New Hires & Board Selections
Grant Grissom has joined law firm Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC as an associate, and Jacob Eads has joined the firm as a business litigation associate.
Keeneland has announced the appointment of Gabby Gaudet as its director of communications.
Bowman Consulting, a nationally acclaimed firm specializing in landscape architecture, planning, and engineering, announced the opening of its new office in downtown Lexington.
William Hodges, PLA, has been appointed as branch manager and will lead the firm’s operations and strategic initiatives in the region.
Cole Combs recently accepted a position with ABEL Construction as its new director of operations based in the Lexington office.
Working to stimulate a community identity in the greater Clark County region, the Greater Clark Foundation announced the appointment of Timothy Johnson as its new president and chief executive officer.
Bank of the Bluegrass & Trust Co. announced that Amanda Weakley has joined its Southland Drive Financial Center in the position of universal banker.
The Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp announced the appointment of Jacob Ball, NBCT, as its new executive director.
Lexington Theological Seminary has named Rev. Dr. Jonathan Barnes its new dean and vice president for academic affairs.
Central Bank announced the recent hiring of Deric Sandel as assistant anti-money laundering/countering financial terrorism officer.
The bank also announced the promotions of Shane Anderson to vice president, commercial lending manager; Candice Sweasy to select account relationship advisor, officer; and Kathy Moore to assistant vice president, retail banking officer III.
Jon A. Woodall was also recently selected to serve on the Central Bank Lexington advisory board.
Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. announced the appointment of David L. Baird to its board of directors; and Paola G. Roe has been named Versailles market president.
Sheabel Veterinary Hospital, a longstanding provider of companion animal care in Lexington, Kentucky, recently welcomed new veterinarian Kayla Medlin to its staff.
Attorneys Kaylee Secor, Tanner Rife, and Whitney Williams recently joined the Lexington law offices of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP.
Life Adventure Center recently named James Lawrence its new operations director.
Recent University of Kentucky graduate Olivia Graham has been named marketing coordinator at Kismet Marketing.
Commerce Lexington recently promoted Falon McFarland to director of research. McFarland will continue her project manager role with the Community and Minority Business Development Division.
Singer/songwriter Alex Miller has been named brand ambassador for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Proud program.
Breeders' Cup Limited announced the election results to its board of directors by the Breeders' Cup Members. Bill Farish (Lane’s End Farm) and Eric Gustavson (Spendthrift Farm) were re-elected, while M.V. Magnier (Coolmore) was elected, all to four-year terms.
Also elected was Craig Fravel (Brown Advisory), who will serve a three-year term.
Andy Goutzoulis has joined SUN Behavioral Health Lexington as outpatient services coordinator.
Joe O’Nan has joined the Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation as chief financial officer.
Saint Joseph Health Medical Group – Primary Care welcomed Ali Epley, APRN, to its Georgetown team.
Saint Joseph Health Medical Group has also added Andrew Fozzard, MD, as the newest addition to its inpatient critical care/palliative care team.
Kudos
Demetrus Liggins, superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools, was recently honored as the 2026 Superintendent of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.
Commerce Lexington has honored Andi Johnson, IOM, chief policy officer and director of regional engagement, for recently completing 96 hours of continuing education to earn the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute of Organization Management certification.
Awesome Inc, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and Sustainable Business Ventures Corporation recently announced the following 2025 Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductees, presented by Chase: Larry Benz, founder, Confluent Health; William P. Butler, chairman of the board, Corporex; Alice K. Houston, founder, HJI Supply Chain Solutions; and Rick Kueber, founder & CEO, Glow Brands.
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System has recognized Doug Wainscott, Owen County High School guidance counselor, as the recipient of the state’s Pathfinder of the Year award.
The award recognizes the most exceptional high school teacher or guidance counselor from a field of 16 who received Pathfinder of the Year awards from the community colleges earlier this year.
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is rolling out its first-ever Mental Health Strategy to support the mental well-being of more than 110,000 students across its 16 colleges.
The initiative is backed by partnerships with The Jed Foundation, The Healthy Minds Network, and the Council on Postsecondary Education.
For more than 50 years of service to public education in Kentucky, Fred Carter has been named the recipient of the 2025 KASA Lifetime Achievement Award.
