Leadership Kentucky Announces 2023 BRIGHT Kentucky Class
FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 10, 2023) – Leadership Kentucky is proud to announce members of the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2023.
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 42 participants from 25 different ARC counties representing a variety of public and private sectors. Leadership Kentucky congratulates the following members:
- Daniel Armstrong – Greenup County – AppHarvest Foundation
- 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
- Dr. Sydney Cox, DSW,LCSW,LCADC – Knott County – Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation
- 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 – Forcht Broadcasting
- Cierra Gibson – Laurel County – Cumberland River Behavioral Health
- Erik Hall – Clark County – Kentucky American Water Company
- Jordan Hood – Knox County – RRJ Solutions
- Crystal Jones – Knott County – Alice Lloyd College
- Shelby Jones – Pulaski County – Cumberland Valley Area Development District
- Lauren Kirby – Rockcastle County – Christian Appalachian Project, INC.
- Leslie Lester – Wayne County – City of Monticello
- Joseph Little – Lawrence County – Addiction Recovery Care
- Isabella Martin – Pulaski County – Boys & Girls Club of Somerset
- Megan Mcilquham – Letcher County – AirMedCare Network
- Eden McKenzie – Boyd County – City of Ashland
- 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 – Russell County Hospital
- Hunter Stewart – Bath County – CG Bank
- Shanna Storm – Whitley County – CHI St. 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
- Kirsten Wilburn – Laurel County – Nurture Nest Play Therapy and Counseling
- 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.
