More Than Maintenance: Meet Chris McKinney

For more than 16 years, Chris McKinney has been a familiar and trusted face for CAHEC Management. As a maintenance technician, Chris is known for his reliability, kindness, and willingness to lend a helping hand. But beyond his work orders and toolbelt, many residents also know him for another incredible talent: his artwork.

Chris first discovered his artistic abilities in elementary school, where he won several art awards as a child. “People always knew me as the kid who could draw,” he shared. For him, art became both an outlet and a way to connect with others at a young age. After high school, Chris stepped away from drawing for many years as life became busy with work and family responsibilities. He began his career building houses, eventually expanding his skills into plumbing, electrical work, and maintenance trades during shifts in the housing market. “I've always been handy,” he said. In 2010, during a particularly difficult season of life, Chris found himself reconnecting with the creative passion he had left behind. “I remembered how much I loved drawing, so I picked it back up again,” he said. After his mother passed away, he invested in new paints and canvases, connected with an art mentor, and fully embraced creating his art pieces once again.

Today, Chris enjoys painting rustic scenes: old barns, weathered houses, and rusty vehicles sitting quietly in open fields. His artwork reflects both creativity and nostalgia, capturing beauty in simple, timeworn places. “I think my creativity and working with my hands has helped me in my career as well - it's all connected!” While Chris takes pride in his artistic work, it's the relationships he builds with residents that mean the most to him. “If you can make a resident smile or laugh, that makes my job easier,” he said. Whether sharing inside jokes, checking in on elderly residents, or even running errands for those who need extra help, Chris approaches everyone with compassion and friendship. “Treat everyone like a friend. That's what I believe.”

Residents have embraced both Chris and his artwork over the years. Some collect egg cartons for him to use as paint trays, and in return, he has gifted paintings to them as a thank-you. His coworkers have also purchased pieces, and some of his artwork has even made its way to collectors in other parts of the world. When asked where he would paint a mural if given the opportunity, Chris didn't hesitate. He'd choose a large city skyline and paint one of his peaceful country scenes across it. “It would stand out against the city background and show some people something they may have never seen before,” he said.

Chris's story is a reminder that affordable housing communities are not just places to live and work - they are places where talent, creativity, and human connection thrive.