The men on the cover of The Kendall Gentleman, and the stories behind them, from the first issue in February 2025 to the latest.
When you sit with Jerry McKenna, time slows down in the best way. The man has lived enough for three lifetimes, and he talks about each one with a steadiness that comes from earned peace. His voice is gentle, his memory sharp, and his stories roll out one after another with the calm of someone … Read more
If you drive east of Boerne, where the land begins to rise and the trees crowd closer to the road, you’ll see a stretch of fence that tells you exactly who lives there. Simple white signs with bold red letters, speaking the kind of truths that make people honk, grin, and nod their heads. They … Read more
Across decades and battlefields, veterans have shaped the character of our nation and our communities. From the young men storming Normandy’s beaches to those navigating modern conflicts across the globe, their courage, sacrifice, and leadership inspire us all. In Kendall County and beyond, these men and women have answered the call, whether on foreign soil … Read more
Ken Nietenhoefer likes to say he’s lived six different lives. He even wrote them down once, in a manuscript he calls My 6 Lives. But listening to him tell it, those chapters don’t sit neatly side by side. They stack on each other, like wood grain running through a beam, all adding up to the … Read more
In the heart of Kendall County, Texas, where the Hill Country’s rugged beauty meets the warmth of community, a simple coffee shop stands as a testament to faith’s transformative power. Barker and Wortman Coffee is more than a place for a morning brew; it’s a sanctuary where an eight-foot cross looms on the wall, a … Read more
When Andy Ivankovich first drove down Mill Dam Road in Comfort, Texas, he wasn’t looking for a vineyard. Truth is, he’d never even tasted Texas wine. What he sought was just a quiet slice of the Hill Country, somewhere to clear brush on weekends with his kids and let his mind rest from years of … Read more
Cody Davenport isn’t the kind of CEO who spends his days behind a desk, distant from the work that drives the heart of his organization. Instead, the leader of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is a hands-on, boots-in-the-dirt Texan who can often be found alongside volunteers, loading livestock, or training with his staff … Read more
Born in San Antonio to a family deeply rooted in military tradition, Collins Martin’s life is a testament to service, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to community. His father and maternal grandfather both served in the U.S. Air Force, and when his grandfather retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the late 1960s, he established a … Read more
In a cluttered workshop buzzing with welding torches and reverberating with the sound of grinders against metal, you’ll find Dorman Vick in his natural element, patiently mentoring his students through sparks and steel. Yet, the journey that brought him to this workshop, becoming a cornerstone of vocational education in Boerne, Texas, began far from this … Read more
Early Life and Education Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Ron Martinelli’s path to becoming one of America’s leading forensic criminologists was anything but ordinary. A scholastic All-American in track and field, Martinelli was a sprinter with ambitions of competing in the 1972 Olympics, boasting a 9.4-second 100-yard dash. His athletic … Read more