A Legacy of Leadership: Leadership Lexington celebrates 40 years

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In the spring of 1979, the board of directors for Commerce Lexington, then called the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, came up with the idea for Leadership Lexington, a program to cultivate the next generation of leaders.

“They felt that the most effective way to do this was through education on key issues and interaction with established leaders,” said Amy Carrington Stout, director of leadership development with Commerce Lexington. Stout was a member of the 2010-11 Leadership Lexington class and is now director of the program.

Many of Lexington’s current, former and rising community leaders have participated in the program, which this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

“For the most part, the vision has remained the same,” Stout said. “Through a competitive application process, class members are selected based on their leadership qualities and desire to contribute to the community.”

The Leadership Lexington class year reflects a school year, starting with an orientation in August (an overnight retreat) and ending with a graduation in June.

“Leadership Lexington is a big commitment — one day a month away from your responsibilities for a year — but it’s well worth it,” said Cameron Hamilton, partner and director of financial planning with Ballast, and member of the 2019-20 class. “I made great friendships and connections that I expect to last a lifetime and make me a more engaged citizen and more capable and effective in work, in the community and amongst friends.”

Hamilton said no one could have anticipated the amount of adversity they would face, but the pandemic was not the worst of it. “We lost our most respected and cherished classmate, Anita Franklin, in February,” he said. “She was a shining light of service in Lexington who inspires us all to do more for our neighbors.” As Leadership Lexington members learn more about their city, their more important education is in learning to appreciate one another. “When you have the groups of people together that much — traveling on a bus, in sessions, taking tours, debating one another and working on class projects — barriers and misconceptions are broken down, while cohesion and collaboration are strengthened,” Stout said.

The class size varies from 40 to 50 people, but the current 2020-21 class has 25 people for easier and safer social distancing.

Each month the program is centered around a Lexington program or topic. September’s session focused on Lexington’s history. Foster Ockerman, Jr. and Yvonne Giles were presenters that morning, with an afternoon field trip scheduled to a historical venue like Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate.

Ockerman was a young attorney when he was one of the 31 members of the inaugural 1979-80 Leadership Lexington class. He recalls immersive experiences at City Hall and the Salvation Army, among other sectors of the city. “We went to the jail, which I’m sure almost everybody in the class would not have done otherwise,” he said, noting that one of the strengths of Leadership Lexington was “identifying the rising class of leaders who, 10 to 15 years after they graduate, will be in positions to do things.”

These days, Ockerman is still a practicing attorney, as well as the president and chief historian of the Lexington History Museum, and a constant proponent of Leadership Lexington. “You will have met people you would not otherwise have met and formed friendships you can call upon later, and it’s not a cold call,” he said.

The age of class participants has evolved over the past four decades, with many members now in their 40s and 50s. “Leadership Lexington is really becoming so competitive for the 25 to 30-year-olds that you’ve got to be outstanding if you’re going to get into Leadership Lexington at that age,” Stout said.

The scheduled daylong program for October was Public Safety Day, which typically features a trip to the Division of Emergency Management and the Fire Training Academy with a talk by Lexington Fire Chief Kristin Chilton. This year’s class will participate next year for ride-alongs with the police department. Education Day is in November, with site visits to Locust Trace AgriScience Center or the Academies of Bryan Station High School, Junior Achievement’s BizTown or the new STEAM Academy.

Other monthly programs of Leadership Lexington include topics of government, health and human services, diversity, the arts, economic development and the equine industry. In 2011, the steering committee changed the previously named overall agriculture session to Equine Day and put elements of ag into Economic Development Day.

In the spring of 2015, Mark Mahan had been a photographer for five years. His dentist, Doyle Freano, hired Mahan to take headshots of his dental clients for the walls of his office. One of his patients was Amy Carrington Stout. The dentist and patient both told Mahan about Leadership Lexington, but he had no idea what they were talking about. “I trusted Doyle, and Amy seemed trustworthy, so I applied,” Mahan said. “It changed my life. That one encounter, I get emotional talking about it, changed the arc of my life.”

So much so, Mahan Multimedia is now a program sponsor. “It’s the relationships I made,” Mahan said. “You get around 50 people that love life, are trying to make a difference in the community and are excited about their careers; it’s just a breath of fresh air.”

He recalls three or four projects from his Leadership Lexington class of 2015-16, the largest of which was the revitalization of Douglass Park, changing it from a softball to field to a soccer field.

In the spring of 2020, Mahan thought he was out of business. “Until we figured out live webcasting,” he said. On one night in October, Mahan Media partnered with the Lexington Public Library and with Central Kentucky Riding for Hope to broadcast both of their fundraisers. “They hit their numbers and netted more money than they would have,” he said. “We got to be of service and facilitate that. We get to make a difference. All that stems from Leadership Lexington. Both of those relationships are Leadership Lexington relationships.”

“Lexington has been blessed with many strong, talented leaders. One reason is Leadership Lexington, which has nurtured our emerging leaders for 40 years,” said Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton, a member of the 1999-00 class. “People learn a lot about their city through Leadership Lexington. And they form relationships that ultimately serve our community. Congratulations to Leadership Lexington on 40 years of leadership development.” 

Community Projects

In the early 2000s, Leadership Lexington added a community project component. Here’s a sampling of class projects:

2003-04: Leadership Lexington Youth Program

A program for high school students in their junior year to interact with community leaders. Junior Achievement took over the administration of this program in the fall of 2020.

2006-07: Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden

A half-acre plot in Lexington’s East End was converted into a garden to honor Thoroughbred jockey Isaac Murphy, winner of three Kentucky Derbies.

2009-10: Lexington Public Art Catalog

A public art project with nationwide applicants. The winning piece, called Concordia, is above the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center on Main Street. 2010-11: Leadership Lexington Alumni Association This sustainable organization has committees for project mentoring, fundraising and scholarship assistance.

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