FRANKFORT — Leadership Kentucky announced members of the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2024. This year’s class includes 35 participants from 20 ARC counties representing a variety of public and private sectors, including two from Martin County: Corey Cassell of Thrive Community Coalition and Dorothy Johnson of the Martin County Health Department.
BRIGHT Kentucky consists of five three-day sessions, the primary goal of which is to help participants fully understand the local economic context and to build robust skill sets in communication, collaboration, consensus building, visioning and community engagement.
The program, which runs July through November, takes participants across Eastern Kentucky: Berea/Frankfort in July, Columbia in August, London in September, Pikeville in October and Morehead in November.
BRIGHT Kentucky, which began in 2019, engages “bright, entrepreneurial minds” from various occupational sectors to offer non-partisan, ethical leadership training, expanded networks and mentors designed especially for residents of the 54 Kentucky counties of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
The program is made possible by an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant and private funding from the Whitaker Foundation, AEP Foundation/Kentucky Power, and other donors.
The program kicked off July 10 with a session on understanding and maximizing the participants’ leadership style.
This year’s class includes:
- Kacy Abrams, Boyd County, Boyd County Fiscal Court
- Dawson Barnett, Perry County, Bluegrass Care Navigators
- Wallace Caleb Bates, Breathitt County, Hazard Community & Technical College
- Andrew Beal, Casey County, Nutty Nanas
- Boone Bowling, Bell County, City of Middlesboro
- Jon Brooks, Madison County, Fahe
- Corey Cassell, Martin County, Thrive Community Coalition
- Josey Cruse, Knox County, Operation UNITE
- Dillon Curtin, Casey County, Tarter Gate Company LLC
- Jacob Estes, Powell County, Legislative Research Commission – Office of the Speaker
- Meghan Gilmore, Pulaski County, UKHealthcare
- Stephan Harris, Boyd County, UK King’s Daughters
- Kayla Harrison, Rowan County, St. Claire HealthCare
- Connor Holland, Knox County, Cumberland Valley Area Development District
- Madilyn Jarman, Pike County, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR)
- Dorothy Johnson, Martin County, Martin County Health Department
- Bethany Kirby, Wolfe County, Partners for Rural Impact
- Erica Knight, Perry County, Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
- Ethan Lake, Garrard County, Whitaker Bank
- Jennifer Lambert, Whitley County, RRJ Solutions
- Sabrina Lequire, Floyd County, Community Trust & Investment Company
- Joseph Little, Lawrence County, Addiction Recovery Care
- Aimee McQueen, Pulaski County, Lifeskills
- Lexie Mims, Pike County, Williamson Health and Wellness Center
- Leticia Morales, Rowan County, Whitaker Bank
- Callie Morgan, Wayne County, City of Monticello
- Don Morring, Laurel County, Kentucky One Health/Common Spirit
- Blake Moss, Pike County, Big Sandy Area Development District
- Kasey Moss, Taylor County, Campbellsville University
- Kayla Osborne Caldwell, Pike County, Pikeville Medical Center
- Corey Stump, Pike County, Double Kwik
- Kelsey Tackett, Floyd County, Lighthouse Beacon Foundation
- Max Temple, Perry County, Housing Development Alliance, Inc.
- Candace Tingen, Bell County, Self-Employed
- Taylor Williams, Perry County, Kentucky Pharmacists Association