The diversity in subject matter between Diana Ratliff's two favorite magazines, Rolling Stone and Garden & Gun (guilty pleasures, she calls them), represent her assorted avocations, but they are also perhaps a reflection of the various fields of expertise that Ratliff has touched upon in her distinguished career. While much of her work-related history has been steeped in the non-profit sector, on a daily basis, Ratliff deals with professionals from just about every field in the state - from health to education to government. At the crux of the organization she now directs, Leadership Kentucky, a seven-month program that immerses its participants in Kentucky's most critical issues, is learning.
"The learning revolves around the most critical topics facing our citizens - economic development, education, law and justice, government," Ratliff said. "We give our participants a much more in-depth look at the issues that are so critical to our present and our future."
Ratliff first gained an appreciation for Leadership Kentucky when she completed the program herself more than 10 years ago. The experience, she said, was life changing, instilling in her a new confidence in her own abilities, as well as opening her eyes to the vast opportunities that Kentucky faces.
"I have been in every county," said Ratliff, whose experience working with the Nature Conservancy has afforded her a great familiarity with "every nook and cranny" in the state.
"I love Kentucky," she continued. "I love everything about it. Leadership Kentucky just made me realize that the challenges that we face in our state are really nothing but opportunities. We have so many opportunities to move forward, because there are so many intelligent, hardworking people who really care about the state and care about how our citizens progress."
Ratliff, who started a mentor program while she was with the Nature Conservancy, credits her role models, including her mother and her former boss, Peggy Powell Glenn, with helping her get to the place she is today.
"The best advice I could give a young woman is to pick someone whom you view as successful, who conducts themselves in a way that you think is appropriate, and try to hook up with that person and ask them to be your mentor," she said. "I know very few women who would refuse that offer and who would refuse to help someone if they were asked."
As for personal goals she has not yet met, Ratliff hopes to continue to pursue her hobby of creative writing until she writes something that will get her accepted to the Appalachian Writers Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School.
"Being from Appalachia, it's just something I'd really like to accomplish," said Ratliff. "I figure I'll be older than the hills when I get to do that, but it's never too late."