Kentucky Leadership unveils 2025 executive team and board of directors
Gina Winchester, the deputy judge executive of Calloway County, has been appointed as the 2025 Board Chair for Leadership Kentucky. This esteemed organisation, which fosters leadership development and community engagement, has announced its new board and executive committee members for the upcoming year.
Joining Winchester on the executive committee is a diverse group of influential individuals from various sectors across Kentucky. Chrisandrea Turner, a Partner at Stites & Harbison, PLLC, and Trey Grayson, a renowned political figure, will serve as Secretary of the committee.
Other notable members include Barbara Dickens, General Counsel of the Kentucky Finance & Administration Cabinet, and Janie McKenzie-Wells, a Retired Circuit Judge. The committee also includes Rhonda Whitaker-Hurtt, the Director of Government and Community Relations at Duke Energy, and Gary Gerdemann, a Co-founder and Partner at RunSwitch Public Relations.
In addition to the executive committee, Leadership Kentucky has announced its 2025 Board of Directors. Notable names include Tiffany Benjamin, the CEO of Humana Foundation, and Aaron Crum, the Assistant CEO and Chief Medical Officer at Pikeville Medical Center. The board also includes Daniel Carmack, a realtor at Sallie Davidson Realtors, and Elmer K. Whitaker, the BRIGHT Liaison/Committee Member for Leadership Kentucky.
Melissa Knight will serve as the 2026 Board Chair-Elect, while there is currently no information available regarding who will take over the chairmanship of the Board of Directors in 2026.
The organisation's commitment to community engagement is further demonstrated by the inclusion of Debbie Zuerner, the Director of Community Engagement at Owensboro Health, and Cindy Wiseman, the President and COO of AEP/Kentucky Power. Robert Heil, the Executive Director of Strategic Relationships and Community Engagement at KLH Engineers, also joins the board.
Rounding out the board are Leslie A. Fugate, Aaron Poynter, and Regina A. Jackson. Fugate is a member of the executive committee, while Poynter is the Director at Kentucky Office of Adult Education and Education and Labor Cabinet. Jackson is a Partner at English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP.
Lastly, Ron Wilson, the Immediate Past Chair of Leadership Kentucky, and Alan Keck, the Mayor of the City of Somerset, are also members of the 2025 Leadership Kentucky board of directors. Carolle Jones Clay, the President of Republic Bank Foundation and Senior VP/Managing Director at Republic Bank & Trust, completes the list of announced members.
With such a distinguished group of individuals, Leadership Kentucky is poised to continue its mission of developing leaders, inspiring service, and transforming communities in the coming year.
