Leader Interviews

Norma Adams is an attorney in Somerset, Kentucky. She graduated from Russellville High School, attended the University of Kentucky, and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law. She was an editor of the Kentucky Law Journal. Ms. Adams served as Somerset City Attorney from 1966-1968, was a nominee to the Supreme Court of Kentucky in 1986, and a candidate for Justice of the Supreme Court, Third Judicial District, in 1986. Ms. Adams has served as President of both the Pulaski County Bar Association and the University of Kentucky Law Alumni Association. She has served as a member of both the Unauthorized Practice Committee and the Committee of Professionalism of the Kentucky State Bar Association, the Advisory Board for Humana Hospital Lake Cumberland, the Advisory Board for Somerset Community College, and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Ms. Adams has served as a Director for Leadership Kentucky and on its Executive Committee. She has served as a Director for the Kentucky Bar Foundation and the Somerset/Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce. She was the Chair of the KY Advocates for Higher Education in 1994-1996, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, as a Director for KY Advocates for Higher Education, a member of the Higher Education Nominating Committee for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and Commissioner for the Commission to Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Ms. Adams and her husband Charles have four children.

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Karen Armstrong-Cummings is the Director of the Commodity Growers Cooperative Association headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. She has served as Deputy Secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, and has worked in environmental and natural resources management since 1972. Ms. Armstrong-Cummings worked with the Natural Resources Cabinet from 1978 until 1987, serving as Deputy Commissioner of the Cabinet’s Department for Environmental Protection from 1985 until 1987. She handled various programs including NPDES delegation to the state of Kentucky, as well as work in hazardous and solid waste program areas, and surface mining. A graduate of Mars Hill College in North Carolina, she completed graduate work at Kentucky State University, with additional postgraduate work at Duke University and the University of North Carolina. She has worked with various nongovernmental organizations in community economic development and environmental management, and was formerly Director of the Center for the Environment at the Council of State Governments, working with state environmental programs in the 50 states.

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Walter A. Baker is an attorney in Glasgow, Kentucky. He graduated from Harvard College (A.B. Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and from Harvard Law School (LL.B.) Mr. Baker served as a state representative from Kentucky's 23rd House District form 1968-1971 and as a state senator from the 9th Senatorial District from 1972-1981 and from 1989-1996. He was the Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs, Office of Secretary of Defense in the Department of Defense from 1981-1983 and as a Justice in the Kentucky Supreme Court in 1996. Mr. Baker served as Judge Advocate with the rank of Lt. Colonel for the USAFR, Kentucky Air National Guard, from 1961-1981. He received the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency Outstanding Service Award (1975), Dept. of Defense Outstanding Public Service Award (1983), the Louisville-Jefferson County Crime Commission Legislator of the Year Award (1990 and 1992), the Barren River ADD William H. Natcher Award for Outstanding Public Service (1995), and the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce "Ernie Award" (1996). He is a Life Member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, serves on the Council for Postsecondary Education, and is First Vice President of the Kentucky Historical Society.

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Ewell Balltrip was appointed executive director of the Kentucky Appalachian Commission in July 1996 by Gov. Paul E. Patton. He is responsible for managing the Commission's work which includes strategic planning, coordinating development activities, assisting in regional policy and program development, auditing regional progress and advising the Governor and his cabinet on matters affecting Appalachian Kentucky. Mr. Balltrip is a native Appalachian, born and reared in Harlan, Kentucky. Before joining the Commission, Balltrip was the chief operating officer and publisher of community daily newspapers of The New York Times Company. He was publisher of The Harlan Daily Enterprise (Harlan, Ky.), The Daily News (Middlesboro, Ky.) and the State Gazette (Dyersburg, Tn.). Balltrip's career in journalism began in Harlan where he was a reporter and later advanced to editor of the newspaper before being appointed publisher. He gained a practical understanding of many issues related to Appalachian Kentucky through his practice as a community journalist. With a career as a journalist in Southeastern Kentucky spanning almost 20 years, Mr. Balltrip covered an array of events stemming from Appalachian social, economic and political issues. As a writer and editor, his works were recognized by the Kentucky Press Association and the Associated Press Managing Editors' Association. Mr. Balltrip also has an extensive background in community development and civic activities. He was a founding director and co-chairman of Forward in the Fifth, an education promotion group in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District. He has served on the board of directors of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development and of Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation. He has been a member of the Shakertown Roundtable and has held positions on chambers of commerce boards in Harlan, Ky., and in Dyersburg, TN. Mr. Balltrip was also a founding director and co-chairman of the inaugural Kentucky First Amendment Congress. He was a member of the Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital Advisory Board. He is a fellow of the Leadership Dyer County (TN) and Leadership East Kentucky programs. He is a member of the board of the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation which sponsors the annual East Kentucky Leadership Conference. He is also a member of the boards of directors of the Kentucky Challenger Learning Center Southeast Education Foundation at Southeast Community College, and Knott County Community Development Initiative, Inc. Mr. Balltrip received his elementary and secondary education in the Harlan Independent School District. He is a graduate of Baylor University with a degree in journalism and political science. He is married to the former Kathy Mills, also a Harlan County native. They are the parents of two children.

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Teresa Barton was elected in 1998 to serve as Franklin County’s first female Judge/Executive. She and her husband, John, live in Bittersweet Farms in Franklin County. They have five children with ages ranging from 11 to 31 and one grandson. Judge Barton’s background includes serving as deputy county judge, various positions with the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation, Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority and the Council on Higher Education. She received Accounting (AAS, 1988) and Business (BA, 1998) degrees from Kentucky State University. Judge Barton is a member of several local organizations including the Frankfort Optimist Club, Frankfort Habilitation, Democratic Executive Committee, Frankfort Woman’s Club, Family Court Council and the Chamber of Commerce to name a few. She is Chair of the Regional Transportation Committee for the Bluegrass ADD and serves statewide as Treasurer of the Kentucky YMCA and a member of Kentucky Women Advocates. She has also served in various capacities on several local, statewide, and national campaigns. Judge Barton was chosen as one of 40 leaders under 40 by the Shakertown Roundtable in 1999 and was awarded the 1999 Woman of Achievement in Government by the Frankfort Business and Professional Women.

