FRANKFORT, Ky. (December 16, 2020)— Leadership Kentucky proudly congratulates the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2020 on its November graduation held in Hazard. The Class of 2020 is the second cohort to participate and graduate from BRIGHT Kentucky.

BRIGHT Kentucky began in 2019 with the hope of engaging bright, entrepreneurial minds from various occupational sectors to offer non-partisan, ethical leadership training, expanded networks, and mentors designed especially for residents of the 54 Kentucky counties of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). BRIGHT Kentucky has been made possible by a $500,000 ARC grant and private funding from the Whitaker Foundation, SOAR, and others.

BRIGHT Kentucky’s training seminars and experiential learning focuses on understanding the local economic context and working to build a robust skillset in communication, collaboration, consensus building, visioning, and community engagement. This year’s program ran from July through November and took participants across Eastern Kentucky: Somerset in July, Ashland in August, Berea/Frankfort in September, Pikeville in October, and Hazard in November.

“BRIGHT Kentucky was formed to help develop local leaders that will transform the Appalachian region for future generations. To move this region forward, the local leaders will need resilience, courage, a strong network, and commitment,” said Elmer K. Whitaker, President/CEO of Whitaker Bank and Leadership Kentucky board member. “There is no doubt that these 38 individuals possess all that and more, having responsibly navigated a leadership program in the midst of a global pandemic. We are so proud of what they overcame to take full advantage of this experiential program; their futures are indeed bright!”

This year’s graduates include 38 participants from 32 different ARC counties representing a variety of public and private sectors. Leadership Kentucky congratulates the following graduates:

1. Sarah Adkins – Whitley County - University of the Cumberlands
2. Frank Baker - Leslie County - Hyden Citizens Bank
3. Adam Bowling – Bell County - Self-Employed - Small Business Owner
4. Ben Carr - Montgomery County - Kentucky 4-H Foundation
5. Crystal Cox – Pulaski County - United Way of South-Central Kentucky
6. Tyler Curran – Nicholas County - Kentucky Army National Guard
7. Gene Detherage Jr. – Rowan County - The Fletcher Group
8. Aaron Dockery – Pulaski County - City of Somerset
9. Hanna Gabbard – Johnson County - Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR)
10. Courtney Gillette – Boyd County - Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau
11. Laura Gregory – Wolfe County - Kentucky Waterways Alliance
12. Sara Hacker – Rowan County - Morehead State University
13. Megan Haile – Monroe County - TJ Samson Community Hospital
14. Jennifer Hall – Knott County -Alice Lloyd College
15. Jenni Hampton – Pike County - Big Sandy Area Community Action Program, Inc
16. Tena Hunley – Magoffin County - McDonald's Of East Kentucky
17. Summer Jackson – Whitley County - University of the Cumberlands
18. Mindy R. Johnson - Edmonson County - Western Kentucky University
19. Kayla Jude – Martin County - Big Sandy Area Community Action Program
20. Patrick Lager – Montgomery County – Whitaker Bank Corp.
21. Josh Little – Pike County - Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
22. Caitlin Mason – Laurel County - Cumberland Valley Area Development District
23. Aaron Montgomery – Greenup County - Addiction Recovery Care & Rise Above
24. Courtney Oliver - Laurel County - Reppin2Recovery INC
25. Andrew Owens – Bath County - Michael R. Gray Funeral Home, Owingsville
26. Justin Pruitt – Boyd County - Boyd County Fiscal Court
27. Jessica Ritchie – Breathitt County - Juniper Health, Inc.
28. Jacob Roan – Bell County - City of Pineville
29. Jonathan Shell – Garrard County - State Solutions LLC
30. Dustin Stephens – McCreary County - East Ky Power Cooperative
31. Jacob Taylor – Rockcastle County - Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center
32. Erica Trammell – Harlan County - Appalachian Challenge Academy
33. Gavin Tussey – Boyd County - Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 248
34. JoAnn Vanzant – Lee County - Operation UNITE
35. Tyler Ward – Letcher County - Jacobs+Ward
36. J. Wilson – Hart County - Hart County Fiscal Court
37. Elijah Wilson – Cumberland County - University of Kentucky
38. Jennifer Wilson – Johnson County - Kentucky Cancer Program

Applications for the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2021 will be available in the spring at leadershipky.org.

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About Leadership Kentucky

Leadership Kentucky, created in 1984 as a non-profit educational organization, brings together a select group of people who possess a broad variety of leadership abilities, career accomplishments, and volunteer activities to gain insight into complex issues facing the state. Our goal is to prepare our participants to take an active role in advancing the state for the common good. By fostering an understanding of how the state’s issues are interconnected, and by forging new relationships among community and regional leaders, Leadership Kentucky graduates bring a fresh and informed perspective to their communities and companies, serving as important participants in the unified effort to shape Kentucky’s future.

BRIGHT Kentucky is designed to build the capacity of next-generation leaders in the Appalachian region of Kentucky to innovate, collaborate, and advance community and economic development.