Raised in Central Illinois, Keith McKeever's early life in a small town was marked by the significant challenge of losing his father to cancer at sixteen. This pivotal experience deeply influenced his path, instilling resilience and shaping his character.
Upon completing an associate's degree in law enforcement from Illinois Central College, Keith embarked on a distinguished journey with the United States Air Force as a Security Forces member. His service included being stationed at Yokota Air Base Japan and Scott AFB in Southern Illinois, with two deployments to Iraq and a temporary duty assignment in Ecuador. During his service Keith completed Security Forces 7 Level School, SF Combat Leaders Course, Airmen Leadership School and was awarded an Air Force Achievement Medal, a U.S. Army Achievement Medal, Iraq Service Medal with 1 service star to name a few.
Transitioning to civilian life, Keith ventured into the real estate industry, a field deeply rooted in his family's legacy since 1988. Working with his mother, he swiftly developed a passion for the sector, focusing on aiding veterans with VA home loans and striving for excellence and inclusivity in the industry. His dedication to these causes led to significant roles, including a leadership position on the Peoria Area Association of Realtors board of directors for many years as well as service on various committees working to advance the industry and fight for private property rights. Keith also taught continuing education courses for a couple of years having written six state licensed courses during his time in real estate.
A staunch advocate for veterans, Keith initiated the Battle Buddy Podcast, providing a platform for education and support to fellow service members which he ran for three years and produced 115 episodes dedicated to various topics for the veteran community. He was also involved in the Greater Peoria Honor Flight program for nine years helping send over 2,500 veterans to Washington DC on 30 flights.
Continuously advancing his knowledge, Keith completed his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (2021) and his Masters in Human Resource Management (2025) both from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Currently, as the Executive Director of the United Way of Pekin, Keith McKeever channels his diverse life experiences and profound commitment to service into impactful community leadership. Keith has led the United Way of Pekin staff in making significant changes since taking over which includes a major overhaul of the website & social media channels, completing a rebrand, strategic plan, and the creation and launching of their first ever internal initiative, the H.A.N.D. Project.
