Doug McKinney was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated seventh in his class from Manual High School in 2000 and was a member of the National Honor Society. To round out his high school experience, Doug also ran cross country, played first chair violin in orchestra, and by his senior year, he was Cadet Captain in the Army JROTC.
As a movie lover, he got his first job at Landmark Cinemas while still in high school, starting in concessions and working his way up to a projectionist. He then started working at Target as a cashier, advancing to a customer service position which included many responsibilities.
When he was 19, he started working at the Gap as a part-time sales associate. He quickly became a full-time sales associate. After two years, he became the stock supervisor, and a couple years later he became the assistant manager in charge of floor planning and visual merchandising. He worked for the Gap for 16 years until the store closed. At that point, he found a temporary job working as a KJ (karaoke jock) at Pitch Karaoke Bar, engaging with customers and creating a fun and exciting atmosphere, skills which served him well at his next job.
In January 2020, he started working for Royal Publishing in the Peoria office as a Sales Representative, and after a couple years, took on the role of the Sales Assistant and then later the Sales Supervisor. In November of 2025, Doug became the Galesburg Branch Manager.
Doug considers himself an avid animal lover with pets of his own and doing what he can to help homeless pets get adopted. He likes to be outside and active, whether it's taking his dogs on a walk, going on a 30-mile bike ride or hiking.
