Ken Ellis was born and grew up in the small North Central Texas town of Mexia. He holds a business degree from Abilene Christian University and received his MBA from Southern Methodist University. He also did post graduate work at the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, AZ. As a young boy, he always had a wanderlust to travel the world. His dream came true while working as a Contract Negotiator with Rockwell International and the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco). He and his young family lived in the Eastern city of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia for seven years in the 1980's where he was Manager of Contracting for the Saudi Consolidated Electric Company. He retired from Saudi Aramco after 22 years of service. Ken is a fifth generation Texan. His great- great-grandfather, George T. Wood, was the second governor of Texas from 1847 to 1849 and was a regimental colonel in the Mexican War. Ken enjoys writing, photography, sail planing, and working with his church. He and his wife live in Wichita, KS so they can be near their daughter's family which includes their four grandchildren.