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Ken is married to the former Maura Mathews of Holden. They have two children, Jonathan, 13, and Patrick, 11 who attend Mountview Middle School, where Ken and Maura are active parents. Always interested in community service, Ken worked with Project Safe Place in Worcester and served on the city’s Cable Television Commission. After moving to Holden, Ken served on the Holden District Commission and took an active role in campaigns to support funding for the Wachusett Regional School District. At present he serves as Holden’s representative on the Board of Directors of the Worcester Tree Initiative and is working with many other citizens to develop new recreational facilities for the town. For several years Ken sold Christmas trees to help support Dawson School. He also assists with Boy Scouts and has coached junior basketball. Since 2005, he has directed the local YAHOO program through which young people provide services for Holden’s senior citizens. Ken was elected to the Holden Board of Selectman in 2004 and was re-elected in 2007. In his two terms on the Board, Ken has worked hard to support funding for public services and has often led the fight to ensure adequate funding for public education. He helped save Rice School from expensive demolition and secured its renovation into taxable property. Selectman O'Brien has helped secure federal grants for equipment for the police and fire departments, and he led the difficult fight to win public support for a badly needed public safety building. He stopped an ill-advised project to develop drinking water from long contaminated wells, and he helped persuade the Board to separate the positions of Town Manager and Manager of the Municipal Light Department. Ken devotes much of his time to Holden citizens, discussing their problems and encouraging more people to become active in civic affairs. Ken understands that the budget realities for cities and towns mean that basic decisions about education and public services now depend heavily on what happens in state government. As a State Representative, he will work to ensure that the First Worcester District has a more effective voice in the places where those decisions are made. Ken has worked closely with Congressman James McGovern, Governor Deval Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Senator Harriet Chandler, and brother Joe O’Brien, the newly elected mayor of Worcester. He will partner with other reform-minded members of the legislature to ensure governmental transparency, accountability, and fiscal restraint. He will help guarantee that the basic public services he fought so hard for in Holden are available to all in the 1st Worcester District.
Biography
Kenneth J. "Ken" O'Brien was born and raised in Worcester. He attended Worcester Public Schools and graduated from Doherty High School. In 1986 he received a B.A. in Political Science from St. Michael's College in Vermont. After two years as an account manager at Worcester Business Journal, Ken launched his own business, O'Brien Home Services. He has owned and managed his own roofing business for 22 years. He married Maura Mathews of Holden, and they have two children, Jonathan, 13, and Patrick, 11. The boys attend Mount View Middle School. For several years Ken sold Christmas trees to help support the Dawson Elementary School PTA. He assists with Boy Scouts and has coached junior basketball. Since 2005 he has directed the local YAHOO program through which young people provide services for Holden's senior citizens.
After moving to Holden in 1990, Ken served on the Holden District Commission and took an active role in campaigns to support funding for the Wachusett Regional School District. At present he serves as Holden's representative on the Board of Directors of the Worcester Tree Initiative and he is working with a group of Holden residents to renovate the Chaffins Recreation Association property.
In 2004 Ken was elected to the Holden Board of Selectman; he was re-elected in 2007. In his two terms on the Board, Ken has worked hard to support funding for public services and he has often led the fight to insure adequate funding for public education. He helped save Rice School from expensive demolition and secure its renovation into taxable property. He helped secure federal grants for equipment for the police and fire departments, and he led the difficult fight to win public support for a badly needed public safety building. He stopped an ill-advised project to create a drinking water source from long contaminated commercial property, and he helped persuade the Board to separate the positions of Town Manager and Manager of the Municipal Light Department. Holden has at times been divided over building projects, taxes and personalities, so Ken's work in support of public education, and to secure greater transparency and accountability in town government sometimes aroused controversy. In response Ken O'Brien devotes much of his time to meeting Holden citizens, discussing problems with them, and attempting to draw more people into an active role in civic affairs.
Ken O'Brien understands that the budget realities for cities and towns mean that basic decisions about education and public services now depend heavily on what happens in state government. As State Representative he will work to insure that the First Worcester District has a more effective voice in the places where those decisions are made. His work in support of Congressman McGovern, Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray, a boyhood friend, and Senator Harriet Chandler, along with his work with his brother, Worcester Mayor Joe O'Brien, insures that Ken will have strong partners as he works for the District. He will try his best to use his experience and his positive relationships with other public officials to represent all the people of the district. He will work with other reform minded members of the legislature to insure in state government the transparency, accountability, fiscal restraint and attention to real needs and basic public service that he fought so hard for in Holden. He asks your help.
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