Northern Kentucky featured prominently in the 2025 class of Leadership Kentucky, a nonprofit educational organization.
“Leadership Kentucky’s 2025 flagship program consists of seven, three-day sessions between June and December, where participants gather to gain insight on the Commonwealth of Kentucky, its challenges and opportunities,” according to a press release from the organization. “Throughout the sessions, class members meet with many of Kentucky’s current leaders and explore the state’s unique communities and resources. Participants come away from the program having formed lifelong connections.”
There were 52 participants in total. Participants from Northern Kentucky include:
- Cheryl Besl, director of marketing for BE NKY
- Dennis Kennedy, partner at DBL Law
- Wes Needham, account executive at Duke Energy
- Adam Roland, vice president of outpatient services at Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky Behavioral Health
- Kenneth Webb, vice president senior regional CRA community development officer at Republic Bank
- Tami Wilson, vice president of government relations and business advocacy with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Other participants are listed below:
- Todd Alcott, City of Bowling Green
- Kelly Armour, Owensboro Health
- Whitney Austin, Whitney/Strong Organization
- Kenny Boyd, Baptist Health System, Inc.
- Christina Briggs, UK HealthCare Kentucky Children’s Hospital
- Troy J. Broussard, AARP
- Candra Bryant, Hanna Resource Group
- Kenneth Calloway, Century Aluminum Company
- Alisha D. Chaffin, Zegar Family Office
- Caroline Clark, Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities
- Miranda Click, Pikeville Medical Center, Inc.
- Elizabeth Combs, Whitaker Bank Corporation of Kentucky
- Tatum Dale, US House of Representatives (Congressman Andy Barr)
- Darren Dannelly, Center of Courageous Kids
- Adam Fields, Norton Healthcare
- Renee Fister, Murray State University
- Jeremy Frankforther, Fifth Third Bank
- Andrew Gillette, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
- Jordan Haney, Thoroughbred Engineering
- Jennie Haymond, Madison County Attorney’s Office & Davis & Haymond, P.S.C.
- Lauren Hogan, Associated General Contractors of Kentucky
- Lauren Holder, Office of the Speaker- Commonwealth of Kentucky
- Jamie Johnson, Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation
- Jesse Johnson, Community Trust Bank
- Megan Johnson, Aetna Better Health of Kentucky
- Shea Luna, Stites & Harbison, PLLC
- Ryann Mabry, Planters Bank, Inc.
- Hank Mangeot, AT&T
- Nika Mathis, Mago Construction Company
- Peggy Meriedeth, City of Barlow
- Shannon Moody, Kentucky Youth Advocates
- Gwenda Motley, Bell Hooks Memorial Fund
- Elizabeth Griffith Mudd, Kentucky Lake Economic Development
- Michael Ramage, Murray State University
- Dusty Roll, AEP Kentucky Power Company
- Brenda Russell, God’s Pantry of Pulaski County, Inc.
- Kathey G. Sanders, Kentucky Historical Society Foundation
- Sonia Sanders, Kentucky State University
- Brady Shultz, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
- Christy Spitser, CHI Saint Joseph Health
- Andrew Steele, Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau
- Ben Stinnett, BFW/Marcum Engineering and Consulting
- Jamie Thacker, East Kentucky Network
- Christa Turner, Humana
- Lori Werth, University of Pikeville
- Damon Williams, University of Kentucky
You can learn more about Leadership Kentucky and previous participants from the program at the organization’s dedicated webpage.