"Since moving to Lexington two years ago, Preston-Osborne account manager Vitale Buford has proven herself to be a very welcome statistical exception in the city. At a time when many in the community are bemoaning the loss of promising young professionals to larger and more attractive locales, the 25-year-old Alabama native has not only made Lexington her home, but she has taken an active role in many community efforts to shape the city's future.
Her opportunities to get involved in local initiatives have surprised even Buford, whose name "Vitale" was the maiden name of her Italian grandmother, a World War II bride who relocated to Alabama at age 17 to acquire her decidedly more Southern surname.
Buford has been more apt to cross less-noticeable age barriers lately, as opposed to the cultural obstacles of her grandmother. After only two years, she has thrown herself into efforts to remake the fabric of Lexington's downtown and more, and has often found herself to be one of the youngest people at the table. She has become what many community leaders view as an increasingly scarce commodity in the Bluegrass — a locally involved, young professional transplant.
Buford was born and raised in Huntsville, Ala. Unlike most of her private high school classmates, she showed her early predilection for swimming against the tide by enrolling at the University of Georgia in Athens. Buford started as an art major, but only a week after her classes began, she decided to switch gears for a communications career. She majored in public relations and minored in sociology, earning her bachelor's degree in journalism in 2005.
After graduating, Buford took another independent and uncommon leap by moving to Lexington, where she had no personal history or family connections. U.S. census figures indicate that, despite the presence of local universities, the proportion of 20-somethings in Lexington's population has been steadily slipping in recent years, from 19.9 percent in 2004 to 17.6 percent in 2005 and 16.9 percent in 2006. But to Buford, who savors new experiences, the city seemed nice enough, and it meshed well with her Alabama upbringing, she said. She took a six-month lease on an apartment and decided to give it a shot.
"Looking back, I never would have thought that I would have been as involved in the community (as I am now)," she said.
Buford took a job as an account assistant for Phil Osborne at the marketing communications firm Preston-Osborne. She spent her time writing proposals and helping with account service work for multiple clients. She was learning a lot, she said, becoming familiar with the ins and outs of both agency work and the city itself, and it didn't take long for her to fall in love with Lexington. A college boyfriend had relocated to the Bluegrass, also, but when he moved elsewhere, Buford remained.
"It was just really exciting, getting to know the community and how it works," Buford said. "I didn't know the politics of Lexington. I was new and felt far removed. I didn't know where to start, but I wanted to be part of the community."
Buford was promoted to account manager in October 2006, taking a more significant role on the often-heated Kentucky American Water campaign against public ownership at the time. At the same time, Buford was looking to step up her community involvement. She mentioned her interest to her client and mentor Warren Rogers, president of W. Rogers Company, who put her in touch with city council member Jay McChord in January. It wasn't long before this former outsider was taking part in community initiatives such as Activate Lexington, the development of the Healthways Trail System, the Entertainment Development Task Force, Leadership Lexington and the 30/30 Project.
"Basically, I'm committing my life to the city," Buford said. "There's a lot of opportunity and a lot of money in this town, but no vision."
Buford wants to make sure Lexington's leaders know what it's like to be a young professional in their city and works to integrate their skills and talents. Her involvement wouldn't be possible, she said, without the support of her boss and mentor, Osborne, in giving her time to lend her ideas to so many community efforts.
Other valuable mentors during Buford's life in Lexington have included McChord, Commerce Lexington's Shari Fiveash and local developer Phil Holoubek.
"They've all just done really great things in the community," Buford said. "They understand the importance of young people and investing in them."
Roughly a year ago, Buford was still looking for an opportunity to apply her talents to help improve the community. These days, Buford's biggest challenge is making sure she doesn't spread herself too thin, she said, and making sure that she is applying her talents where they are needed the most.
"I feel really lucky," she said. "I don't know any other city in the United States where you could be this involved at this age, or a place where just one or two people can make a difference."
But having been a young newcomer without knowledge or connections in Lexington's business community, Buford knows how difficult getting involved can seem to many of the city's young professionals.
"People just don't know where to begin," she said. "They don't know who to talk to. And I think a lot of them don't know what's going on."
In an effort to overcome the financial obstacles that some young professionals may face, Buford, as chair of the 30/30 Program, is currently working to raise funds to help promising young community leaders attend Commerce Lexington's annual Leadership Trip. Candidates for the financial help will be selected based on not only financial need, but also their community involvement and vision for the Bluegrass.
"It just gives them the opportunity to connect with the leaders of Lexington and become part of changing the city," Buford said. "I want to see a city that provides opportunities for all of our citizens."
Buford has also been working with Griffin Van Meter to launch Creative Downtown LLC, an effort to develop a monthly concert series that will attract a steady audience of music lovers ages 18 and over. She and Van Meter are still in the early stages of the project, finishing the business plan and talking to promoters, but Buford sees it as "a way to cultivate active music consumers."
And Buford's lifelong love of art has led her to share her own creative talents with the community, with some of her abstract mixed media artwork having been exhibited recently at an art show at the old Tarr distillery building on Manchester Street.
Buford hopes her efforts in community planning and development will help to make Lexington more appealing for relocating young adults such as herself, as well as a city that generates pride and excitement among the locals. An essential part of that, she said, will be the creation of a vibrant downtown.
"There's just so much opportunity in our downtown to make it better," Buford said. "I can't wait to look back in five years, or ten years, and see everything that we've all accomplished."
Even Buford herself is surprised by the active role she has been able to play in what she sees as transformative city initiatives at such a relatively young age, but all it has taken, she said, is a willingness to roll up her sleeves.
"I love all the research and the work," she said. "I don't mind spending a lot of time on it. I'm lucky to have this opportunity, so I don't want to throw it away."
Buford also believes there are more young leaders like her who are waiting in the wings for their call to take center stage in helping to plan Lexington's future.
"I think that they want to do something that's meaningful and they want to be a part of something," Buford said. "They are willing to be involved and work long hours. We just have to give them something to believe in."