More about Carl Kmiec Jr.

I was born and raised on the North-West side of Chicago, IL. I grew up near Cicero Ave. & Diversey Ave.  Both my parents worked most of my childhood, but still managed to keep us involved in many activities. My father worked as an Automotive Mechanic and Machinist and my mother worked at a local bank.  I was in Baseball, Day Camp (Chicago Park District), and Boy Scouts of America.  After a Catholic Education at St. Genevieve’s Parish I went to Holy Cross H.S. in River Grove, IL.

I was a mediocre student in both grammar school and High School. If I had a nickel for every time I heard “Carl has so much potential, if he would only apply himself.”  I seemed to pride myself on doing as little as possible to “get by”. Today I realize that all the work that went into “doing as little as possible”, in both Grammar School and H. S., was far more work than just doing the work assigned.  In HS I was involved in Soccer, Baseball, and the Bands: Concert, jazz and Marching, where I learned to play the Tenor saxophone.  With having middle-of-the-road grades, class rank, and SAT/ACT scores, I was declined entry to the three collages I chose to attend.  With not to many options and an urge to get away from my parents, I decided to join the US Navy.

During my Navy career, stationed in Norfolk, VA, I took part in a six month cruise of the Mediterranean Sea.  I was fortunate to be able to see Rome, Athens, and various other wonderful sites in my short time in the US armed Forces.  I worked on the USS Concord AFS-5, a supply ship with refrigeration. My work area happened to be in supply stocking and picking orders for other ships in a 10 degree below zero freezer. That quickly thought me how hard life can be in the “Real World”. After being release early, due to Clinton’s cut back of the military, I applied and was accepted to Northwestern Illinois University.  With my newly found motivation, not wanting to work like a slave the rest of my life like the time in the freezer, I found my studies to be pretty easy when applying myself, I guess them nuns were right!  During my time in collage I got a part-time job at UPS. There I did very well and was soon promoted to a part-time Supervisor position.  Finishing my time in collage, I ended up with a BA Degree in Geography and Environmental Studies, with a concentration in Resource Management and Development and a minor in Jazz performance.  Now that collage was over, I was looking for Full-Time work and opportunity at UPS which did not work out so I got a job at Consolidated Freightways, a LTL Trucking company, as a dispatcher.  This was an interesting transition, going from a Supervisor of 18-20 year old kids to grown men that have been driving trucks longer that I was alive. With that I did gain some great experience with managing and dealing with people of all sorts. Then the higher up’s at CF decided to close the doors of that company, so I was off looking for new opportunity’s and was pretty burnt out from the dispatch job.

I next fell back into the automotive repair field working at various places until finally securing a Job at the City of Chicago’s Fleet services.  At this position we work on various types of equipment such as: Garbage Trucks, Street Sweepers, Fire Trucks, Snow Removal Equipment, Tractors and Grass Cutting Equipment, Police Cars, ATV’s, etc.. This is the position I still hold today.  That concludes my work history.

In the midst of that I have been involved in helping out in various organizations.  After some bad decisions in my life, I have learned that working with others in a series of actions has been a much more fruitful experience with life and happiness. For years I just did what I wanted to do and that did not give any rewards, in the area of Peace, Happiness, and Serenity.  Today I am pretty busy with all that I have committed to, but these are all areas of helping and working with others, and such I have a much more meaningful and contented life than in years past.

Oct. 2008 I married my lovely wife.  We had been dating for 3-4 years before that.  We had a wonderful Honeymoon in Maui. Having got our certification to dive before leaving on our trip, we managed to get five SCUBA dives in on that wonderful vacation. We have always had a love for the Ocean and have kept Saltwater Aquariums for many years.  We have been heavily involved in the Salt Water Marine Aquarium industry for some time. We actually have a small home breeding operation raising Clownfish and a few other species of fish. I am currently the Vice-President of CMAS (Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society) and I have served on the Board of Directors for an International Fish Breeding Association whose mission was to help others learn to raise Marine animals to help ease the harvesting of animals from our oceans.  This is more than just a hobby to us and I give us great joy in helping others learn to breed fish at home and to have healthy and thriving Salt Water Aquariums.

Other organizations I am involved in include: Vice Post Commander at the American Legion, active member of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), active member in Wright Camera Club (A local Photography Club), active member in the Chicago FM Club (A local HAM Radio Club). All these positions and organizations are a great way to give back and help others in their hobby and lives by sharing this gift I have learned in the joys of helping other achieve their goals. In the midst of forgetting about myself and working with others I am able to achieve my goals in a seemingly effortless manner. Life is of extreme value today due to the thanks and gratitude I give to God on a daily bases.  I am confident I can share with you the gifts, ideas, tools and motivations to help you to Achieve your Goals, Ideas, and Dreams.  Through working together, networking, and helping each other, all our goals, Ideas, and dreams are possible and will happen rapidly if we strive forward on a series of actions to make them all reality. Find out how simple it is to work together making money part-time. Thank you for taking the time to read a little about my life.