BRIGHT Kentucky, which began in 2019, engages 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). The program is made possible by a $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant and private funding from the Whitaker Foundation, AEP Foundation/Kentucky Power, and other generous donors.

BRIGHT Kentucky is made up of five, three-day sessions where the primary goal is to help participants fully understand the local economic context and to build robust skill sets in communication, collaboration, consensus building, visioning, and community engagement. The program, which runs July through November, will take participants across Eastern Kentucky: Pikeville/Prestonsburg in July, Pineville/Middlesboro in August, Ashland/Morehead in September, Somerset/Corbin in October, and Berea/Frankfort in November. The program start date is July 12.

This year’s class includes 40 participants from 25 different ARC counties representing a variety of public and private sectors. Leadership Kentucky congratulates the following members:

1. Daniel Armstrong - Greenup County - AppHarvest Foundation
2. Emily Aust - Greenup County - Pathways
3. Kimberly Back - Wolfe County - Whitaker Bank
4. Andrew Bledsoe - Montgomery County - Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of the Inspector General
5. Sarah Bowling - Whitley County - Bluegrass Care Navigators
6. Lyndsey Brown - Russell County - Lake Cumberland Area Development District
7. Rick Burke - Rowan County - St. Claire HealthCare
8. Layken Chapman - Johnson County - Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
9. Tiffany Coleman - Pike County - Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
10. Megan Cornett - Perry County - Housing Development Alliance
11. Sydney Cox, DSW,LCSW,LCADC - Knott County - Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation
12. Donald Damron - Carter County - King's Daughters Medical Center
13. Lacey Dixon - Greenup County - City of Greenup
14. Morgyn Dixon - Pike County - University of Pikeville
15. Micah Drake - Estill County - Carhartt
16. Alyssa Emmett - Laurel County - Forcht Broadcasting
17. Cierra Gibson - Laurel County - Cumberland River Behavioral Health
18. Erik Hall - Clark County - Kentucky American Water Company
19. Jordan Hood - Knox County - RRJ Solutions
20. Crystal Jones - Knott County - Alice Lloyd College
21. Shelby Jones - Pulaski County - Cumberland Valley Area Development District
22. Lauren Kirby - Rockcastle County - Christian Appalachian Project, INC.
23. Leslie Lester - Wayne County - City of Monticello
24. Isabella Martin - Pulaski County - Boys & Girls Club of Somerset
25. Eden McKenzie - Boyd County - City of Ashland
26. Ben Mosley - Knott County - Sitel group
27. Ryan Newsome - Magoffin County - American Electric Power (Kentucky Power)
28. Anthony Ortega - Laurel County - Windstream Telecommunications
29. Joe Palumbo - Perry County - American Red Cross
30. Jordan Pierce - Casey County - Tarter Farm and Ranch
31. Emily Shafer - Pulaski County - Somerset Community College
32. Tyler Stapp - Russell County - Russell County Hospital
33. Hunter Stewart - Bath County - CG Bank
34. Shanna Storm - Whitley County - CHI St. Joseph Health
35. Lynda Mae Taylor - Montgomery County - Gateway Children's Services
36. Stacie Taylor - Pike County - Pikeville Medical Center
37. Madeline Tipton - Boyd County - The Tipton Creative, LLC
38. Gary Vinson - Perry County - Hazard Community and Technical College
39. Kirsten Wilburn - Laurel County
40. Jessy Workman - Floyd County - Wayland Historical Society

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About Leadership Kentucky

Leadership Kentucky, created in 1984 as a non-profit educational organization, brings together a diverse 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. By fostering 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. The Leadership Kentucky Foundation offers four unique programs: Leadership Kentucky, ELEVATE Kentucky (for young professionals), BRIGHT Kentucky (for next-generation Eastern Kentucky leaders), and New Executives to Kentucky (for senior-level executives who have lived in the state for less than two years). For more information, please visit leadershipky.org or email lky@leadershipky.org.