Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman, Commonwealth of Kentucky 
Jacqueline Coleman is the fifty-eighth lieutenant governor of Kentucky. She was raised on a farm in the small Kentucky town of Burgin. Her family owned a lumberyard for five generations. It was there she was taught to help her neighbors. As a result, Jacqueline has devoted her life to public service.

Jacqueline is a passionate advocate for public education. She entered public office after serving as a teacher, assistant principal and basketball coach. She believes education is the key to providing Kentuckians opportunities for transformational change that can create new cycles of success.

During her first term, through the Team Kentucky Student Mental Health Initiative, she worked to secure more than $42 million in federal funding to increase student mental health resources in schools. She led the charge to waive the testing fee for adults earning their GED. Since then, more than 13,000 Kentuckians have earned their GED and changed the trajectory of their families' futures. She revived the Kentucky Commission on Women after its office was shuttered, and funding was removed during the previous administration. 

As a rural Kentuckian, Jacqueline aims to ensure Kentucky's booming economy reaches people in every zip code. In the first five years of the Beshear-Coleman administration they have announced a record $35 billion in economic investments. More importantly, this will change the lives of thousands of families with the creation of more than 60,000 new full-time jobs.

Lt. Governor Coleman is wife to Chris, mom to Evelynne, adopted mom to Emma and a bonus mom to Will and Nate.

Scotty Davenport, Former Head Coach, Bellarmine University Men’s Basketball
After 20 seasons as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Bellarmine University and the team transitioning from Division II to Division I, Scotty Davenport retired from coaching at the end of 2024-2025 season.  Since taking the helm in 2005, Davenport compiled a 421-171 (.711) record, making him the winningest coach in program history. His tenure includes 12 consecutive 20-win seasons at the D2 level, four Final Four appearances, five GLVC Tournament titles, and a national championship in 2011. Davenport led Bellarmine to a Division II national title and an ASUN Tournament championship in just the program’s second season at the Division I level.

A Louisville native, Davenport’s coaching journey includes stints under Hall of Famers Denny Crum and Rick Pitino at Louisville, a state title at Ballard High School, and mentoring numerous All-Americans and future pros.

Les Fugate, VP Director, Public Affairs, U.S. State & Local, Canada & Latin America, Brown-Forman Corporation
Les Fugate is the Vice President Director, Public Affairs, U.S. State and Local, Canada, and Latin America for the Brown-Forman Corporation, the largest American-headquartered spirits company and among the largest global spirits companies proudly headquartered in Louisville, KY. Les directs the public policy and outreach efforts for Brown-Forman across those regions.

An accomplished former political aide, non-profit executive, and communications and public relations practitioner, he has directed numerous successful legislative campaigns and public affairs initiatives.

Prior to joining Brown-Forman, Les served Executive Vice President for a public relations and public affairs agency where he serviced clients as large as Fortune 50 corporations and as small as local non-profits.  Fugate served as the chief political aide to a former Kentucky secretary of state where he directed the communications office, legislative affairs, and local elected official outreach. He also spent time as an Executive Vice-President and COO of the Center for Rural Development.

Fugate is a Cum Laude graduate of Centre College and earned his master’s degree from Vanderbilt University where his studies concentrated on government relations, communications, and fundraising.

Les currently serves in a variety of volunteer roles most notably serving as a member of the board of directors and executive committee of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce where he serves as vice-chair of Public Affairs as well as on the board of directors of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation; board of directors and executive committee and former secretary for Leadership Kentucky; board of directors, executive committee and Chairman of the Public Policy Council of GLI the metro chamber of commerce for Louisville, KY; board of directors and co-chair of the talent and workforce study group for IMPETUS for a better Louisville; Board of Directors for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program and the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program Foundation; Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council for Centre College and as Vice-Chair of the board of directors and executive committee of the Kentucky Derby Festival where he has chaired several committees. He also serves as the Chair of the Government Relations Committee and as board alternate for the Kentucky Distillers Association. He previously has served on numerous boards and executive committees including the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Saving Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), the Kentucky YMCA, and numerous arts organizations across Kentucky.

Les has been recognized with numerous awards throughout his career, most notably as the 2023 Esprit De Corps Award winner presented by the Kentucky Distiller’s Association, the Centre College Young Alumnus of the Year in 2011, Phi Kappa Tau Forty under 40 Award in 2014, Business First’s 2006 class of Forty Under 40, 2005 Velocity Weekly’s 14 young leaders to watch, and as the 2007 Jennifer Schaaf Memorial Award as the most outstanding government communicator. He is a graduate of numerous leadership programs and has received his WSET Level II spirits certification.

