Ben K. Kacyra

Mr. Kacyra is a founding director of KFF and currently serves on its Human Energy and Heritage committees in addition to having served as the board's immediate past President.

Mr. Kacyra's business career has included founding several corporations engaged in diverse businesses including high technology manufacturing and software, consulting engineering and construction services, and real estate development and asset management. Currently, Mr. Kacyra is a principal in the Kacyra Group Inc., a corporation engaged in asset management and real estate development with operations in Northern California, Nevada and Hawaii.

As CEO and cofounder of Cyra Technologies, Mr. Kacyra oversaw the development and production of a fully integrated laser 3D imaging, mapping, modeling, and CAD system and holds several patents relating to that development. Cyra was acquired by Leica Geosystems in 2001 and Mr. Kacyra remained on its board of directors through March of 2004.

Prior to Cyra, Mr. Kacyra was CEO of Cygna Corporation, an engineering and construction management firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area which he co-founded in 1973. Under his leadership, Cygna became one of the top 80 engineering companies in the United Sates. In 1989 Cygna's engineering business was acquired by a major AEC design and construction firm.

Mr. Kacyra's activities have also included serving on the University of Illinois President's Council and on the Board of Trustees of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Mr. Kacyra and his wife have three grown children and one grandson.

Mr. Kacyra holds a MS degree in engineering from the University of Illinois.