Charles Aull, PhD, Vice President, Policy, Kentucky Chamber 
Charles Aull is Vice President of Policy at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and oversees the Kentucky Chamber Center for Policy and Research, a key resource for economic and public policy research in the Commonwealth. Charles holds a PhD from Indiana University and has studied at Georgetown University and the Villanova University School of Law. He has published articles, white papers, and reports on economic and public policy issues and has testified before legislative bodies on topics such as tax reform, workforce development, government regulations, housing, child care, and education. Charles lives in Louisville and serves on the United Way of Kentucky Board of Directors.

Lisa Bajorinas, Executive Director, Kentucky Innovation Hubs, Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation
Lisa is a passionate startup and community builder who advises tech-driven companies on lean startup methods, business models, customer acquisition, capital access, and strategic connections.  As executive director of the Kentucky Innovation Hubs at KSTC, she leads six regional centers focused on driving economic development through entrepreneurship.  The Hubs provide coaching, connections, and accountability to help attract investment capital and grow high-potential startups across Kentucky.  

Previously, Lisa led the Louisville innovation hub, co-founded the Louisville Enterprise Angels and the Vogt Awards tech accelerator, contributing to the city’s thriving startup ecosystem.

As an economic development professional, she established a portfolio of fast growth “gazelle” companies through a private/public partnership.  Consulting with these founders/CEOs and engaging them in an array of programs, including the popular Gazelle CEO Roundtable program, she addressed many of their growth challenges. This innovative work earned her the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Excellence in Economic Development Award, Finalist for the CoreNet Global Economic Development Leadership Award, and Honorable Mention from the International Economic Development Council’s Excellence in Economic Development Award.

Lisa’s career began in travel eCommerce in Miami through successive positions in technology, project management, and marketing with Amadeus, one of the world’s leading global travel distribution systems. This eventually led her to a product marketing role in Silicon Valley with BroadVision, while managing a global software development team located in Nice, France.

Lisa holds a BA in organizational psychology and an MBA from the University of Miami.

Monica Bilak, Executive Director, Sprocket 
Monica Bilak is a strategic designer and rural innovation leader with over 15 years of experience shaping the future of communities and organizations across business, education, healthcare, nonprofits, and government.

She has worked with Fortune companies to reimagine digital strategies and partnered with education systems to design talent pipelines aligned with the modern, tech-enabled economy. Monica led the concept design of the Paducah Innovation Hub, a highly technology-focused vocational center that redefined how rural communities prepare talent for the future of work.

Today, Monica is building a rural startup ecosystem in Western Kentucky as part of the KY Innovation Entrepreneur Hub system, serving 22 counties. Through her leadership at Sprocket, Inc., she has launched co-workspaces, accelerator programs, founder education, investor networks, and ecosystem events that support tech-enabled and scalable rural startups.

Since 2021, Sprocket has helped support 44 new companies, nearly $5M invested into startups, and more than 100 jobs created, demonstrating that rural communities can compete in innovation-driven economies when intentional systems are in place.

Monica is deeply motivated by work with social impact. Internationally, she founded Project Aids Orphan in Kenya, East Africa, a humanitarian organization focused on housing, healthcare, and education for AIDS orphans.

Her work centers on designing systems, programs, and partnerships that unlock opportunity and drive lasting change — especially in rural communities.

Terri Bradshaw, President & CEO, Kentucky Association for Economic Development 
Terri Bradshaw is a veteran economic and workforce development leader with more than 30 years of experience and currently serves as President of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED). Before joining KAED, Terri led the Kentucky Capital Development Corporation for nearly a decade, helping drive thousands of new jobs and millions in investment while earning Frankfort repeated Top 10 Micropolitan rankings. Terri founded EmpowHER Frankfort and helped launch both Development Interest Group (DIG) Frankfort and the Regional Youth Leadership & Career Exploration initiative serving multiple counties. Her earlier career includes more than 20 years in state economic and workforce development roles. Her favorite role, however, is outside the office — Terri is the proud mom of two sons and “Lala” to two grandchildren, with one more on the way.

Sharon Butts, Associate Director, South Western Kentucky Economic Council 
Sharon Butts serves as Associate Director of the South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council representing a three-county region, where she plays a key role in advancing regional economic growth through business recruitment, industry retention, community development, and strategic planning. Sharon is a graduate of Murray State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a graduate of the Kentucky Institute for Economic Development and a graduate of the TVA Workforce Institute. Sharon brings more than two decades of experience in economic development and public-private collaboration.

Prior to joining the regional organization, Sharon served as Director of the Cadiz-Trigg County Economic Development Authority for 12 years. Currently Sharon works at the regional level in assisting prospective and existing industries, coordinating site certifications and due diligence, facilitating workforce training and expansion efforts, and supporting small business development. She is widely recognized for her strong partnerships with local leaders, state and regional economic development agencies, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Sharon has been instrumental in several major achievements, including helping secure Kentucky Work Ready Community certification for the region, leading efforts that resulted in the TVA Sustainability Certification Gold & Silver Award for the region, and coordinating successful TVA InvestPrep & Kentucky Product Development Grant Awards to further regional product development.

