Ken Trezek

Ken Trezek. Photo courtesy of NEWaukee.

Where do you work and what makes your role awesome?

I began working at Kohler Company as an HVAC engineer in June of 2016. This is by far the best role I could have entered straight out of school. I’m surrounded by highly experienced individuals that are always willing to share their expertise to help me develop as an engineer. What makes my role great is no day ever repeats itself; each new project brings different adversities which may have more than one path to a solution. I feel that if I’m constantly being challenged I will be put in the best position to grow as a young professional, and Kohler provides a great learning atmosphere. Even though I have only been in the industry for a little over seven months I feel my input is valued. It’s fulfilling when you have the chance to bounce ideas off people who have been in the industry for twenty plus years in a setting that promotes creative thinking; it helps establish your own design style.

How long have you lived in Milwaukee and what brought you here?

Technically I have been living in Milwaukee for almost five years now. I came up here in 2012 to attend Marquette University and have been here ever since. I grew up in one of the many Chicago suburbs where the nightlife didn’t necessarily sell me in sticking around a suburban area. After going to Marquette I knew I wanted to stay downtown in a more urban setting. I guess I became accustomed to the Milwaukee night life and didn’t really want to leave the downtown activities the city has to offer.

What do you love most about Milwaukee?

I have found one of Milwaukee’s best qualities is the freedom to be spontaneous. One of my favorite things to do is start a Saturday with a group of friends in the third ward without a plan and just see where the day takes you. There will always be something to do, good food and drinks, and interesting people to meet even without a set day schedule.

Comet Café. Great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I can safely say I’ve never had a bad meal here. On Sundays, if you order a drink they give your table endless bacon until they run out…so this alone shows how cool this place is. They like to change their menu up every now which brings awesome new options to the table. Highly recommend if you’ve never had a chance to pop in.

What is your favorite Milwaukee tradition?

Summerfest has to be my favorite Milwaukee tradition by far as I’m a big fan of live music. I like bouncing from stage to stage in the summer to check out some of the smaller bands. I’ve stumbled upon several great bands/artists this way that I normally would never have thought to listen to.

What neighborhood do you live in and why do you love it?

I currently live in the Pabst (The Brewery) neighborhood. I really enjoy how the area is particularly quiet without a lot of traffic; not to mention the neighborhood is on top of a hill, which gives great views down to Milwaukee. My apartment is also really close to the heart of downtown so I find myself within walking distance of most places I go or if not a quick five minute UBER ride. There is also a restaurant down the street called Jackson’s Pub which is a rather convenient place to grab a drink and some food if I don’t feel like going out anywhere. I think this will be one of the new upcoming places to live with all the new infrastructure the Milwaukee Bucks are putting in right down the street. I’m sure new businesses and restaurants will be soon to follow.