FRANKFORT — Leadership Kentucky announced Monday that the 51-member Class of 2022 includes Inez banker James Ayers.

Leadership Kentucky’s flagship program consists of seven three-day sessions, where participants gather to gain insight on the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its challenges and opportunities. Throughout the sessions, class members will meet with Kentucky’s current leaders and explore the state’s opportunities and resources. Participants will have the opportunity to form lifelong connections and visit communities.

The June through December program will bring the class across the state: Berea in June, Pikeville in July, Bowling Green in August, Louisville in September, Murray/Western Kentucky in October, Lexington/Frankfort in November, and Northern Kentucky in December. Sessions cover topics ranging from business and economic development, arts and tourism, natural resources and the environment, education, healthcare, diversity and social issues, agriculture, and government.

Ayers serves as First State Bank regional retail and relationship manager in Inez. He is currently the chairman of the Martin County Economic Development Authority. He has served on numerous local and regional nonprofit and quasi-governmental boards, including Big Sandy Regional Airport, One East Kentucky and Inez Volunteer Fire Department.

Ayers holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Eastern Kentucky University, diplomas from the Kentucky School of Banking and the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a certificate in bank executive leadership from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Ayers and his wife, Keli Callaham-Ayers, live in Inez.