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Betty Winston Bayé is an editorial writer and columnist for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. The Brooklyn, NY native earned a bachelor's degree at Hunter College, City University of New York, and a master's degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. In the 1960s, Ms. Bayé was a community organizer for nonviolence and performed with the National Black Theater in Harlem. She has been a secretary or administrative assistant for The Presbyterian Church U.S.A., the Episcopal Church's General Convention Special Program, Metromedia, The National Committee of Black Churchmen, the Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC) of New York, The Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) and the National Council of Church's Office of Church and Society. Ms. Bayé's first job in journalism was for The Daily Argus in Mount Vernon, NY. In 1984, she joined The Courier-Journal and has served in various capacities, including assistant city editor and Neighborhoods editor. Ms. Bayé spent the academic year 1990-91 at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow. Upon her return to Louisville, she joined The Courier-Journal's editorial board, and launched a weekly op-ed column, which now is syndicated nationally by the Gannett News Service. Ms. Bayé's novel "The Africans" was published in 1983. Also in the early 1980s, she was an adjunct lecturer in Hunter College's Communications Department. In recent years, Ms. Bayé has been featured in or has contributed to the books Children of the Dream: the Psychology of Black Success; The History of the National Association of Black Journalists; Work Sister Work; Thinking Black and Kentucky Women: Two Centuries of An Indomitable Spirit and Vision. Her memberships include The Black Alumni Network of Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism; the National Association of Black Journalists; the Louisville Association of Black Communicators; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Louisville Chums Inc. and St. Stephen Baptist Church.

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John M. Berry, Jr. is a member of the law firm of Berry & Floyd, P.S.C., in New Castle, Kentucky. He was elected to the Senate from the 26th Senatorial District of Kentucky in 1973 and re-elected in 1977. Mr. Berry was selected by the Kentucky Press Association in 1974, 1976, and 1978 sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly as the Outstanding Legislator in the Public Interest and in 1976 as the Outstanding Legislator and the Outstanding Consumer Legislator. In the 1980 session, Mr. Berry was elected Majority Floor Leader of the Senate, once again selected by the Kentucky Press Association as the Outstanding Legislator as well as the Most Effective Legislator for his Party. Mr. Berry was formerly Chairman of the Governor's Solid Waste Commission and Chairman of the Governor's Hazardous Waste Commission, and President of the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association. He serves as General Counsel for the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, Chairman of the board of United Citizens Bank & Trust Company, and as a member of the Governor's Commission on Family Farms. He accomplished his undergraduate education at the University of Kentucky and Stetson University and received his law degree from the University of Louisville School of Law. Mr. Berry and his wife Carol have five children.

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Kim Burse holds both an undergraduate degree in accounting and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Cash Manager. In her present position, President and CEO of Louisville Development Bancorp, Inc., she is responsible for management of all functions of Louisville Development Bancorp, a bank holding company with two subsidiaries: Louisville Community Development Bank, and Louisville Real Estate Development Company. Louisville Development Bancorp is also a community development partner with LCDB Enterprise Group, a nonprofit corporation offering emerging and expanding small businesses leasable space, and customized management, marketing, financial and technical assistance to both tenant and nontenant firms. Immediately prior to joining the Louisville Development Bancorp, Ms. Burse was a member of Governor Brereton Jones’ Cabinet as Secretary of the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet. As the State’s chief tax administrator she oversaw approximately 1,000 employees and a budget in excess of $63 million, collecting over $4 billion annually from 52 types of taxes, licenses and fees. She has served as the Assistant Treasurer of the Commonwealth, and as such was the chief operating officer of the State Treasury; as Assistant Director of the Kentucky Development Finance Authority; and as Chairman of the Board of the Kentucky Housing Corporation. Ms. Burse was named the 1995 recipient of the Kentucky Society of CPA’s Outstanding CPA in Government Award and inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Business and Economics Alumni Hall of Fame in 1995. She is a 1994 graduate of the Kentucky Women’s Leadership Network, a 1995 graduate of Leadership Louisville and a graduate of the 1993 Class of Leadership Kentucky and is a member of the Metro United Way Finance Committee. Ms. Burse is on the Board of Directors and is Treasurer of the Leadership Kentucky Foundation. She is also on the Board of the Louisville Medical Center Development Corporation and the University of Kentucky College of Business and Economics Business Partnership Foundation.

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Dr. Thomas D. Clark, emeritus professor of history at the University of Kentucky, has had a long and distinguished career, writing scores of books and articles about Kentucky, the South, and its people, beginning with the 1933 publication of The Beginning of the L&N. In 1990, the state legislature recognized Dr. Clark’s numerous contributions to the commonwealth and the preservation of its history when they designated him Kentucky’s Historian Laureate for Life.

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The Reverend Louis Coleman, who considers himself a “servant of the community,” has built a reputation as being perhaps Kentucky’s most visible and outspoken civil rights leader. After completing his degree in health and physical education at Kentucky State University, Rev. Coleman spent time playing minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system. When his goal of playing in the majors fell through, he returned to Louisville, where he worked for the Louisville Board of Education and the Ford Motor Company. Rev. Coleman later joined the Louisville Urban League, and received a Masters degree in community development from the University of Louisville and a Masters in divinity from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He founded the Justice Resource Center and the Black Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves as the pastor of First Congregational Methodist Church in western Louisville. His civic life has been focused on fighting for equality and fair treatment for minorities, women, and the poor, often organizing public protests to make his message heard and to gain the attention of Kentucky’s political leaders. Discrimination, Rev. Coleman feels, violates the values of his faith and of democracy, and must be fought at every turn because, as he says, “It’s the right thing to do.”

