Lexington, KY - The ability to laugh at herself is one of the admirable qualities Freda Meriwether brings to her work, her friends and her community service. She admits, for example, she doesn't pump gas, because, years ago, before modern pumps, she accidently erased the price and the station worker told her to get out and not come back. "So I just stopped pumping gas - never did it again!" And, if it's dinner you want, Meriwether says you'd better have a shelf full of Campbell's soup. "My friends will tell you that I'm not a cook; my husband is," she said. "Anything I make will have some kind of cream soup in it!"
At heart a serious and impressively well-organized person, she is proud to be from a small town near Maysville, where she learned to appreciate the little things in life. "The inspiration of my life is my mom. She raised my brother and me on low wages, yet she has always encouraged me to live my dreams. She insisted that nothing was outside my reach."
Meriwether acknowledges the good fortune she's had to work for organizations that make communities stronger. Her first job was at the Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County. During her 19 years at the Urban League, she wore many hats: executive secretary, director for the Senior Citizens Services Employment Project, and life skills coordinator for the ex-offender housing construction program. She moved on to another non-profit but was soon offered the job of executive secretary to the CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC), which is responsible for community innovation, effective leadership and quality governance in cities around the common-wealth.
She sees the biggest challenge for her industry as maintaining innovative ways to deliver services to cities facing shrinking revenues amid challenging economic times.
The two accomplishments she's most proud of include becoming a certified professional secretary in 2007 and being part of the restoration of the historic Lyric Theatre and Cultural Center. Without much of a budget and no professional staff on board, the Lyric was in a precarious situation in 2010 in spite of an enthusiastic, supportive task force. Meriwether accepted the challenge of being board chair and, under her leadership -- again with the task force, LFUCG and community support - she guided the development of the Lyric to its opening in the fall of 2010. With the programmatic abilities of Joan Brannon and others, Meriwether ensured that the Lyric had a grand opening with a full house and entertainment that went late into the night.
As board chair, Meriwether speaks excitedly about the renovated building at Third Street and Elm Tree and plans for the coming year.
"We are all very excited about the new executive director who's been hired and it's wonderful to hear the comments from the community about the Lyric," she said. "When I see people attending and enjoying themselves, it brings tears to my eyes. This shows me that if you are truly dedicated and committed to something, good will come of it."