Presented by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, the award honors a distinguished career marked not only by professional excellence but by sustained contributions that have left an imprint on education leadership across the commonwealth.
The Hope Center Residential Treatment Program announced it has received a 3-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International.
Baptist Health Lexington has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
Heaven Hill Brands has been honored as Distillery of the Year at the 2025 New Orleans Spirits Competition, a prestigious recognition announced at the Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans.
The award celebrates Heaven Hill’s continued excellence across a broad range of spirits and underscores its leadership and craftsmanship in American whiskey and beyond.
The distillery also earned several top distinctions across major categories, which included Best of Category Wins for Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon – Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond; Bourbon, Non-Age Stated – Evan Williams 1783; Whiskey, Bourbon 5-10 years – Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Traditional Barrel Series – Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon; Corn Whiskey – Mellow Corn Bottled-In-Bond; Finished Bourbon – Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel; and Añejo Tequila – Tequila Ocho Anejo.
After 13 years as producer and host on WUKY, DeBraun Thomas is leaving to pursue his music and other opportunities.
From his early days producing standout shows like The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, to his weekly show Crunkadelic Funk (Saturday nights at 9), Thomas stood out as a thoughtful and creative radio personality.
Leadership Lexington Class of 2025–26
The Leadership Lexington Steering Committee is proud to announce the new Leadership Lexington class for 2025–26, comprised of the following 54 individuals from a variety of segments across the Lexington community:
Michael Adams, Fayette County Public Schools; Kit Anderson, CivicLex; Joy Andrade, Kentucky Department for Public Health; Sarah Bowling, Cornerstone Government Affairs; Zach Brien, Fifth Third Bank; Kristen Brown, CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners; Shane Burks II, R.J. Corman Railroad Group/Signaling; Daniel Burnett, Lexington Fayette Urban County Government; Toni Cannon, Kentucky for Kentucky; Kiersten Cleveland, Keeneland; Ciara Coleman, Lexington Fayette Urban County Government; Cam Dacci, Community Trust Bank; Alex Degen, Lexington Leadership Foundation; Joshua DeSpain, Contour Collaborative PLLC; Lyndy Franklin Smith, The Lexington Theatre Company; Keith Gallagher, YMCA of Central Kentucky; Morgan Griffey, DV8 Kitchen Vocational Training Foundation, Inc.; Jennifer Hall, Key Assets Kentucky, Inc.; Ashley Holt, Bluegrass Care Navigators; Armine Hutchens, J.T. Davis Asset Management; Alison Jackson, Blue Grass Community Foundation; Christine James, Jubilee Jobs of Lexington; Kate Kopytek, Hunsicker; Bradley Kruse-Diehr, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government; John Magner, Kentucky American Water; Brittany Manion, Fayette County Public Schools; Sarah Martin, Move Smart; Heather Matics, Kentucky Bar Association; T.J. Maxberry, Guide Realty; Darius McCoy, Elaine Allen; Falon McFarland, Commerce Lexington; Harper Michael, Kentucky Chamber Foundation; Bailey Milam, Kentucky Event Company; Jay Phillips, Embry Merritt Womack Nance, PLLC; Kayla Powell, University of Kentucky; David Richardson, Lexington Police Department; Carrie Rogers, Fayette County Public Schools; Amanda Royer, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky; Melinda Ryles-Smith, Kentucky United Methodist Children's Homes; Jordan Saas, Lexington Fire Department; Lauren Simmerman, Blue Grass Airport; Anthony Smallwood, LexArts, Inc.; Kristin Smith, Baird Private Wealth Management; Ross Smith, Traditional Bank; Eddie Sorrell, University of Kentucky Credit Union; Cierra Spaulding, Fayette County Public Schools; Mary Jane Speer, VisitLEX; Bradley Sutherland, Central Bank and Trust Co.; Lesley Thomas, CHAMPLIN | EOP; William Webb, The Webb Companies; Amanda Wheeler, Lexington Public Library; Cecelia Yeary, Baptist Health Lexington; Alyssa Yozwiak, Dean Dorton; and Alison Zeitlin, Stites & Harbison PLLC.