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Ron Crouch is Director of the Kentucky State Data Center (KSDC) located at the University of Louisville. The Kentucky State Data Center is the official clearinghouse for Census data for the state of Kentucky. KSDC provides data on population, housing, education, employment and other social indicators. Historical information, current data, and projections are provided to help understand trends and issues facing Kentucky. Ron's background is in analyzing data and developing information in ways that enhance understanding and utilization. Ron's vocation is that of "knowledge dissemination" with the goal of presenting good information in a format that allows for maximum understanding and utilization. He averages 200 presentations per year around Kentucky and the United States. He is a graduate of Kentucky Southern-College, and holds Masters degrees in Social Work and Sociology from the University of Louisville, and Business Administration from Bellarmine College. The Kentucky State Data Center (KSDC) is a federal-state cooperative effort and acts as an information clearinghouse for the Census Bureau and other data sources. It is operated by the Urban Studies Institute (USI) at the University of Louisville under the auspices of the Governor's Office for Policy and Management, and in collaboration with the State Department of Libraries and Archives. KSDC coordinates the Business Industry Data Network (BIDC), a cooperative effort to enhance the provision of demographic and economic data to help in economic development. KSDC works with individuals, businesses, and government in providing data to help better understand our state and the trends affecting our state. Ron Crouch's background is in analyzing data and developing information in ways that enhance understanding and utilization. Information is provided by KSDC through phone and written contacts, presentations, and publications.

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Karen Cunningham is only the second female Mayor the City of Madisonville has had. Along with that distinction, she is also the youngest person elected to the position. Although she was only 38 years-old when elected, Karen has a long record of public service. She has served as President of the Boards of Directors of many agencies and civic organizations, including United Way of Hopkins County, James Madison Days, Madisonville Business & Professional Women's Club, Leadership Greater Madisonville, and Waddill PTA. Karen has served as Vice Chair of Madisonville Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce and has been a Board Member of Discover Downtown and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She is a Past Evaluator for the Kentucky Certified Cities Program and has served as a representative on the Green River Tourism Committee. Karen was chosen as the Woman of Achievement by the Madisonville Business & Professional Women's Club in both 1988 and 1999. She has served on the Kentucky Council on Community Leadership and was a charter member of the Leadership Greater Madisonville Class of 1985. She has been honored as 1983 Madisonville Business and Professional Women's Careerist of the Year, 1989 Realtor of the Year, 1990 Volunteer of the Year, and the Lions Club's 1991 Woman of the Year; and in 1987, she received the Kentucky Business and Professional Women Club Program Award. Karen received an Associate Degree in Applied Science from the Madisonville Community College and a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Communication and Business Administration from Murray State University. A 1989 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, Karen accepted the position of Deputy Director with Leadership Kentucky in 1994. In 1999, Karen was honored by being selected from a field of over 300 applicants as a Kentucky Leader for the 21st Century, where she participated in the Shakertown Roundtable. Governor Jones appointed her to the Madisonville City Council in 1994, where she ran unopposed twice and served on the Council until her election to the office of Mayor in 1998. She currently serves as Chairwoman of the Madisonville Hopkins County Economic Development Corp., treasurer of the Board of West Kentucky Corporation, and treasurer of the Pennyrile Area Development District, and is on the Executive Board and Legislative Committee of the Kentucky League of Cities. She is a member of the Noon Kiwanis, Madisonville Business and Professional Women's Club, and a charter member of Leadership West Kentucky. Karen and her husband, Bill, attend the First Baptist Church, where she is active in the Choir and Hand Bells.

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Dr. Gordon K. Davies is the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. The Council was created by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1997 as part of a higher education reform effort initiated by Governor Paul Patton. Davies joined the Council in 1998 as its first president. He came to Kentucky with extensive experience in state higher education system coordination, having served from 1977 until 1997 as director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Before coming to Kentucky, Davies was a visiting professor in the Department of Organization and Leadership at the Teachers College of Columbia University. Davies’ lengthy tenure in Virginia was marked by substantial enrollment growth in the state-supported colleges and universities, and by innovative program and funding initiatives that helped place Virginia in the forefront of American higher education. He was principal author of "The Case for Change," the report issued by Virginia’s Commission on the University of the 21st Century (1989). The report drew national and international attention, with presentations to representatives of several foreign countries and more than half the American states and territories. Davies served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, has held marketing positions in the computing industry, was a founding dean of a new public college, and taught Religious Studies at Yale. He has been a strong advocate for equal educational opportunity for 30 years, having directed the Harvard-Yale-Columbia Intensive Summer Studies Program from 1968 to 1971, which offered educational enrichment to students from the nation’s historically black colleges and universities, helping them prepare for graduate and professional study. His degrees are from Yale in English (B.A.) and Philosophy of Religion (M.A. and Ph.D.) and he has been awarded six honorary degrees. Dr. Davies has competed in more than two dozen marathons, including five at Boston, and has done rock climbing and mountaineering on four continents.

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Mike Duncan is Chairman and CEO of Inez Deposit Bank. His professional career as attorney and banker has coincided with more than 30 years’ work for Republican candidates for local, state, and national office. Mr. Duncan has been a delegate to four Republican National Conventions, and chaired the RNC Committee on Contests for the 2000 convention. He has worked in various campaign positions for Senators Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell; and for Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush; and served as Regional Chairman for Kentucky and nearby states for President George W. Bush’s campaign. Mr. Duncan and his wife Joanne are the principal owners of two community banks with six offices in eastern Kentucky, and their bank monitoring program has received national media attention. His civic activities have included Chairmanship of the Governor’s Scholars, Morehead State University, and Alice Lloyd College; and Presidency of the Kentucky Bankers Association. Mr. Duncan holds degrees from Cumberland College and the University of Kentucky.

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John David Dyche is a native of London, Kentucky who has lived in Louisville since 1987. He graduated from Centre College with distinction and was named the outstanding student of government in his class. After a stint as a court administrator for the Kentucky court system, Dyche attended Harvard Law School where he was elected marshal of his class and was a winner of the Williston competition for negotiation and contract drafting. He has written and spoken widely on Kentucky constitutional law and was named one of Louisville’s "Forty Under Forty" future business leaders in 1997. Dyche writes regular political columns, "The Political Wilderness" for the Kentucky Gazette and "Whigging Out" for the Louisville Eccentric Observer. He is married to his Centre sweetheart, Laura Harbolt, and is a father of three children who attend public schools, a member of Beargrass Christian Church, and a big fan of the Atlanta Braves.

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Rep. Danny Ford is a member of the Kentucky General Assembly House of Representatives, representing Kentucky's 80th House District comprised of Lincoln, Pulaski, and Rockcastle Counties. He served as the Republican Whip from 1993-1994. Rep. Ford serves on the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue, Economic Development and Tourism, Seniors, and Military Affairs and Public Safety. He is an auctioneer and realtor and is a member of the Dix River, Somerset Board of Realtors and both the National and the Kentucky Auctioneers Associations. Rep. Ford is a member of the Rockcastle County Young Republican Club. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Eastern Kentucky University.