Vitale Buford Hardin, CPC, CEO, Leadership Trainer, Speaker, Author, Vitale & Company
Vitale Buford Hardin is a transformational leader, nationally recognized speaker, and the visionary CEO of Vitale & Company. With a track record of revolutionizing corporate culture and individual performance, Vitale’s not your typical consultant. She’s a trailblazer who’s led not one, but three groundbreaking university research studies uncovering the pervasive grip of perfectionism in today’s organizations. And guess what? It’s not just talk—100+ organizations have experienced firsthand the power of Vitale’s approach. 

Her work spans a wide range of industries, where she helps leaders overcome perfectionism and cultivate authenticity, resilience, and effective communication. Vitale’s journey isn’t just about corporate success. It’s about personal triumph. Overcoming her battles with perfectionism and addiction fueled her drive to author her 2020 memoir, Addicted to Perfect, become an iPEC-certified executive coach, and inspire audiences as a nationally featured speaker.

With 20 years of corporate experience, Vitale offers custom training, strategic advisory, and performance coaching to help her clients thrive. Through Vitale & Company’s proprietary programs, she equips leaders with the tools to turn the volume down on perfectionism, learn to lead with authenticity, build resilience, foster trust, and deepen emotional intelligence.

Sen. Keturah Herron, Kentucky State Senate
Senator Keturah Herron represents Kentucky’s 35th Senate District and is known for her work in justice reform, public safety, and equity. A Richmond native and product of Kentucky public schools, she holds degrees from the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University.

Before entering public office, she worked with youth in foster care and juvenile detention, later becoming a policy strategist for the ACLU of Kentucky. There, she helped lead efforts to pass "Breonna’s Law," banning no-knock warrants in Louisville.

In 2022, Herron became the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Kentucky House. She focused on school safety, voting rights, record expungement, and reentry services for formerly incarcerated individuals. In 2024, she was elected to the Kentucky State Senate to represent District 35.

Her current priorities include reducing gun violence, protecting civil rights, and expanding access to early education. She has been recognized as USA Today’s Kentucky Woman of the Year and received the Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award for her leadership.

John Hughes, Director, Public Affairs, Kentucky Chamber
Bio coming soon.

Mayor Alan Keck, Somerset, Kentucky 
Alan Keck was elected in 2022 to his second term as mayor of his hometown of Somerset. Here he has led a period of unprecedented change, unifying this southeastern Kentucky city and lighting it up through tourism, economic development, and community spirit.

During his first four years in office, Keck and his team rebranded the city; generated new revenue through business growth while saving millions through responsible fiscal management; made record investment in first responders; attracted thousands of visitors through new festivals and events; revived downtown through the creation of parks, wayfinding and renovation projects like the historic Virginia Theater; reimagined economic development by launching a new city-county partnership; and recruited more than $500 million in new and existing business investment, including the community’s first bourbon distillery. As a result, Somerset has outpaced the state’s growth by double.

For his creative and dynamic leadership, Mayor Keck was selected as the 2021 Kentucky League of Cities Elected Official of the Year. And in 2024, for its efforts to breathe new life into downtown Somerset and once again make it the heartbeat of the community, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) designated Somerset as its Downtown of the Year. Keck was also selected as a member of the inaugural class of Under 40 at the Top, an initiative of his alma mater, Western Kentucky University (WKU), to honor graduates who have made significant contributions to their professions or communities before reaching the age of 40.

Mayor Keck is greatly involved in local business and civic activities. He is a graduate of Somerset High School, WKU, and holds a master’s in business administration from the University of the Cumberlands. A 2017 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, Keck now serves on the organization’s board of directors in addition to serving on the Kentucky League of Cities board of directors.

Mayor Keck and his wife Tiffany have three daughters, Olyvia, Oaklee and Olsen. They are members of First Baptist Church in Somerset, where Keck serves as a deacon.

Elizabeth McCall, Master Distiller, Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall, CSS (Certified Specialist of Spirits) is the second generation of her family to work in the bourbon industry and one of the youngest female distillers in the United States. She followed in her mother’s footsteps starting as a sensory expert and working in the quality department. McCall has a master’s degree from the University of Louisville and has been a member of Brown-Forman's R & D since 2009. She works with R & D on innovation and the development of new products within Woodford Reserve. Additionally, she interacts one-on-one with consumers through personal barrel selections and education on sensory methodology and works to define the quality sensory standard to which every batch of Woodford Reserve must comply. When Elizabeth is not using her expertise at the distillery, she is passionate about her family, horses and being involved in her community. She also enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Matt, daughter Winnie, son Ferris, and their dog Beasley. 

