Another OG kbinaut here (remember when we were all trying to figure out an appropriate demonym?). Ernest seems to be quite well! He’s got a relatively active blog. He recently moved closer to family in the Netherlands and has been enjoying seeing the sights. The about page of the blog also expresses a similar sentiment to yours:

Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, I had to step away from actively working on Kbin and leave its further development to the community. Nevertheless, I am happy to see the project thriving, with a dedicated group of users and contributors who continue to push its vision forward.