Sharon lives in Cadiz, Kentucky, the home of Land Between the Lakes, with her husband of 36 years. Together they have two adult children, a daughter-in-law, and two beloved grandchildren.

In her 24+ years in economic development, Sharon has helped her communities secure over $3B in capital investment which has created over 3,000+ new jobs for South Western KY and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mike Clark, Ph.D., Director, Center for Business and Economic Research, Gatton College of Business, University of Kentucky 
Bio coming soon.

Brian Cromer, Member, Stites & Harbison
Bio coming soon.

Alison Davis, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President, Executive Director, Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, University of Kentucky 
Alison Davis is the Executive Director of Blueprint Kentucky and Assistant Vice President for UK Engage at the University of Kentucky, where she works at the intersection of community development, applied research, and university engagement. In addition, she is a professor of Agricultural Economics at UK. Her work focuses on helping communities translate data into action by strengthening partnerships among local governments, businesses, nonprofits, and higher education. Through Blueprint Kentucky, Davis leads statewide initiatives supporting strategic planning, economic resilience, workforce development, housing, and quality-of-life investments in both rural and urban communities. She has guided hundreds of local leaders through structured engagement processes that align priorities with measurable outcomes and shared ownership. In her UK Engage role, she advances the land-grant mission by connecting faculty expertise with community needs, building interdisciplinary partnerships, and expanding experiential learning opportunities. She collaborates with state agencies and philanthropic organizations to design evidence-based programs that empower local leadership.

Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce 
Curtis Dubay is the Chief Economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He tracks the condition of the economy, analyzes the impact of public policy on economic growth, and runs the Chamber’s Chief Economists Committee. Previously, he was senior economist at the American Bankers Association and a research fellow in tax and economic policy at The Heritage Foundation. He also worked at the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and at the Tax Foundation.

Dubay has researched and published frequently on a wide range of tax and economic issues. He is regularly quoted by the press and has appeared often in the media, including on CNBC, Fox Business, Fox News, and C-SPAN. He has testified before Congress several times and been cited in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Politico.

Dubay received his master’s degree in economics from the University of Connecticut and his bachelor’s degree in economics and leadership studies from the University of Richmond. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three sons.

Julianne Dunn, Regional Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland  
Julianne Dunn is the regional executive of the Cincinnati Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. She is responsible for managing relationships with regional stakeholders and the branch board of directors, monitoring the region’s economic environment, and contributing to the Bank’s monetary policy mission. She also manages the Bank’s Business Advisory Councils in southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky, central Ohio, the Dayton area, and eastern Kentucky.

Ms. Dunn joined the Bank as a research analyst in June 2017 and has since held positions of increasing responsibility. She was recently a manager in the Bank’s regional analysis group, for which she oversaw several analysts and contributed to the group’s assessment of the district’s economic environment in support of the Bank’s monetary policymaking process. She also contributed to the Bank’s external engagement through public presentations and to its research mission through Bank publications. Before joining the Cleveland Reserve Bank, Ms. Dunn worked on economic forecasts as an economist at MarketResearch.com.

A native of central Michigan, she holds a BA in international studies from the Ohio State University and an MA in economics and international relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Julianne also serves on the board of Cincinnati Works. She is a graduate of the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s LEAD program and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Hello Cincy Executive program.

Jose Fernandez, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Economics Department, College of Business, University of Louisville 
Dr. Fernandez’s research focuses on a wide range of risky behavior and mental health topics with a special focus on suicide and substance abuse, including opioid-related healthcare utilization. Dr. Fernandez has over 20 articles appearing in well-respected journals such as the International Economic Review, The Journal of Economic Education, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, and Health Service Research Journal. He has appeared in over 100 local, regional, and national media interviews including NPR’s Planet Money and the Indicator.

Dr. Fernandez is a faculty scholar at the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, a member of the Statutory Committee Consensus Forecasting Group for the State of Kentucky, the former President of the American Society of Hispanic Economists, of the Co-Chair of the Committee on Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession of the American Economic Association, and the chair of the Economics Department at the University of Louisville.