Morgan McGarvey, U.S. Representative, Kentucky's 3rd District
Congressman Morgan McGarvey is a lifelong Louisvillian who, before being elected to Congress, served for a decade in the Kentucky State Senate, including four years as the Minority Leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus. He was elected to Congress in 2022 and currently serves on the Veterans Affairs, Small Business and Budget Committees. In his first term, Congressman McGarvey was the first Freshman Democrat to pass a bill out of the House – a bill supporting and protecting veterans’ earned educational benefits. He is a proud co-chair of the Bourbon Caucus and of the Ohio River Basin Caucus.

As he did in the State Senate, in Congress Congressman McGarvey fights for public education, organized labor, reproductive rights, and Kentucky’s working families – while building relationships with his colleagues in both parties to pass legislation that helps and protects Kentuckians every day. Across 10 years in Frankfort, then State Senator McGarvey wrote and passed 18 bills into law. Those include passing the first insurance mandate in Kentucky history to make sure that low-birthweight babies get the nutrients they need to survive, laws that protects victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, and a law that allowed Simmons College – Louisville’s only HBCU – to lower tuition costs for its students and re-start its teacher training program, putting more Black teachers into classrooms across Louisville and Kentucky.

Congressman McGarvey graduated from Manual High School in Louisville. He earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri, where he met his wife Chris, and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky School of Law. Congressman McGarvey, Chris, and their three children – Clara, Wilson, and Greta – live in the Highlands of Louisville.

Marcie Merriman, Cultural Anthropologist and Human-centered Strategist 
Marcie Merriman is a globally recognized cultural anthropologist and business strategist who helps organizations lead through disruption driven by generational change, cultural evolution, and emerging technologies. With over 25 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, PE-backed firms, and ambitious startups, Marcie is known for turning human insights into actionable strategies that drive brand relevance, innovation, and long-term value.

An entrepreneur at heart, Marcie founded an experience strategy firm, which she later sold to EY. Since 2013, she has served as a Managing Director at EY and founded the firm’s Generational Dynamics Lab, where she led groundbreaking work on the rise of Gen Z, shifting workplace expectations, and the future of customer and employee experience across industries.

Marcie’s insights have been featured by CNBC, BBC, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist, and she’s been invited to speak on global stages including Aspen Ideas Festival, Forbes CMO Summit, and the Dubai Global Islamic Economy Summit. 

Whether helping business leaders understand generational shifts, shape workplace strategy, or humanize innovation, Marcie brings clarity, relevance, and results in an era of accelerating change and uncertainty. 

Callie Miracle, Workforce Center Director, Kentucky Chamber
Callie Miracle is the Workforce Center Director at the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, where she has worked since 2022 to advance Kentucky’s workforce and drive impactful change across the Commonwealth. With a degree in Public Relations and an education emphasis from Western Kentucky University, Callie has dedicated her career to shaping the futures of aspiring professionals. She spent eight impactful years at Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass, specializing in work and career readiness for students. In 2018, Callie was honored with the National Junior Achievement Rising Star award, recognizing her innovative solutions and unwavering commitment to the organization. A passionate advocate for education and workforce development, Callie oversees a range of programs at the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Workforce Center. These include education initiatives like the Bus to Business® program, which connects students with key industries, and workforce development efforts such as hiring academies designed to empower employers with strategies to find, hire, and retain top talent. Callie also leads employer-driven initiatives, helping businesses align workforce needs with innovative pipeline solutions to address critical labor shortages. Callie is a proud graduate of Leadership Lexington, and the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship. At the helm of the Workforce Center programs, she fosters strategic partnerships that bridge the gap between Kentucky businesses and the workforce, strengthening the state’s economic future. Outside of her professional life, Callie cherishes time with her family—her husband, Bryan, and their son, Lucas.

Rep. JT Payne, Kentucky State Representative
J.T. Payne is a proud native of rural Henderson County, Kentucky—where he was born, raised, and now serves as the State Representative for the 11th District in the Kentucky General Assembly. As the youngest legislator currently serving in the Commonwealth, Representative Payne is deeply committed to creating a Kentucky where young people can thrive—whether as entrepreneurs, educators, healthcare professionals, or in any career they choose to pursue.

Payne began his professional career as an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, leading the program to national recognition. He now serves as Principal of the Career and Technical Education Unit at Henderson County High School—his alma mater—which stands as one of the largest secondary vocational education programs in the state.

A proud alumnus of Murray State University, Payne holds three degrees: a Bachelor’s in Agricultural Education, a Master’s in Teacher Leadership, and a master’s in education administration. During his time at Murray State, he served as Student Body President and as the student representative on the university’s Board of Regents.