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Virginia Gaines Fox joined Kentucky Educational Television in 1968 and became its deputy executive director in 1975. In 1980, Fox left KET to become president of the Southern Educational Communications Association (SECA). While at SECA, Fox became the founding director of the Satellite Educational Resources Consortium, a provider of distance learning courses whose members include the KET Star Channels. She returned to KET in 1988 as chief operating officer and was named executive director and chief executive officer in 1991. Fox has also been active in many civic, professional and educational organizations—at the state, regional and national levels—serving as a consultant, advisor and volunteer, including Leadership Kentucky, Public Broadcasting Service, United Way of Kentucky , Kentucky Science and Technology Council, Kentucky Center for Public Issues, and the Lexington Junior League, among many others. Her many awards and acknowledgements include Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, Woman of the Year Award in progressive education presented by the Lexington Business and Professional Women's Club, the Edgar Dale Award, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who of Finance and Industry, 1995 Appalachian Woman of the Year by Morehead State University, and an Honorary Doctorate from Morehead State University in 1999. Ms. Fox earned a Bachelor's Degree with distinction in elementary education from Morehead State University and a Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of Kentucky.

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James H. "Jimmy" Glenn, III is the son of Jim and Cornelia Glenn of Owensboro, KY. A Civil Engineering senior, Jimmy is in the joint BS/MBA program at the University of Kentucky. His successes during his two terms as Student Body President include improving student seating at basketball games, increasing student participation on the teaching assistant selection committee and giving more scholarships to deserving students. This past year Jimmy served as the Chairperson for the Kentucky Board of Student Body Presidents, representing over 100,000 of Kentucky's students in higher education. In addition to his involvement in student government, Jimmy served for two and one-half years as a University Ambassador and for one year as the Vice President of the Student Activities Board. During his time at the University of Kentucky, Jimmy has received numerous accolades. He has been named the University's Freshman of the Year and Outstanding Junior in Civil Engineering; and in 1999, he was honored with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Distinguished Citizen Award. In his spare time Jimmy participates in fundraising for the United Way, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, and donating food for God's Pantry.

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Craig Greenberg is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of iVisionary Ventures, a business dedicated to the development of privately held technology companies. The iVisionary team is managed by successful entrepreneurs with recent experience building and operating public and private technology companies. They currently operate two businesses: iVisionary Services and iVisionary Fund Management. iVisionary Services is a strategic services firm that helps technology company executives plan and execute their business development and financial strategies to rapidly grow and increase the value of their companies. iVisionary Fund Management manages a venture capital fund that primarily invests in revenue generating technology companies. Prior to joining iVisionary, Mr. Greenberg was an attorney at Brown, Todd & Heyburn PLLC, one of the largest law firms in the Midwest. At Brown, Todd, Mr. Greenberg was a founder and co-chair of the firm’s eLaw Group. Mr. Greenberg’s practice focused on advising companies on the legal and business issues which affect their e-commerce strategies, particularly with respect to venture capital financing, corporate structures, securities and intellectual property. Mr. Greenberg graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Journal of Law and Technology, and he is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. While at the University of Michigan, Mr. Greenberg was President of the Student Government. Mr. Greenberg is currently a Director of the Kentucky eLearning Foundation.

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Mr. Harris currently works as President/CEO of Logan Aluminum, Inc., with more than 30 years of management experience in the manufacturing industry. He began at Logan Aluminum, Inc. in 1981 as Manager, Human Resources and was promoted to President in 1995. Mike is a native of Simpson County and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a B.S. in Business Administration. He is a 1996 graduate of Leadership Kentucky and is also active in a Kentucky Certified Community project. He is Chairman of the Board for Kentucky Advanced Technology Institute and serves on the regional board for Firstar Bank. He is a member of Western Kentucky University's Presidential Board of Advisors, Past President Chamber of Commerce, Board Member for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and member of Main Streeet Russellville. He is also active in United Way and has served as Logan County campaign co-chairman. Mike and his wife, Brenda, have three children: Leslie, a graduate of Lipscomb University; Ben, a student at WKU; and Justin, also a student at WKU.

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David Hawpe, Vice President and Editorial Director of The Courier-Journal, won the 1999 national Walker Stone Prize for Editorial Writing, as well as the Anthony Lewis Media Award for Public Advocacy given by the state Department of Public Advocacy and an “Apple” recognition from the Jefferson County Teachers Association. During 1999 he served as a member of the steering committee for the United Nations Conference on the Image of Africa in Mali, and was chosen by the American Committees on Foreign Relations to lecture in other cities on media coverage of international news. He is a 20-year member of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association, serving as national president in 1996-97, president of the APME Foundation in 1997-98 and currently as treasurer of the foundation. David’s primary industry-wide work has been fostering diversity in American journalism. As chairman of the APME Ethics Committee in 1993 and 1994, he led a two-year national project to rewrite the APME Statement of Ethical Principles. The existing APME Code of Ethics made no mention of diversity. The re-write, approved at the national convention in 1994, added the mandate that a newspaper staff “should reasonably reflect, in staffing and coverage, its diverse constituencies.” From 1979 until 1996, Hawpe was in charge of all news coverage for The Courier-Journal, as managing editor and editor of the newspaper. In 1996 he became Vice President and Editorial Director, with responsibility for all opinion functions of the publication, including the editorial and op-ed pages and the Sunday Forum section. In management positions, and as columnist and editorial writer, he has worked to maintain The Courier-Journal's statewide newsgathering system, and to emphasize state policy issues. David has been active in numerous industry groups. He served as president of the Kentucky Press Association and currently is a member of the board of the KPA Legal Defense Fund, as well as the KPA Committee of Past Presidents. He is a founding member of the University of North Carolina School of Journalism Board of Visitors, which he chaired from 1993 until 1996. He also is a long-time member of the Indiana University student publications board, and the board of visitors at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism. David is married to Linda Shadoin Hawpe and is the father of two sons, Christopher and Jonathan.

