyond Lessons Learned” ... Crafting a culture that continuously takes stock and applies informed insight for maximum impact.
Colleges and Youth
Kevin is passionate about sharing his life experiences to inspire youth of all ages, especially young adults in college. He has extensive experience in crafting age-appropriate keynotes and presentations to convey valuable life lessons on focus, direction, integrity, resilience, and overcoming adversity.
He’s a perfect choice if you have a college or high school event where you want to make an unforgettable impact.
Graduation Keynotes
Leadership Development Programs
“Living History” Programs
Character Counts Programs
Non-Profits and Charities
Kevin has extensive firsthand experience in what makes non-profit and charitable organizations successfull, and pitfalls to avoid.
In addition to his motivational keynote and Teams/Organizations topics, Kevin can deliver tailored presentations with impactful insights for all levels of your non-profit or charity.
Values, Vision, and Mission Alignment
Prioritize Your Culture To Elevate Your Impact
Trust Capital
Growth Strategies
Gain value from an experienced and entertaining speaker
Kevin takes pride in making your take-away goals his priorities.
He has presented hundreds of times (nationally and internationally) to small groups on up to over 40,000. In the years of sharing his story, Kevin has spoken to over 200,000 audience members.
He thrives on tailoring his remarks to the audience, ensuring his talks are relatable and inspiring to all.
Make a lasting impact
Kevin’s story is unforgettable, and he delivers a unique, living-history “wow” factor. His life experiences span important and riveting chapters in modern history, from surviving the September 11th attack on the Pentagon with critical burns over nearly 50% of his body, working on the 9/11 Commission, and serving on the CIA’s “High Value Target 1” (HVT1) team that found Usama Bin Laden. Create a lasting, positive impression on your audience as Kevin shares powerful lessons from his journey of service, sacrifice, and resilience.