A lifelong learner, Payne is currently pursuing a doctorate in P–20 Educational Leadership. He remains actively engaged in his community, including service on the Board of Directors for the Henderson Chamber of Commerce.

Rep. Rachel Roarx, Kentucky State Representative 
State Representative Rachel Roarx lives in Louisville’s Parkwood Neighborhood near Iroquois Park with her husband Derrick Davis. They have been lifelong Southend residents and are high school sweethearts. Rep. Roarx was elected State Representative for Kentucky House District 38 in November 2022 and began her service in January 2023. She is the youngest woman ever elected to the Kentucky House of Representative, having been elected and taking office at age 25. Rachel ran for office because she is a strong voice for union labor, first responders, healthcare, safety, infrastructure, and the Southend of Louisville.

Previously, Rep. Roarx served the local community for four years in the Office of Councilwoman Nicole George as the Metro Council District 21 Legislative Aide (January 2019 to December 2022). Before that, Rachel worked at UPS as an Administrative Assistant on nightshift as part of the Metropolitan College Program to graduate college debt-free. She is a graduate of Holy Cross High School (2015) and the University of Louisville (2019). While there, she majored in Political Science, concentrated in Law and Public Policy with a minor in Social Change. She is an alumnus of the Pi Beta Phi sorority’s Kentucky Alpha Chapter.

When she is not serving District 38 in Frankfort, Rachel works as a contract worker for the Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA), working with local, independent businesses in South and Southwest Jefferson County. Rep. Roarx spent six years supporting youth through her board service with Louisville Girls Leadership. She is the former Board of Directors President of the Little Loomhouse supporting fiber arts and weaving and their three historical landmark cabins in the heart of Kenwood Hill. She formerly served as the Executive Director of the Southwest Dream Team to promote tourism in the City’s South Points Scenic Area. In her free time, she serves as the nonprofit Board Vice President of the Happy Birthday Circle and is dedicated to commemorating the legacy of The Hill Sisters known for composing to the world’s most popular song ‘Happy Birthday to You’ and their impact on early childhood education. 

In 2023, Rep. Roarx was inducted in the Holy Cross High School Hall of Fame and honored with their Next Generation Award. In 2025, she became the Co-Chair of the Engage and Empower (Disability Advocacy) Caucus which strives to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, their families, and caregivers. Currently, she serves as a member of the Committees on Families and Children, Postsecondary Education, Local Government, Transportation, Government Contract Review, and Tobacco Settlement Oversight.

Renee Shaw, Director of Public Affairs and Moderator, Kentucky Educational Television (KET)
Renee Shaw is the Director of Public Affairs and Moderator at KET, currently serving as host of KET’s weeknight public affairs program Kentucky Edition, the signature public policy discussion series Kentucky Tonight, Election coverage and KET Forums. Since 2001, Renee has been the producing force behind KET’s legislative coverage that has been recognized by the Kentucky Associated Press and the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Under her leadership, KET has expanded its portfolio of public affairs content to include a daily news and information program, Kentucky Supreme Court coverage, townhall-style forums, and multi-platform program initiatives around issues such as opioid addiction, youth mental health and aging.

Renee has also earned top awards from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), with three regional Emmy awards. In 2023, she was inducted into the Silver Circle of the NATAS, one of the industry’s highest honors recognizing television professionals with distinguished service in broadcast journalism for 25 years or more.

Already an inductee into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame (2017), Renee expanded her hall of fame status with induction into Western Kentucky University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni in November of 2023.

Among the nearly three-dozen honors and awards Renee has earned, she was named in The Kentucky Gazette’s inaugural recognition of the 50 most notable women in Kentucky politics and government.

Ashli Watts, President & CEO, Kentucky Chamber 
Ashli Watts was named the President and CEO for the Kentucky Chamber, the state’s largest business association, in November 2019. Ashli joined the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in November of 2012, and during her tenure as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Chamber, she has led efforts in passing significant pieces of legislation such as felony expungement, right to work legislation, workers’ compensation reform, unemployment insurance reform and tax reform. Prior to joining the Chamber, she worked at the Kentucky Bar Association and the Legislative Research Commission.

Ashli graduated from Campbellsville University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History in 2004 and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Louisville. Ashli is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, currently serves on the boards for Campbellsville University, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of State Chambers, and the Louisville Orchestra. She was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear, and confirmed by the Kentucky State Senate, to serve on the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission, where she was also elected Chair in 2025. She currently resides in Frankfort with her husband Ryan and two children, Emma and Carter.