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Jeanne Hibberd is Cofounder and President of Communities by Choice. She is former director of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development’s Sustainable Communities program, which works with sustainable community action teams in Appalachian KY. She has worked for local and regional community development organizations for 17 years as an organizer, researcher, fundraiser and program manager. She has also published several studies and articles and is an active volunteer with state and local civic organizations. She has a B.A. in philosophy from Berea College. Communities by Choice is a national network of communities, organizations and individuals committed to learning and practicing sustainable development. Its mission is to share knowledge and resources in order to advance the practice of sustainable community development. Communities by Choice maintains an extensive collection of online resources for sustainable community development at www.CommunitiesbyChoice.org.

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Martha C. Johnson lives in Covington, where she is Director of Contributions and Community Relations for Ashland Inc. She graduated from Raceland-Worthington High School. She received an associate degree in journalism from Ashland Community College and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Western Kentucky University. Ms. Johnson is also a graduate of the School of Bank Marketing at the University of Colorado, and she attended both the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking and the executive development program at Indiana University. She is a former member of the Ashland Community College Advisory Board and currently serves on the KCTCS Board.

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Joseph W. Kelly served as chairman of the Kentucky Board of Education from 1991 until April of 1998, a period of far-reaching change for education in Kentucky. Mr. Kelly is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Inc., in Lexington. He began his career with Columbia Gas in 1986, as an economic development and governmental affairs consultant. In his various positions with Columbia Gas throughout the years, he has worked with local and state level economic development organizations to facilitate the retention, expansion and recruitment of business and industry. Mr. Kelly also held positions in the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet and the Transportation Cabinet from 1981 to 1986. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences from Campbellsville College and a Masters of Public Affairs from Kentucky State University. Joe Kelly’s professional and civic memberships demonstrate his untiring commitment to his community and state. His current and past memberships include, but are not limited to, the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the Lexington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Lexington Industrial Foundation, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee, the Kentucky Industrial Development Council, and the Governor’s Commission on Corrections and Community Service. He has received many awards as a result of his years of hard work in the public and private arenas. He has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Campbellsville University, the William T. Nallia Education Leadership Award from the Kentucky Association of School Administration, and The Commonwealth Award from the Kentucky Cabinet for Education, Arts and Humanities. He was the 1998 recipient of the Vic Hellard, Jr. Award in recognition of service in the interest of Kentucky's future.

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The Rev. Ms. Nancy Jo Kemper became the Executive Director of the Kentucky Council of Churches (KCC) in June 1991. Since then, Ms. Kemper has brought the KCC’s public policy to the forefront of media attention. She is frequently cited for work on such issues as gun control, church-state separation, the role and place of religion in public education, death penalty abolition, justice for the poor and gambling expansion. She currently serves as moderator of CAGE, Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, a broad-based coalition of individuals, organization and church groups. Ms. Kemper has appeared on CBS This Morning, The Today Show, and is a regular panelist on Kentucky Tonight (KET). A native of Lexington, Kentucky, she was educated at Transylvania University (B.A., in 1964, with distinction) and Yale Divinity School (Master of Divinity, 1967). The author of numerous articles, she participated in the Marshall Lectures on Social Change at Transylvania in 1978, and presented the Halford Luccock Lectures (on the work of parish ministry) at the Yale Divinity School in that same year. Ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), she has served congregations of the United Church of Christ denomination during her 30+-year ministry. Her first churches were in New Haven, Connecticut, and Richmond, Virginia. Her pastorates include: Pilgrim Congregational Church, Oak Park, Illinois; Senior Minister of Calvary United Church of Christ in St. Louis, Missouri; and Senior Minister of Park Congregational Church in Toledo, Ohio. Since 1996 she has also served as pastor of New Union Christian Church in Woodford County, Kentucky. Ms. Kemper is the mother of two daughters. The Kentucky Council of Churches represents eleven member communions, with nearly 2,800 churches and 800,000 members. Its purposes include work on the visible unity of the church and serving as the churches’ advocate on public policy.

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Kris W. Kimel is a founder and President of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC). KSTC has been responsible for the development and implementation of a variety of innovative projects in entrepreneurship, manufacturing modernization, R&D and education. KSTC also has two subsidiary companies: Intelligent Change Initiatives, Inc., a nonprofit enterprise, and E10, Inc.; a for-profit firm focusing on helping entrepreneurs start and grow innovative companies. Prior to coming to KSTC, Mr. Kimel spent time as a private consultant, serving both public and private sector clients. He also spent twelve years in government, eight as Executive Assistant to Kentucky’s Attorney General and four as the Chief Administrative Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor, where he concentrated on science/technology policy and economic development. Kris Kimel holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky and is the 1974 male recipient of the school’s Sullivan Medallion.

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A native Kentuckian, Dr. James C. Klotter received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Kentucky, and has honorary degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and Union College. He is the author, co-author, or editor of a dozen books including A New History of Kentucky; Kentucky: Decades of Discord, 1865-1900; Kentucky: Portrait in Paradox, 1900-1950; William Goeble: The Politics of Wrath; The Breckinridges of Kentucky; Our Kentucky: A Study of the Bluegrass State; and History Mysteries. Dr. Klotter was also an associate editor of the Kentucky Encyclopedia and was Executive Director of the Kentucky Historical Society for many years, until his retirement. He is the State Historian and Professor of History at Georgetown College, and he and his wife Freda live in Lexington.

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Sylvia L. Lovely has served as the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) Executive Director/CEO since 1990. Prior to that, Ms. Lovely served as Director of Intergovernmental Services, staff attorney, and lobbyist for the KLC for two years. Ms. Lovely advocates on behalf of local leaders and oversees the activities of 50 staff members who perform a variety of services designed to improve the quality of life and governance in Kentucky’s growing communities. In her capacity at KLC, Ms. Lovely serves on a variety of boards and commissions in an effort to enhance and maintain the leadership role of Kentucky cities. She also makes numerous appearances throughout the state on behalf of cities speaking on a variety of topics. Ms. Lovely was recently appointed to the Morehead State University Board of Regents. She is a member and past chair of the Kentucky Center for Public Issues, a nonprofit group established to foster public discussion on a variety of vital topics; and served on the Kentucky Tax Policy Commission, established to review and recommend change to Kentucky tax policy. She is excited about a new program to revitalize Kentucky downtowns called Renaissance Kentucky, established as a joint venture with KLC, Kentucky Housing Corporation, and the Kentucky Heritage Council. She also serves as a member of the Board of the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, Southern Municipal Conference, National League of Cities Advisory Board, Bluegrass Area Development District, and the Downtown Lexington Corporation. Ms. Lovely serves on the Executive Committee of Partners for Family Farms, and as Treasurer of Kentuckians for Better Transportation. In 1999, Ms. Lovely was honored as the Appalachian Woman of the Year by Morehead State University. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law and is licensed to practice in Florida and Kentucky. She resides in Lexington with her husband, Bernie, and two sons, Ross and David.

