BRIGHT Kentucky graduates 39 in Class of 2023

Janie Slaven, The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
·3 min read

Dec. 7—FRANKFORT — Leadership Kentucky has graduated the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2023, its fifth, which 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).

This year's class included 39 participants from 25 different ARC counties representing a variety of public and private sectors.

BRIGHT Kentucky began in 2019. 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's training seminars and experiential learning focuses on understanding the local economic context and working to build a robust skill set in communication, collaboration, consensus building, visioning, and community engagement. This year's program ran from July through November and took participants across Eastern Kentucky: Pikeville in July, Pineville in August, Morehead and Ashland in September, Corbin and Somerset in October, and Frankfort and Berea in November.

The November graduation was held in Mt. Vernon. Leadership Kentucky congratulates the following members:

—Daniel Armstrong — Greenup County — Farming Now!

—Emily Aust — Greenup County — Pathways

—Kimberly Back — Wolfe County — Whitaker Bank

—Andrew Bledsoe — Montgomery County — Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of the Inspector General

—Sarah Bowling — Whitley County — Bluegrass Care Navigators

—Lyndsey Brown — Russell County — Lake Cumberland Area Development District

—Rick Burke — Rowan County — St. Claire HealthCare

—Layken Chapman — Johnson County — Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)

—Tiffany Coleman — Pike County — Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

—Megan Cornett — Perry County — Housing Development Alliance

—Donald Damron — Carter County — King's Daughters Medical Center

—Lacey Dixon — Greenup County — City of Greenup

—Morgyn Dixon — Pike County — University of Pikeville

—Micah Drake — Estill County — Carhartt

—Alyssa Emmett — Laurel County — Entrepreneur

—Cierra Gibson — Laurel County — Cumberland River Behavioral Health

—Crystal Hall — Knott County — Alice Lloyd College

—Erik Hall — Clark County — Kentucky American Water Company

—Jordan Hood — Knox County — RRJ Solutions

—Shelby Jones — Pulaski County — Cumberland Valley Area Development District

—Lauren Kirby — Rockcastle County — Christian Appalachian Project, INC.

—Leslie Lester — Wayne County — City of Monticello

—Isabella Martin — Pulaski County — Boys & Girls Club of Somerset

—Ben Mosley — Knott County — Sitel group

—Ryan Newsome — Magoffin County — American Electric Power (Kentucky Power)

—Anthony Ortega — Laurel County — Windstream Telecommunications

—Joe Palumbo — Perry County — American Red Cross

—Jordan Pierce — Casey County — Tarter Farm and Ranch

—Emily Shafer — Pulaski County — Somerset Community College

—Tyler Stapp — Russell County — Stapp's Enterprises

—Hunter Stewart — Bath County — CG Bank

—Shanna Storm — Whitley County — CHI Saint Joseph Health

—Lynda Mae Taylor — Montgomery County — Gateway Children's Services

—Stacie Taylor — Pike County — Pikeville Medical Center

—Madeline Tipton — Boyd County — The Tipton Creative, LLC

—Gary Vinson — Perry County — Hazard Community and Technical College

—Dr. Sydney Whitaker, DSW,LCSW,LCADC — Knott County — Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation

—Kirsten Wilburn — Laurel County — Entrepreneur

—Jessy Workman — Floyd County — Wayland Historical Society

Applications for the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2024 will be available in the spring at leadershipky.org.

Leadership Kentucky was created in 1984 as a non-profit educational organization to brings together diverse groups of people who possess leadership abilities, career accomplishments and volunteer activities to gain insight into complex issues facing the state. By fostering understanding of how issues interconnect, and by forging new relationships among community and regional leaders, Leadership Kentucky graduates bring an informed perspective to their communities and companies, serving as important participants in efforts to shape Kentucky's future.

Leadership Kentucky Foundation offers four 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.