When you talk to Kevin Guillen, one thing becomes immediately clear: connection isn't just part of his job at Ziply Fiber—it's the thread that runs through his entire life.
Kevin is our Gresham Community Development Manager. Community Development Managers (CDMs) are the local face of our company and care deeply about connecting with the local community. They build trust by engaging with local organizations and community leaders, sponsoring events and volunteering. Kevin was recently recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and he accepts the honor with humility and a "what's next?" attitude. That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. Behind Kevin is a profound personal commitment to learning about how communities are built, and how they might be rebuilt through small acts and steady service.
"I lived in South Central L.A., but I went to school in Beverly Hills," he says. "I was switching back and forth between two totally different worlds every single day. And I noticed all the ways they intersected; how much people actually had in common when you looked closely."
It was that early exposure to differences—and the desire to connect communities—that defined Kevin's mission in service. Whether it's mentoring students through the Chamber's School to Career initiative, a partnership between the Hillsboro School District and the Washington County Chamber that connects high school students with real-world career experiences, public speaking at a community gathering or acting as a representative on small business' behalf, Kevin sees every opportunity as a means through which to make individuals feel seen, heard and valued.
That's what Kevin takes with him to every school, every conversation. And that's why children hear what he's saying. He doesn't come to speak over them—he comes because he believes in them. "Every student provides me with a sense of what's interesting to them," he explains. "I attempt to give them advice in a straightforward manner, based on my personal experience, so that they won't feel lost or that someone's not explaining things to them correctly."
That warm, genuine tone is what gives Kevin's work such force and what brings it all back around to his day job at Ziply Fiber. Sure, the infrastructure we're creating may be technical in scope, but the effect is deeply human—just like the local connections Kevin helps foster in Washington County and other areas he serves like Gresham through events like the Gresham Farmers Market, Music Mondays at Gresham Arts Plaza, and the annual Back to School event.
"We're a connection business. Fiber internet isn't just about wires and speed; it's about access to opportunity, education, jobs and to each other," Kevin emphasizes. "That's what gets me going. That we can be a business in ways that actually empower people's lives."
And when pressed for how he squeezes it all in to balance work with all the volunteering, Kevin says it's not a matter of fitting one into another, for him, it's a matter of alignment. "I get to do my vocation—serving communities—both inside Ziply Fiber and outside. It's all part of the same story."
So, what does he say to others who want to make a difference but have no idea how to start? "Take one step. Email someone. Call them. Just ask if there's something you can help with. Or create something if you notice something nobody's working on. Once you connect with what matters to you, the pieces start falling into place."
Volunteering isn't about certificates of appreciation or boxes to check for Kevin. Volunteering is about connection—between communities, between generations and between all the ways in which we live and work together.
For more information about how Ziply Fiber gives back to local communities, please visit our community page.