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Pam Luecke has been editor and vice president of the Lexington Herald-Leader since December 1996. She had been the newspaper’s editorial page editor since October 1995. Pam came to Lexington from Hartford, Connecticut., where she had worked for six years at the Hartford Courant, most recently as deputy managing editor. Before that, she worked for the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times for 10 years in a variety of reporting and editing positions. Pam has a B.A. from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, a masters in journalism from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Hartford. She was a Bagehot Fellow in economic journalism at Columbia University in 1986-87. Ms. Luecke is a native of Cincinnati and lives in Lexington with her husband, George Graves, who is a senior associate with the state Council on Postsecondary Education.

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Mary Helen Miller is a retired state government executive whose career began in the classroom and went on to include high-level posts in both the legislative and executive branches under two governors. She continues to add to a long list of contributions as a volunteer, working in both Shelbyville and Louisville to advance economic development, enhance the performing arts, and improve quality of life, and serving on a number of boards. Prior to her retirement in 1995, Ms. Miller served as Chief Executive Officer for Administration for the administration of Gov. Brereton Jones, directing the operations of the governor’s office, and as Legislative Liaison, coordinating the legislative agenda. During Gov. Martha Layne Collin’s administration, Ms. Miller served first as Chief Executive Assistant for Internal Affairs, directing operations in the governor’s office and acting as a liaison to national organizations of government officials. As Secretary of the Cabinet for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection during the Collins’ administration, Ms. Miller was instrumental in negotiating the settlement of a lawsuit against the Cabinet that ultimately brought millions of dollars into the Commonwealth for the enforcement of strip mining laws. From 1979 to 1983, Ms. Miller served as Assistant Director of the Legislative Research Commission. She was the 1999 recipient of the Vic Hellard, Jr. Award in recognition of service in the interest of Kentucky's future.

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Governor Louie Nunn graduated from Hiseville High in 1941. Upon graduation, he entered Bowling Green Business University, but left when the United States entered World War II. Following the war, Nunn enrolled in the University of Cincinnati, then moved to a small college in Charleston, West Virginia. Eventually, Nunn entered the University of Louisville Law School and graduated in 1950. After graduation, Governor Nunn moved to Glasgow. According to legend, Louie Nunn was the first Republican attorney in Glasgow. In 1953, only three years after coming home to Barren County, he was elected County Judge, making him the first Republican ever elected in the county. During the 1950's, Governor Nunn managed many campaigns on both the national and state level. Such campaigns included Senator Thruston B. Morton, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and President Richard M. Nixon. One of his greatest achievements in the 1950's came in 1956, when he was awarded the Outstanding Young Kentuckian Award. Finally, in 1963, Louie Nunn made his first bid for the highest office in the state, the Governor. At that time, the Republican party was weak in Kentucky, and he lost by roughly 13,000 votes. Four years later, though, Governor Nunn beat Henry Ward, from Paducah, in the General Election. Louie B. Nunn was the fifty-second Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1967-1971. Governor Nunn has the distinction of being the last Republican Governor to date. As Governor, Louie Nunn built over 254 miles of four lane highway, surfaced more than 1,500 miles of rural roads, founded Northern Kentucky University in 1968 and brought the University of Louisville into the state system. Governor Nunn also made great strides in the area of mental health, destroying the so-called "feeble minded institute" and replacing it with a home near Somerset, Kentucky, called Oakwood. At that time, Oakwood was the finest mental health facility in the United States. Locally, the roads that Governor Nunn built throughout Kentucky had an enormous impact on the area. Through Governor Nunn's leadership, R. R. Donnelly & Sons and Dana Corporation (formerly Eaton Corp.) came to Glasgow. Also during his term, Nunn worked with Senators Cooper and Morton to make the Barren River Lake and State Resort. The lodge there is named in his honor. In addition to founding Northern Kentucky University, Nunn funded a community college for Madisonville. After his term had expired, Governor Nunn was asked how he viewed his administration. He responded: "Twenty years after it has ended, and after my critics have died or forgotten, if some person will make a true evaluation of it, and say that what I did helped the people of this state, then I'll be pleased." Twenty eight years later, Nunn says he is pleased.

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Ms. Nicki Patton combines her two passions by serving both as Chairwoman of the Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) and Chairwoman of the Governor's Early Childhood Task Force. Nicki got involved in politics in 1987 by working on her father Governor Paul Patton's statewide campaign for lieutenant governor. In 1995, she served as a Deputy Campaign Manager for the Patton/Henry slate. Ms. Patton’s rise to KDP Chair in 1999 followed successful stints as KDP’s Executive Director (1998-1999) and Organizational Director (1996-1997). She is now developing a comprehensive training program for Democrats. Her expertise has led to her involvement in training for the Democratic Governor's Association and her appointment as a founding Board Member of the Ron Brown/Paul Tully Political Action Institute in Washington, DC. Campaigns and Elections magazine last year named Nicki a "Rising Star of Politics," and she recently was honored by Kentucky Monthly magazine as one of "12 Women of Influence" in the state. Nicki first began her career in early childhood education working for the U.S. Army in Germany. An esteemed and sought after trainer, she is a recognized leader in the field of early childhood staff training and development, specializing in the training of trainers. Most recently, as Chair of the Governor’s Early Childhood Task Force, Nicki helped develop "KIDS (Kentucky Invests in Developing Success) Now"–a 20-year comprehensive early childhood plan for Kentucky. Nicki has a bachelors and masters degree from the University of Kentucky (which explains her rabid support of the Wildcats basketball team) and is working towards her doctorate from the University of New Orleans.

