Our KIS Legacy
Keep It Simple or “KIS” was founded and created by Leon Hussey, who conceptualized the idea of an affordable, home-use compost tea brewer. Keep It Simple, Inc, a small family business, has evolved over the past decade into a multi-faceted organization that offers unique biological, organic and mineral amendments at affordable prices for gardeners. A nonprofit called Redmond Organization for Shared Environments (R.O.S.E.) was started by Leon and his wife Linda and has won 2 prestigious Green Globe Awards. R.O.S.E. operated by providing environmental education with community members and children through a informational nature trail on the former property in conjunction with the Lake Washington Environmental Adventure School.
Tad Hussey
Tad received his BA from the University of Washington in 2000 and his Masters from Macquarie University in Australia in 2005. Upon returning to the States, Tad took over running the online business and also the research, microscope testing, and consulting for the company. In 2011, due to an interest in urban farming, chickens and indoor growing, Tad decided to take the business in a new direction which evolved into KIS Farm. During his free time, Tad also coaches a club volleyball team (www.moxiejuniors.com) and manages an edible landscape in his front yard.
LEON R. HUSSEY
Leon Hussey has an Associate Degree in Horticulture and has been in the horticulture industry for over 30 years. He is currently a Soil Foodweb Advisor. He has owned and operated a retail nursery and design/build landscape and maintenance company in Redmond, Washington with his wife, Linda, which they sold in April of 2002. He and his wife continue to own the property the nursery is situated on and continues to do the environmental tours along Bear Creek with various schools throughout King county, Boy and Girl Scout groups and gardening clubs.
Leon’s vast volunteer experience inlcudes: member of the Regional Review Committee for final compost use guidelines from the West coast to the Mississippi, Advisory for the Woodinville Water District: for low water use/display garden, Advisor to City of Redmond working with the City Engineer on compost amendment standards for residential and commercial application, Advisor to Pomegranate: on Lake Sammamish stewardship program, and consultant for residences and schools for setting up native habitat gardens, a Soils for Salmon speaker and was a U.S. Delegate to China in Horticulture. He is currently Vice President of the International Compost Tea Council (ICTC), Vice President of Redmond Organization of Shared Environments, a Certified Native Plant Steward, on the Board of Directors for the Lake Washington School District Adventure School, and a member of Water Tenders, a salmon-preservation group. Leon has been the recipient of two Green Globe Awards with King County for: Environmental Education and Wildlife Habitat Protection, Redmond Chamber of Commerce Education award and an education award from the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association. Married for over 38 years with two adult sons, Leon enjoys spending his free time traveling, working in his garden, and reading.
LINDA HUSSEY
Linda Yoshitake Hussey, a long- time Redmond resident, graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in special education and a minor in psychology. She formerly taught primary special education for the mild to severely developmentally disabled with the Bellevue School District.
Mrs. Hussey owned and operated Classic Nursery & Landscape Co. in Redmond with her husband for almost 20 years. Currently, she is involved with Keep It Simple (K.I.S.), which manufactures and sells compost tea brewers and the ingredients to make the organic liquid for the plants and soil. This year, her family will begin a new business venture, which will have a retail outlet focusing on urban farm items and organic hydroponics.
Mrs. Hussey is a certified mediator for the Dispute Resolution Center of Snohomish, Island and Skagit County, and continues to volunteer as a mediator in small claims courts. She is a graduate of the Leadership Institute program and an active community volunteer. She has served on the Business Tax Transportation Committee and the Economic Development Advisory committee for the City of Redmond, and is currently treasurer for Redmond Organization of Shared Environments. She served on the Redmond Chamber of Commerce board of directors for six years and has served on the Eastside Retirement Association Board of Directors since 2000.
She has been married for more than 38 years and has two grown sons. Both sons work in the family business. Mrs. Hussey and her husband enjoy their annual organic vegetable garden. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, cooking, canning, gardening , reading, travel, walking/ hiking and her volunteer work.
