New Hires & Board Selections
CHI Saint Joseph Health has welcomed new physician Emhemmid Karem to its Pulmonology & Critical Care team. CHI Saint Joseph Health also announced that Matt Grimshaw, MBA, has been selected as the market president for the health system following a comprehensive national search of outstanding candidates.
Valvoline Inc. announced two new leaders: Russ Backus, senior director, tax; and Charlie Veers, senior director customer insights and strategy.
J. Tyler Shockey has been promoted to the position of central region operations manager at Community Trust Bank, Inc.
The Hope Center announced that Chris Peck has been named chief advancement officer. He will oversee fundraising as well as community, public, and corporate relations.
Central Bank announced Christopher Schnelle has joined the bank as vice president, assistant director of financial intelligence and security unit.
Amanda Sarratore, an accomplished leader in educational IT, recently joined Transylvania University as vice president for information technology and chief information officer.
McBrayer PLLC announced that member Mari-Elise Paul has been selected to lead the firm’s intellectual property practice.
Keeneland announced the appointment of David O’Farrell, general manager of Ocala Stud, to its advisory board of directors.
God’s Pantry Food Bank announces officers and new members of the God’s Pantry Food Bank Board of Directors. The new officers are Andrew Henderson, president; Sarah Jefferson, first vice president; Melissa Wilson, second vice president; Gregory Kasten, treasurer; and Nancy Barnett, secretary. The new members are David Blake, Merinda Brown, Michelle Cummins, Phillip Hoffman, Ryan Quarles, Barry Stumbo, and Daniel Ware.
Scott Davis, chairman and chief executive officer of Field & Main Bank, has been elected to serve as chair of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for the 2025 term. In addition to Davis, two Lexington business leaders were elected to the board: LaToi Mayo, shareholder, Littler Mendelson; and Eric Monday, executive vice president, UK HealthCare.
RE/MAX Elite Realty welcomed agents Nina Vanetten, Natalie Nohel, Crystal Curry, Denny Patterson, Joy Watson, Wendy Allen, and Juanita Allen to its brokerage.
Kudos
Mighty Lex, the Lexington Legends’ energetic and beloved mascot, has won the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Mascot of the Year award for his exceptional fan engagement and community involvement.
The Air & Space Forces Association of Kentucky has named Nathan Hoskins as its Teacher of the Year. Hoskins, an instructor at Eastside Technical Center, was honored for exhibiting exceptional classroom performance, industry partnership, and his impact on the school and community.
The Sazerac Company, one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies, has been named the American Whiskey Producer of the Year at the 2024 International Spirits Challenge for the fifth consecutive year.
Lexington Clinic announced that board-certified orthopedic surgeon Peter Hester, MD, will moderate a presentation at the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) prestigious International Jockey Concussion, Safety and Wellness Conference. HISA creates and regulates integrity and safety rules for Thoroughbred racing across the United States and is overseen by the Federal Trade Commission.
Lexington Parks & Recreation was a finalist for the prestigious National Gold Medal Award governed and managed by the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Lexington was a finalist in the Class II category, which includes cities with a population of 150,001 – 400,000.
Bourbon & Beyond was recently named the 2024 Festival of the Year by leading live entertainment organization IBEA. The festival welcomed a record-setting 210,000 fans Sept. 19-22 at Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
VisitLEX has announced the launch of Film Lexington (FilmLEX), a one-stop resource to market Kentucky’s competitive entertainment incentive program.
The Kentucky African American Heritage Commission (KAAHC) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2024 grant program, which aims to support projects that promote and preserve the rich cultural heritage of African Americans in Kentucky. This year, the commission awarded a total of $47,280 to six diverse projects across the state. Grant recipients included: National Underground Railroad Museum, Maysville, Ky. – $12,780 – roof repair; Save the Grand, Frankfort, Ky. – $12,000 – Black Experience Documentary; New Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Shelbyville, Ky. – $7,000 – building repair; Paducah Historical Preservation Group – $8,500 – Helen LaFrance Art Exhibit; The East Second Christian Church, Lexington, Ky. – $5,500 – preservation efforts; Kentucky Educational Television – $1,500 – Be My Neighbor Day, Louisville, Ky.;
Kentucky Sports Alliance (KSA), a consortium of 14 Kentucky tourism-based organizations, announced that it has completed a major rebranding. Founded in 2003 as TEAM Kentucky with a mission of cities working together to bring sporting events to Kentucky, the KSA rebrand eliminates confusion with the state’s economic development efforts. Additionally, the KSA rebrand reflects the partner organizations’ commitment to promote Kentucky as a destination for regional, national, and international sporting events.
The 2025 edition of Benchmark Litigation names 11 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys as “Litigation Stars” and three as “Future Stars” in Kentucky. Those honored as Litigation Stars were: Thad Barnes, Matthew Breetz, Carol Dan Browning, Charles “Mike” Cronan IV, Daniel Danford, Douglass Farnsley, William Gorton III, Joseph Hamilton, Gregory Parsons, John Tate, and Ashley Ward. Future Stars were as follows: Chadwick McTighe, David Owsley II, and Cassidy Rosenthal.
In other news, The Trademark Lawyer Magazine has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC to the 2024 Top 10 Trademark Firms and IP Practices in North America – South list. This is the firm’s second year being honored. The firm also announced that it recently achieved 2023-24 Mansfield Certification. Mansfield is a year-long structured certification process designed for law firms to ensure all lawyers have an opportunity to advance into leadership.
Spectrum has made a donation of $1,000 to Woodford Habitat for Humanity through the company’s employee-driven grants program that recognizes the value of community service, Spectrum Employee Community Grants. The grant is part of a commitment to support 500 nonprofits nationally with $2.5 million through the program.
McDonald’s fans across Kentucky and Kentuckiana have rallied in support of local high school athletic programs, raising an impressive $53,301.66 during the inaugural High School Sports Digital Fundraiser Day. This initiative allowed McDonald’s owner/operators to contribute 10 percent of all sales made through the McDonald’s app to designated high schools, benefiting 107 athletic programs statewide.