Written by: Katherine Yochum, Senior Account Executive, RunSwitch PR

The ELEVATE Kentucky Class of 2025 wrapped up its experience during an action-packed three days in Frankfort and Northern Kentucky in early June! This final session of ELEVATE was bittersweet for our group. Each of us has created deep connections with fellow Kentuckians we may never have met otherwise, gained new perspectives, and gathered ideas to apply in our communities.

On June 9, our 23-member class took a behind-the-scenes tour of our state capitol in Frankfort after an engaging, personal discussion with Kentucky’s Chief Justice Debra Lambert in the judicial chambers. Fun fact: This is the first time in Kentucky’s history that women outnumber men on Kentucky’s Supreme Court.

We reconvened at the headquarters for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, where we had the honor of hearing from Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman and Ashli Watts, President and CEO of Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, both Leadership Kentucky alums (2018 and 2016, respectively). The Lt. Governor answered questions from our class about the issues that matter most in our communities, from Eastern to Western Kentucky, and broke down the steps to address them and create meaningful change.

Then, Ashli Watts gave our group an informative rundown of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in light of the end of the General Assembly’s 2025 session — Kentucky’s economy is soaring, and its legislative results are saving businesses money: an estimated $1.084 billion, $629 per private-sector employee as of 2025.

We also had the chance to hear from representatives from Kentucky’s Executive and Legislative Branches: Jonathan Shell, Kentucky Agricultural Commissioner (BRIGHT Kentucky 2020); Adrielle Camuel, Kentucky State Representative, District 93 (D); and Josh Bray, KY State Representative, District 7 (R). Jonathan Shell imparted lessons that he has learned along the way: hard work, determination, motivation, and personal honesty.

Rep. Camuel and Rep. Bray answered questions about the legislative teamwork required to make the public “wins” happen, from the urgent conversations on the floor of Kentucky’s State Capitol chambers to the persuasive discussions in between meetings. While the representatives serve on different sides of the aisle, they emphasized, together, that collaboration is essential to making good things happen for Kentuckians.

Day 2 began with an engaging presentation on courageous collaboration from Alecia Webb-Edgington, President and CEO of Life Learning Center, at their headquarters in Covington, as well as a tour of the facility that helps individuals healing from substance addiction to build the life skills needed to take back control of their lives. Then, several Northern Kentucky business leaders walked us through how to serve on a board, including Trey Grayson, Former Secretary of State, Frost Brown Todd (FBT), Managing Director, CivicPoint (LKY 2002); Nancy Grayson, President & CEO, Horizon Community Funds; and Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire, Community & Citizenship Director, Turner Construction Company. We also engaged in an interesting discussion about the successes and challenges of young professional organizations, led by Hank Heidrich, VP/Investment Executive at Fifth Third Bank.

An interactive (and delicious) highlight of the day: a business etiquette lunch at Fort Mitchell Country Club. We gained new nuggets of dining knowledge and enjoyed wonderful soup, salad, pasta, and dessert!

At the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Dave Hatter, a Cyber Security Consultant, dove into the strengths and potential downfalls of AI — a hot topic in nearly every industry right now. Then, a trio at the forefront of NKY growth, three Presidents and CEOs: Lee Crume of BE-NKY (LKY 2023), Karen Finan of OneNKY Alliance, and Julie Kirkpatrick of meetNKY (LKY 2023), joined us for a panel on the region’s development.

Finally, Karen asked us how we can leverage intergenerational talent, knowing that each generation has a different, unique perspective about work and success. We ended the day with a group dinner in a private room at Hofbräuhaus, a German restaurant at Newport on the Levee!

The final day of our ELEVATE experience in Northern Kentucky was held at the Metropolitan Club in Covington. Joseph L. Chillo, President of Thomas More University and Leadership Kentucky Class of 2022 alumnus, imparted wisdom about leaving a legacy and congratulated us on our accomplishment. Following graduation, we were joined by Leadership Kentucky alums and board members for a reception and time to say our goodbyes.

Our class is grateful for the time together and has already made plans to meet up again soon after graduation! The ELEVATE Class of 2025 graduated from our Leadership Kentucky experience with a deeper appreciation for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its history. We have all been deeply impacted by the people we met, the stories told, and the knowledge we’ve gained. As Leadership Kentucky alumni, we envision a bright future for our state and have gained new connections and tools to create that future.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the organizations and leaders who willingly volunteered their time, knowledge, and resources to host and sponsor this life-changing experience.