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Paul Patton is earning national recognition for his devotion to education and his leadership abilities. He has been named Chairman-elect of the Education Commission of the States, Chairman of the Southern Regional Education Board, and the Southern Growth Policies Board. He is one of only eight governors serving on the National Education Goals Panel. Governor Patton graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1959. In 1991, Patton became Kentucky’s Lt. Governor and made history by also serving as Secretary of the Economic Development Cabinet, where he wrote a jobs program that is successfully attracting new industry to the state and helping existing companies to expand. In December of 1995, Paul Patton began his term as governor.

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Representative Jody Richards has served in the Kentucky General Assembly House of Representatives since 1976. He currently serves as Speaker of the House. Speaker Richards is the owner of Superior Books. He earned a Bachelor Arts Degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College, and a Master of Arts from the University of Missouri. Speaker Richards also attended the Indiana University and served in the US Army Reserve. He is a past president of the Bowling Green/Warren County Jaycees and a past National Director and State Secretary of the Kentucky Jaycees. He is a past President and Vice President of Kentucky Young Democrats and a past President of the Southern Kentucky Fair Board. Speaker Richards was a Jaycees Representative for the Girls Club of Bowling Green. He served on the United Way Board in 1983 and was named as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America in 1972. Speaker Richards has served or is currently serving on the Steering Committee of the Governor’s Task Force on Education, the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Southern Region Education Board, and is Chair-elect of the Southern Legislative Conference. Speakers Richards also served as Democratic Caucus Chair 1987-94.

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Brigadier General (Ret) James E. Shane, Jr. is currently serving as Executive Director, Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs. He was appointed by the Governor and serves as the CEO and Administrative Officer to the commission. BG Shane served 28 years in the U.S. Army in a progression of Command and Personnel assignments. His higher level staff assignments included service at HQDA and Joint Chiefs. He served as Director of Management for the Army Chief of Staff and was responsible for developing the Army’s implementation strategy for the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). He was Deputy Commanding General (East) of the United States Army Recruiting Command when he retired. Brigadier General James E. Shane, Jr. was born in Louisville, Kentucky on April 2, 1946. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from the University of Louisville and a Master of Arts degree in Personnel Management/Administration from Central Michigan University. His military education includes graduation from the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the National War College. He also is a graduate of the Senior Officials National Security Program at Harvard University. He and his wife Georgene live in Frankfort.

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A former newspaper publisher, editor, and reporter, Al Smith is host of Kentucky Educational Television's longest-running program, Comment on Kentucky, now in its 26th year on the air. Most recently, he was instrumental in forming Kentucky Leaders for the New Century, an effort to identify some of the state's most promising young leaders and engage them in actively working for the betterment of the state. In addition to his many contributions to the civic life of the state, Mr. Smith served in Washington as federal cochairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission under Presidents Carter and Reagan. For 25 years, he served as chairman or vice chairman of the Shakertown Roundtable, a public policy forum held annually at historic Pleasant Hill in central Kentucky. He is a past chairman of the Kentucky Arts Commission, a former president of the Kentucky Press Association, one of the founding directors and a chairman of Leadership Kentucky, and a cofounder and first chairman of the Kentucky Oral History Commission, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. As a member of the Prichard Committee for Educational Excellence, he chaired a Governor's Council on Educational Reform and was vice chair of the Council on Higher Education in the 1980s. He was on the founding board of the Governor's Scholars program and of Forward in the Fifth, a program for better schools in eastern Kentucky. He is a former trustee of Berea College, a former member of the University of Kentucky (UK) Hospital Council of Supervisors, and has served as an adjunct instructor at UK in the political science department and the Appalachian Studies Center. He holds honorary degrees from three Kentucky schools. In addition to his work in television and radio, Mr. Smith was in the news business for over 50 years as reporter, editor, and owner of newspapers. As an editor and publisher of weekly newspapers, Mr. Smith was active in community and state educational and economic development programs. Most recently, his elegant prose appears in Our Kentucky, a history of the state published by the University of Kentucky Press. Mr. Smith lived in Russellville for 22 years and in London, Kentucky, for six years. A native of Florida, he grew up in Tennessee, served in World War II, attended Vanderbilt and Tulane universities and worked on New Orleans daily papers for 10 years before coming to Kentucky in 1958. He and his wife Martha Helen, formerly of Hopkinsville, have three grown children and reside in Lexington. Mr. Smith was the 2000 recipient of the Vic Hellard, Jr. Award in recognition of service in the interest of Kentucky's future.

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Jane B. Stephenson is the Appalachian Director of the Steele-Reese Foundation and Founder and former Executive Director of the New Opportunity School for Women. Ms. Stephenson has served as Executive Director of the Berea Chamber of Commerce, Assistant Professor of Business and Economics at Berea College, Director of the Univ. of Ky. (UK) Human Relations Center, Director of UK Academic Support Services, and UK Coordinator of Student Services. She has taught at both the high school and college levels and served an academic internship in the Office of Assistant to the UK Vice President for Continuing Education. Ms. Stephenson has served on the Boards of Directors of Berea Hospital, the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), Ky. Arts and Crafts Foundation, Foster Care Review Board for Madison County, Mountain Maternal Health League, Ky. National Identification Program for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education Administration, League of Women Voters, the Encyclopedia of Appalachia, the Eastern Ky. Women’s Leadership Advisory Board, and as Chairperson of the Elderhostel State Advisory Board. She has been a Volunteer Coordinator for the Berea Forum and a member of the Ky. Women’s Leadership Network, Leadership Madison County, and the Am. Assoc. of University Women. She has been Commissioner for both the Ky. Commission on Women and the Ky. Appalachian Commission. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Adult Education, as Co-Chair of the Women’s History Committee at Berea College, and as Chairperson for both the Student Services Division, National University Continuing Education Association and the Committee on the Distant Learner at UK. Ms. Stephenson holds an A.A. from Lees-McRae College, a B.S. in Business Education from the Univ. of NC at Greensboro, an M.S. in Bus. Education from Appalachian State Univ., and an M.S. in Higher Education Admin. from UK.

