Ken Bohan
Kenneth J. Bohan is an American recruiting executive. He is best known as founder of The Liberty Group, a Texas-based staffing and recruiting firm. Bohan is a sitting member of the City of Houston Planning Commission who was appointed by Mayor Annise Parker and unanimously approved by the City Council. Bohan is also the recipient of multiple lifetime achievement awards from the personnel and apartment industries. Early life. Bohan was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is the only child of Cecilia (Laufersweiler) Bohan, a dietician and stay-at-home mother, and Kenneth E. Bohan , a pediatrician. Bohan attended parochial schools John Carroll Elementary and Bishop McGuinness High before enrolling at Washington University. As a sophomore, Bohan transferred to Central State University (now known as the University of Central Oklahoma), where he received a B.S. degree. Early career. Bohan worked in a funeral home for six months before asking a college friend for help finding a job in property management. At age 21 he was named Vice President of Property Management despite no experience in real estate management. In 1977, Bohan again made a career change. After being offered a job as a personnel consultant  by an agency he approached to help him find a new position, Bohan decided to open his own personnel agency. The Liberty Group. Bohan founded The Liberty Group in 1977 and opened for business with one employee on January 2, 1978, to provide direct hire placements to the Houston apartment industry. The company was named after the Liberty National Bank and Trust Company, which was the largest bank in Oklahoma City at the time. In addition, according to Bohan the new company "...provided me my entrée into business as an entrepreneur, 'my liberty.'" Executive search services. During The Liberty Group 's early years Bohan expanded the company's services to provide national executive search and direct hire for commercial real estate. In the early 2000s, the company opened a new division recruiting for IT positions. In 2005, the company opened a banking executive search division focused on commercial banking and SBA positions. Temporary staffing services. In 1990, Bohan opened a temporary staffing division focused on the Houston apartment industry. The firm opened additional Texas offices, expanding to Dallas in 2006, San Antonio in 2008, Austin in 2009, and Arlington in 2013. The company expanded on a national scale in 2014 , opening apartment staffing offices in Washington, DC, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham (Research Triangle), and Orlando. Liberty Screening Services. In 1995, Bohan and a business partner, Mary Hubbell, opened a new venture, Liberty Screening Services. This company conducts national pre-employment background screening and drug testing. United Global Solutions. In 2011, Bohan and a business partner, Gary Wood, opened a new venture, United Global Solutions. This contract and direct hire recruiting firm focuses on five industries: business intelligence and analytics, accounting and finance, oil and gas, geosciences, and IT. Houston Planning Commission. After serving on two election committees for Mayor Annise Parker , Bohan asked the mayor for additional ways in which he could serve the City of Houston. On June 13, 2012, both Bohan and Eileen Subinsky were named by Mayor Annise Parker to the Houston Planning Commission. According to the Commission, Bohan's responsibilities include "...review[ing] and approv[ing] subdivision and development plats. The Commission also studies and makes recommendations to City Council on development issues in Houston." Notable lifetime achievement awards. Harold B. Nelson Memorial Award. In 2001, Bohan was awarded the Harold B. Nelson Memorial Award by the National Association of Personnel Services. The Nelson Award is the highest individual  honor presented to an individual by NAPS. According to the organization, the award is given to "...that person/persons who has most distinguished himself/herself in the course of a lifetime of service to the private placement industry, or as a result of a specific action in a given year." The award is not given every year; instead, it is only conferred when NAPS deems an individual's accomplishments worthy of the award. Houston Apartment Association Lifetime Achievement Award. On August 23, 2012, The Houston Apartment Association awarded Bohan its Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his numerous contributions to the multifamily  industry. Prior to the presentation of the award, Houston Apartment Association President Jenifer Paneral cited Bohan's "tireless dedication and contributions to the industry and the association" over more than 40 years. As additional evidence for his award, Mayor Annise Parker also said, "Ken Bohan has an impressive list of accomplishments that reflect his passion for community service... His steadfast involvement in the community has made an impression on us all, and we know Houston is a better city with residents like Ken around." Typically, the Houston Apartment Association recognizes a member of the apartment industry with its annual award . Bohan's award was only the fourth time in 52 years that a supplier to the apartment industry had been so recognized.