This story is part of our February 2025 issue. To subscribe, click here.

This story is part of our February 2025 issue. Click here to subscribe.

“Most people ask me, how can you work at a children’s hospital?” says Kenny Pawlek, administrator at Shriners Children’s Northern California. The work can be heavy. Shriners is the state’s largest provider of pediatric burn care, and each year 12,000 kids are treated for conditions ranging from scoliosis to spinal cord injuries to cleft lips. “I know it sounds incredibly difficult,” he says. “The change that you see in parents, from walking in being super anxious and then walking out with a plan: They know that we’ll work together to do everything we can to get the best outcome. It’s really fulfilling.”

Pawlek keeps that positive outlook through all aspects of managing the 800-employee operation. One secret to keeping a positive morale: lots of dad jokes.

Favorite to-do list system: He’ll scribble quick notes on Post-its, but most everything is tracked by sending emails as reminders to himself. “I’ve moved to almost 100 percent digital life.”

Why coaching is so important to him: “We’re all on a journey. We’re never perfect. I want people to feel comfortable, to take risks, to make mistakes, to learn from challenges.”

A Kenny Pawlek dad joke: Why does the baker go to work? Because he kneads the dough.

6:30AM – Wakes up, checks email, catches up on anything urgent from Shriners’ corporate headquarters in Tampa Bay.

7:00AM – Pours coffee, grabs a banana. Devours the news (especially The New York Times and Wall Street Journal), as current events can impact the hospital. The recent Pasadena fires, for example, affected the pediatric burn care unit. 

7:30AM – Drives from his home in Fair Oaks to the hospital in Elmhurst; listens to an eclectic mix of music that ranges from the Pet Shop Boys to Harry Styles to Hawaiian tunes.  “And I like to listen to new things, too. I try to stay contemporary, so I can relate to my kids and what’s going on in the world.” 

8:00AM – When he arrives at the office, first thing, says hello to as many people as he can. “I’m really big on giving good mornings and fist-bumps.” 

8:10AM – Keeps this hour free to catch up on email, knock out more focused work (such as the monthly board report) and provide a window for casual drop-ins. “I really try and make sure that time is available.” 

9:00AM – Reviews the prior day’s performance metrics.
9:30AM – Meets with the administration staff for a quick overview of the day’s schedule and deliverables. Concludes each meeting with a “Bad Dad Joke of the Day,” as “this makes sure we leave on a positive tone.” 

9:40AM – Meets with the leadership team; he has nine direct reports (ranging from nursing to finance to HR to marketing) for an operational sync-up. “I always try to end these with recognitions and kudos.” 

10:00AM – Remote meetings with the corporate teams from Tampa Bay, which often center around Shriner’s larger goals and objectives.

11:00AM – The meetings include updates with the head of physicians, burns chief, anesthesia chief and so on. “We talk about how we’re providing care, what our strategic objectives are and who we need to work with so we can see more kids.”

12:00AM – Lunch at noon. Pawlek usually eats with colleagues or community members, as “it’s a great opportunity to see people, to be visible, to say thanks, to wish people happy birthday.”

1:00PM – One-on-one meetings with direct reports; this often includes coaching sessions, where they work together on the mentee’s career path.

2:00PM – Goes on rounds throughout the hospital to see patients directly. Sometimes this can be as simple as watching the kids play bingo or color in drawings, which is a form of therapy. “This just kind of rejuvenates me.” 

4:00PM – Finishes up emails, presentations, budget work, prepares for the next day.

5:00PM – Often attends a networking event, such as a meeting with the Shriners’ fraternity where he shares details on the hospital’s impact.

6:00PM – Heads home for arguably the most important meeting of the day. “My wife and I long ago started a family tradition that we would have dinner together.” Their kids are in their 20s and no longer in the home, so Kenny and his wife Diane are both foodies and enjoy cooking new recipes together and sampling from their wine collection. He’s partial to Beaujolais, sauvignon blanc, and of course sparkling. “It goes with everything. Champagne and pizza is just as good as Champagne and caviar.” 

8:00PM – Winds down with Wordle and maybe some light-hearted TV, such as “Bad Monkey” or “Father Brown,” “just to kind of end on a good note.” 

11:00PM – Heads to bed on a positive note … even if the day doesn’t end with a dad joke.  

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