Dave Adkisson, President and CEO, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Dave Adkisson is president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. During his 12 years at the Chamber, the state chamber has doubled in size and has become a major voice for business in Frankfort and Washington. Its slogan is: “Uniting Business. Advancing Kentucky.” The Kentucky Chamber is the state’s largest business association and is routinely listed as the top lobbying organization in Frankfort. The Chamber’s board of directors consists of 60 key business leaders from across the state, and its staff consists of 30 professionals at its headquarters on I-64 in Frankfort. Adkisson is past chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives and past chairman of the national Council of State Chambers. Adkisson is originally from Owensboro, KY, where he started his career at the local chamber of commerce and was elected twice as the mayor of Owensboro. He served as president of the Birmingham, Alabama Chamber for six years before returning to Kentucky to head our state chamber in 2005.
Neil Bradley, Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Neil Bradley has spent two decades working directly with congressional committee chairpersons and other high-ranking policymakers to achieve solutions. At the Chamber, he is responsible for aligning the organization’s overall policy priorities and advocacy efforts. He also leads four major policy divisions within the Chamber. Before joining the Chamber, Bradley was president of Chartwell Policy Solutions, LLC, a research, analysis, and advisory firm focused on public policy issues. Bradley spent nearly 20 years working in the House of Representatives, including 11 years working for the House Republican leadership. He served as deputy chief of staff for Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA) where he developed the legislative agenda for House Republicans, oversaw policy formulation in the leader’s office, and coordinated committee activity in the House. Bradley, a graduate of Georgetown University, resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Kiki, and their son, Peter. He is a native of Sapulpa, Oklahoma.
Congressman James Comer
James Comer came to Washington in November 2016 ready to fight on behalf of the people of the 1st Congressional District. Comer grew up in rural Monroe County, studied agriculture at Western Kentucky University, and started Comer Family Farms—one of the largest farming operations in south central Kentucky. Comer served for six terms as a member of the Kentucky State House, and served as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture where he worked to root out wasteful spending and fraud, promoted rural economic development by spearheading the successful effort to legalize industrial hemp, and developed new branding initiatives for Kentucky farmers. He’s a fierce advocate for rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, balancing the federal budget, and implementing business-friendly policies, including regulatory reform. Comer is married to TJ Comer, and father to Reagan, 12, Harlan, 9, and Aniston, 5.
Congressman Brett Guthrie
Congressman Brett Guthrie represents Kentucky's Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, and serves on the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee as well as the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for the 114th Congress. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee. Recognized for his proven leadership, he was also appointed to serve as an Assistant Whip within the Republican Conference. First elected to public office in 1998, Guthrie represented the 32nd District in the Kentucky Senate. Congressman Guthrie attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and later earned a Master's Degree from Yale University in Public and Private Management. Brett and his wife Beth have three children, Caroline, Robby and Elizabeth.
Majority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell is the United States Senate Majority Leader. He is only the second Kentuckian to serve as majority leader in the Senate; the first, Alben Barkley, led the Democrats from 1937 to 1947. Under McConnell’s leadership, the Senate has attained a number of significant legislative accomplishments, from replacing No Child Left Behind with the most significant K-12 education reforms in years to passing a major overhaul of America’s outdated energy policies to taking action on America’s growing opioid and heroin epidemic. McConnell serves as a senior member of the Appropriations, Agriculture, and Rules Committees. Married to the Honorable Elaine L. Chao, who served for eight years as President George W. Bush’s secretary of labor, he is the proud father of three daughters.
Ashli Watts, Vice President of Public Affairs, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Ashli Watts was named the Vice President of Public Affairs at the Kentucky Chamber in April 2016. She joined the staff of the Kentucky Chamber in November 2012 as a Manager of Public Affairs specializing in health care policy. In October 2014, she was promoted to the position of Director of Public Affairs, and in January of 2016 she was named Acting Vice President of Public Affairs. Prior to joining the Chamber, Watts worked at the Kentucky Bar Association and the Legislative Research Commission. She graduated from Campbellsville University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History in 2004 and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Louisville. She currently resides in Frankfort with her husband and two children.
Congressman John Yarmuth
U.S. Representative John Yarmuth represents Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now in his fifth term, Congressman Yarmuth serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Budget – on which he is the second-ranking Democrat. He has been recognized for his work to improve education, expand access to affordable health care, and revitalize manufacturing in Louisville. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Congressman Yarmuth graduated from Atherton High School and Yale University. He and his wife, Cathy, have one son, Aaron, who is owner and editor of LEO Weekly.