Leadership Kentucky announced today the 52 members of the Leadership Kentucky Class of 2023.

Leadership Kentucky’s flagship program consists of seven, three-day sessions, where participants gather to gain insight on the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its challenges and opportunities. Throughout the sessions, class members will meet with many of Kentucky’s current leaders and explore the state’s opportunities and resources. Participants will have the opportunity to form lifelong connections and visit communities.

The June through December program will bring the class across the state: Berea in June, Louisville in July, Paducah/Eddyville in August, Somerset in September, Bowling Green in October, Northern Kentucky in November, and Central KY/Frankfort in December. The sessions cover topics ranging from business and economic development, arts and tourism, natural resources and the environment, education, healthcare, diversity, and social issues, agriculture, and government.

This year’s class includes 52 participants from across the state representing a variety of public and private sectors. Leadership Kentucky congratulates the following members: 

1. Kim Baker - Jefferson County - Kentucky Performing Arts
2. John Bevington- Franklin County - LGE-KU
3. Heather Campbell - Jefferson County - Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels
4. Colleen Chaney - Madison County - Eastern Kentucky University
5. John Cox - Fayette County - Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
6. Douglas Craddock, Jr. - Jefferson County - University of Louisville
7. Tiffany Craft - Letcher County - City of Whitesburg
8. Darrin Croucher - Woodford County - Thoroughbred Engineering
9. Lee Crume - Kenton County - BE NKY
10. Tokwiny Da-Thong - Jefferson County - Amazon
11. William Downey - Jessamine County - R. J. Corman Railroad Group
12. Jennifer Fraker - Oldham County - Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
13. Chris Francis - Boone County - KY/WV YMCA State Alliance
14. Heather Gate - Warren County - Connected Nation
15. Abbie Gilbert - Jefferson County - Humana
16. John Hampton - Fayette County - Acrisure, LLC dba GCH Insurance Group
17. Dalton Hatfield - Fayette County - Appalachian Regional Healthcare
18. Ben Haydon - Fayette County - Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
19. Amanda Henson - Oldham County - Baptist Health
20. Debra Hess - Pike County – Community Trust Bank, Inc.
21. Jill Horn - Jefferson County - Brown-Forman
22. Ashley Ireland - Calloway County - Murray State University
23. Jeremy Jarvi - Jefferson County - LouCity & Racing Foundation
24. Timothy Johnson - Fayette County - United Way of the Bluegrass
25. Kandi Justice - Pike County - Pikeville Medical Center
26. Julie Kirkpatrick - Boone County - meetNKY| Northern Kentucky CVB
27. Justin Lane - Montgomery County - Kentucky American Water
28. Blake Layfield - Marion County - Maker's Mark
29. Dorothy Lockhart - Fayette County - CHI - Joseph Health Partners
30. Daniel Maloney - Jefferson County - Louisville Zoo
31. Jeremy Mattox - Scott County - Kentucky Court of Justice
32. Haley McCoy - Madison County - Kentucky Association for Economic Development
33. Stephanie McMahan - Madison County - US Bank
34. Anne-Tyler Morgan - Fayette County - McBrayer PLLC
35. Ben Mudd - Marion County - Pharmacists' Association
36. Jennifer Nachreiner - Jefferson County - Aetna Better Health of Kentucky
37. Chris Nation - Jefferson County - RunSwitch PR
38. Katherine North - Jefferson County - Kentucky Association of Health Plans
39. Steven Phillips - McCreary County - Lumber King, Inc.
40. Aaron Poynter - Russell County - Putting Kentuckians First and Reentry with the Kentucky Office of Adult Education and the Education and Labor Cabinet
41. Chris Purvis - Oldham County - MCM CPAs & Advisors
42. Janet Ratliff - Rowan County - Morehead State University
43. Carlos Sanchez - Oldham County - AT&T Kentucky
44. Robert Simmons - Kenton County - EGC Construction
45. Camden Skidmore - Fayette County - South Central Bank
46. Jared Smith - Fayette County - Piper-Smith
47. Megan Stith - Meade County - Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
48. Amy Stroud - Pulaski County - Forcht Broadcasting Radio & Digital
49. Judy Vaughn - Estill County - Estill County Cooperative Extension
50. Mackenzie Wallace - Jefferson County - Alzheimer's Association
51. Jeremy Whitmore - Calloway County - Calloway County Tourism Commission
52. John Willoughby - Floyd County East Kentucky Network, LLC

Nominations and applications for the Leadership Kentucky Class of 2024 will be available online at leadershipky.org in January 2024.

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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