Laurie and Kevin McChesney

This month we’re delighted to highlight Preferred Properties, a.k.a. Laurie and Kevin McChesney, who’ve been Corporate Sponsors of the Friends of the Key West Library since the beginning of our program. We asked Laurie about their roots in Key West, why they’d chosen the Friends in their charitable giving, and what she’s reading now.

“As young newlyweds, Kevin and I wanted to live in Key West for a few years. We assumed we’d move back up north at some point, but Key West became our community. We stayed and raised our two sons here. Kevin was renovating houses, and I was selling real estate. In 1995 we started Preferred Properties and have enjoyed meeting and working with incredible people many of whom became like family. 

The library provides everyone access to books and reading. The Friends offers the library an opportunity to expand those options and offer special events and programs that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. Key West is so fortunate to have an excellent library with an active support community in the Friends.

Currently I’m reading Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir and listening to The Irish Goodbye. Other books I loved include All the Light We Cannot See, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Midnight Library, Cutting for Stone, The Martian. When I was in grade school the librarian encouraged me to read biographies, and I still remember some of my favorites from those days.”

The Friends are so grateful for the generosity of Laurie and Kevin McChesney and Preferred Properties!