Great Good People of MLT: Ken Flannell

March 29, 2023

Is Ken Flannell a whiz with numbers and budgets? Yes, of course: He is the treasurer of the Mendocino Land Trust Board of Trustees, after all. Heidi Sorenson, our Chief Financial Officer, sings his praises all the time and recently showed off a spreadsheet he produced for her that was easy to read, helpful and well-researched. “He does this for us in his spare time!” she said, awestruck. The spreadsheet in question was about responsible investing; he’s a numbers guy with a conscience.

Is Ken Flannell a lifelong and determined outdoors enthusiast? Absolutely. “My favorite wild place in the Mendocino area is the Lost Coast. I’ve made three backpacking trips there, and it is so cool to camp on a wild part of the California Coast. My absolute favorite is the high Sierra around Yosemite and Sequoia. I have enjoyed many backpacking trips there. I’d go with my Dad as a kid and a young man, and more recently with three friends who get together every year.”

He’s those things, but what you may not realize is that we should also call him “Slugger.” This January, Ken got to attend San Diego Padres fantasy camp, which was a dream. It was a baseball dream that was almost postponed after he had not one, but two heart surgeries to correct a leaky valve. Unfortunately, ever the overachiever, the first surgery worked too well and his heart overcorrected. He had to have another procedure to fix the new problem, but his primary concern was getting back in shape for fantasy camp. Luckily, his doctor was on board and moved up his surgery so he could still attend. Boy, did he attend: he won a coach’s award during the camp, handed out by former Padres catcher Nick Hundley, and inspired the rest of his teammates.

Way to go, Slugger! We are so lucky to have you on our team.

To learn more about Ken’s baseball journey, check out this report! (It might be worth grabbing some tissue before you press play.)

If, like Ken, you would like to help us protect more of Mendocino County, please sign up to volunteer at our website; feel free to let us know if you would like more information about becoming a member of MLT’s Board of Trustees.