Kentucky Leadership reveals 2025 executive team and board of directors
Leadership Kentucky Announces 2025 Board of Directors
In a significant development, Leadership Kentucky has unveiled its 2025 Board of Directors, comprising a diverse group of influential individuals from various sectors across the state.
At the helm is Gina Winchester, who has been announced as the Chair of the board. Winchester, a deputy judge executive in Calloway County, brings a wealth of experience to the role.
Among the notable members of the executive committee are Trey Grayson, who will serve as the Secretary, and Leslie A. Fugate, who joins as a member. Melissa Knight has been designated as the 2026 Board Chair-Elect, while Ron Wilson, the Immediate Past Chair, continues to lend his expertise.
The committee also includes Regina A. Jackson, a Partner at English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP, who serves as a Committee Member-Ex-Officio. Jackson is also a member of the 2025 Leadership Kentucky executive committee, as is Chrisandrea Turner, a Partner at Stites & Harbison, PLLC.
Other prominent figures on the board include Alan Keck, the Mayor of the City of Somerset, and Aaron Crum, the Assistant CEO and Chief Medical Officer at Pikeville Medical Center.
In the corporate sector, John Yanes, the President for Saint Joseph London and Saint Joseph Berea at CHI-Saint Joseph Health, and Cindy Wiseman, the President and COO of AEP/Kentucky Power, are part of the board.
The real estate industry is represented by Daniel Carmack, a realtor at Sallie Davidson Realtors, and the financial sector by Carolle Jones Clay, the President of Republic Bank Foundation and Senior VP/Managing Director at Republic Bank & Trust.
The board also includes Elmer K. Whitaker, the BRIGHT Liaison/Committee Member for Leadership Kentucky, and Perry Allen, a Committee Member-Ex-Officio, who retired from U.S. Bank.
Notably, Betsy Clemons, the Executive Director at Hazard Perry County Chamber of Commerce, and Robert Heil, the Executive Director of Strategic Relationships and Community Engagement at KLH Engineers, are part of the board.
The board also includes Gary Gerdemann, a Co-Founder and Partner at RunSwitch Public Relations, and Aaron Poynter, the Director at Kentucky Office of Adult Education and Education and Labor Cabinet.
In the public sector, Rhonda Whitaker-Hurtt, the Director of Government and Community Relations at Duke Energy, and Janie McKenzie-Wells, a Retired Circuit Judge, are part of the board.
Lastly, Charles Session, who is retired from Duke Energy, and Leslie Buddeke Smart, a member of the 2025 Leadership Kentucky executive committee, complete the list of board members.
It's worth noting that the search results do not contain information about the origin of most members of the Leadership Kentucky board in 2025.
Tiffany Benjamin, the CEO of Humana Foundation, and Debbie Zuerner, the Director of Community Engagement at Owensboro Health, round off the list of notable figures associated with Leadership Kentucky in 2025.
With such a diverse and experienced group of individuals, Leadership Kentucky is poised to make a significant impact in the coming years.