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Michael Walker is from Kuttawa, Kentucky. He is a 1995 graduate of Lyon County High School and a 2000 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Agriculture. He spent the past two summers clerking for Circuit Judge and author Bill Cunningham in Eddyville, Kentucky. Michael's policy interests vary, but much of his time and effort has been dedicated to agriculture in the Commonwealth. He has served as Kentucky 4-H Secretary and President, an ex-officio member of the Kentucky State Board of Agriculture, and as an intern with the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation and Senator Mitch McConnell. In 1999, he was selected as one of Kentucky's Leaders for the New Century. Michael hopes to dedicate more time as a 4-H alumnus, helping the program wherever it needs him. In the future, Michael hopes to spend a few years clerking for federal judges before beginning private law practice. One day, he would like to sit on the bench as a judge in the Commonwealth.

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Lois Weinberg has been involved for almost 30 years in education and public service in Hindman and Eastern Kentucky, where she makes her home, and across the Commonwealth. She currently works as Coordinator for The James Still Learning Center at the Hindman Settlement School. Ms. Weinberg has served on the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence since 1980, and was Chair from 1990-1994. She has been involved with the East Kentucky Tutorial Program since 1980, currently as Co-Coordinator of the program at the Learning Center in Hindman. Ms. Weinberg also has been a part-time instructor at Alice Lloyd College, an assistant to former Congressman Carl Perkins, and a member of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees.

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Judge Anthony M. Wilhoit, retired Chief Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, is now Executive Director of the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission. Judge Wilhoit served for 21 years as a Judge on the Court of Appeals of Kentucky, the state’s second highest court, and, beginning in 1996, as its Chief Judge. The Court of Appeals is responsible for thoughtful, timely review and careful research of contested decisions of lower courts. Its opinions often exert profound influence on interpretation of the law. Judge Wilhoit is the last of the original 14 judges appointed to the Appeals Court in 1976 after Kentucky voters approved a judicial article that restructured the state’s court system. All 14 of the original appointees were required to run for eight-year terms in the same year of their appointment. Judge Wilhoit was elected to his judicial post for three consecutive terms. Judge Wilhoit began his career as a police judge and as city attorney for Versailles. In 1967, he became County Attorney for Woodford County and served until 1972 when he became a state public defender. In 1972, Judge Wilhoit was named to the Kentucky Crime Commission and, in 1975, appointed to the post of Deputy Secretary of the Kentucky Department of Justice. He holds an A.B. from Thomas More College, a graduate degree and a law degree from the University of Kentucky, and a degree in Judicial Process from the University of Virginia Law School. Among other distinctions, Judge Wilhoit has served on the Judicial Ethics Committee, the Kentucky Bar Association’s Long-Range Planning Committee, the Family Law Task Force, the Kentucky Task Force on Gender Fairness in the Courts, and the Governor’s Task Force on the Delivery and Funding of Quality Public Defender Services. Judge Wilhoit was the 1997 recipient of the Vic Hellard, Jr. Award in recognition of service in the interest of Kentucky's future.

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Senator David L. Williams has represented Kentucky's 22nd Senate District (Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Monroe, Wayne, and Whitley Counties) since 1987. He is currently serving as Senate President and is assigned to the Judiciary, Local Government, and State Government interim committees. Senator Williams served as Republican Caucus Chair in 1990. Prior to serving in the Senate, Senator Williams served in Kentucky's House of Representatives from 1985-1986. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and received his JD from the University of Louisville School of Law. He is an attorney and a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, as well as the Lindsey Wilson College Commonwealth Advisory Committee. Senator Williams Chairs the Corporations Subcommittee and was a member of the Constitutional Review Commission in 1987.

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Ellen Williams was elected the Chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky on February 20, 1999. She becomes the third woman to serve as Chairman of the State Party. Since starting in 1982 as a staff assistant to Congressman Larry Hopkins (KY-6), Ellen has been extremely active at all levels of politics. Most recently, she served as an at-large member of the State Executive Committee. Last year, Ellen made her first run for elective office, as a candidate for Anderson County Magistrate. In 1996, she served as the Political Director for Dole/Kemp Kentucky. In 1995, Ellen was the Deputy Campaign Manager for the Larry Forgy campaign for Governor. Previously she had served as the Republican Party of Kentucky’s Executive Director in 1991-1992. Over the years Ellen has served as a: Regional Political Director at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Executive Assistant to Senator Bob Kasten (R-WI), Regional Political Field Director for Vice-President Bush’s Presidential Exploratory Committee, Midwest Voter Programs Coordinator for Reagan/Bush ‘84, and in 1983 she was the Executive Director of the Young Republican National Federation. Currently, Ellen is a consultant to the Lexington/Bluegrass Board of Realtors. She lives in Lawrenceburg in Anderson County, with her husband Greg and their two sons, Sam and Joey. Ellen and Greg both coach soccer. She has been active in the Anderson County Republican Women’s Club, serving as Publicity Chair in 1994. Ellen also serves on the Anderson County United Way Board and is active in the First Christian Church of Lawrenceburg. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.

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James M. Wiseman is Vice President of External Affairs for Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TMMNA), located near Cincinnati in Erlanger, Kentucky. TMMNA was created in 1996 to manage Toyota's manufacturing operations in North America. Mr. Wiseman is responsible for the various functions of the External Affairs Department, including media, government, and community relations. He joined Toyota in 1989. Before his assignment to the TMMNA post, he managed the public affairs activities for Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) in Georgetown. Prior to joining Toyota, Mr. Wiseman was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Previously, he was a sports writer for the Bowling Green (Ky.) Daily News; taught English, and was Assistant Football Coach at Scott County (Ky.) Junior High School; and was Plant Manager for Hansley Industries in Sweetwater, Tennessee. He also served as General Foreman for Bundy Tubing in Cynthiana, Kentucky. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mr. Wiseman grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he attended grade school and high school. Mr. Wiseman is a 1974 graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, with a degree in English. Mr. Wiseman has served on various community, state and regional boards, with a special interest in education initiatives. He is currently Chairman of Leadership Kentucky and Co-chairman of the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati. He is a former chairman of the Kentucky Advocates for Higher Education, the Japan-America Society of Kentucky and the Kentucky Council on Economic Education. He has also served on the Executive Council of Kentucky's Prichard Committee for School Reform. He currently serves on the boards of the Northern Kentucky United Way, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Society of Auto Analysts, and the National Association of Japan-America Societies. Mr. Wiseman resides in Lexington with his wife, Betty, and his daughter, Leah.

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