Kimberly Halbauer, Kentucky Regional President, Fifth Third Bank 
Kimberly Halbauer serves as regional president of Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Kentucky), which covers Kentucky and Southern Indiana and has more than $2.5 billion in assets. She is responsible for the growth and strategic direction of the Bank’s Commercial, Wealth & Asset Management and Consumer businesses to deliver distinctive value to our customers and community impact throughout the region. Kim has more than 30 years of experience with Fifth Third, most recently as managing director of Fifth Third Private Bank in Cincinnati. She was responsible for Wealth & Asset Management businesses, including the customer experience for more than 3,000 clients with $12 billion in assets and 100 wealth professionals. Kim began at Fifth Third Bank as a customer service representative. After working through college, she rose to leadership in the Consumer and then the Commercial divisions, where she worked with government, not-for-profit, small and midsized businesses as well as publicly traded companies, focused on customer and employee development, strategy and growth. Kim earned a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in finance and business from Thomas More College and completed an Executive Leadership program at Yale University. Kim serves on the boards of the Kentucky Chamber, Kentucky Chamber Foundation, One West, One Southern Indiana, Greater Louisville Inc., Leadership Louisville Center and Fund for the Arts. She has served as chairman of the board for American Heart Association and United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s Tocqueville Society. She was vice chair for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and on the boards of United Way Greater Cincinnati, Kentucky Educational Television, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and Thomas More College Leadership Council. Kim is a Northern Kentucky native. She and her husband, an entrepreneur, have four daughters and live in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hollie Harris, President & CEO, Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc.
Hollie Harris, MHA, broke barriers in May 2021 as the first female President and CEO of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) in its 69-year history. Under her leadership, ARH—a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system with 14 hospitals, clinics, and various health services—has solidified its position as the largest care provider and employer in southeastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. With more than two decades at ARH, Harris has been instrumental in driving strategic innovation, fostering community engagement, and advancing philanthropic efforts.

A Virginia native, Harris holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Richmond and a master’s in health administration from the Medical College of Virginia. Passionate about improving rural healthcare and enhancing the health of Central Appalachians, she co-chairs Kentucky’s statewide “Food Is Medicine” initiative. Harris has championed the integration of innovative technologies and telehealth solutions to improve access to care in underserved communities. She also serves on several boards, including the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, Kentucky Hospital Association Board, Kentucky Health Collaborative, God’s Pantry Board of Directors, and the Women’s Business Collaborative.

Larry Horn, Co-Founder and CEO, Amplify Startups
Behind every thriving startup ecosystem are builders who invest in people, not just companies.

Larry is an entrepreneur and community builder who has spent his career helping founders turn ideas into durable, real-world companies across Louisville and Kentucky.

He’s the co-founder of multiple venture-backed and otherwise startups spanning healthcare technology, agricultural innovation, and data analytics—each rooted in solving practical problems while strengthening the regional economy (oh, and bow ties).

Larry is also the co-founder and CEO of Amplify, a state-funded entrepreneurial support organization serving the Greater Louisville and Lincoln Trail regions. Under his leadership, Amplify connects hundreds of founders each year to capital, coaching, and a deep bench of mentors—guiding companies from first idea through growth-stage execution.

His work is grounded in a people-first philosophy: real relationships, honest guidance, and building infrastructure that lets innovation outlast any one individual.

Beyond Amplify, Larry serves on boards including Volunteers of America Mid-States, Metro United Way, Actors Theatre of Louisville, the University of Louisville College of Business Advisory Board, and the International Business Innovation Association—quietly shaping systems that help others win.

Also worth noting he proudly supports Louisville businesses, loves startups, bacon, and a collection of lovable loser sports teams—and believes the best ecosystems are built by people who care more about outcomes than credit.

Colby Kirk, President and CEO, One East Kentucky 
Colby Kirk serves as president and CEO of One East Kentucky, leading industrial recruitment and economic development marketing activities for a nine-county region in southeastern Kentucky. Colby previously led the startup of a non-profit community and economic development organization named One Harlan County in Harlan, Kentucky. He also served as Judge-Executive for Martin County and spent two years as a Teach for America (TFA) Corps Member teaching high school mathematics in the TFA Appalachia region. Colby is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a degree in Finance and is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute. He is committed to playing a role in diversifying the economy of central Appalachia.

Dave Knox, Executive Director, Blue North 
Dave Knox is a board member, executive advisor, and author who bridges the worlds of Fortune 500 brands and high-growth startups. As Executive Director of Blue North, Kentucky's Innovation Hub for Northern Kentucky, Dave leads entrepreneurial support and developed SparkHaus, the region's first Entrepreneurial Hub.

As Chief Marketing Officer of Rockfish, Dave drove growth from $8M to $70M in revenue with industry-leading margins, leading to WPP's acquisition. He co-founded The Brandery, a top 10 U.S. startup accelerator that has graduated 85+ companies raising over $150M, and Vine St Ventures, achieving exits including VNDLY's $510M acquisition by Workday. Through Entrepreneurship through Acquisition, Dave was CEO of Nature's Willow, achieving 4X revenue growth before a successful exit—an experience that inspired him to found CincyETA, the largest regional ETA community in the country.

As a board-recruited advisor, Dave has worked with three companies that achieved unicorn status—ReliaQuest, GoPuff, and Enfusion. He serves as founding/first independent board member for Hunt Club (guiding $54.7M through Series B) and Braxton Brewing Company (Kentucky's largest brewery), and sits on the boards of The Bruery, Nichefire, and Nettie Pickleball.

For ten years, Dave has curated Brand Fusion, facilitating 3,300+ meetings between 300 brands and 430 startups. He is the author of Predicting the Turn: The High Stakes Game of Business Between Startups and Blue Chips and a Forbes CMO Network contributor.

Dave has been recognized in the Cincinnati Business Courier Power 25, as a Cincinnati Marketing Legend (AMA), Mentor of the Year by the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, CMO of the Year, and 40 Under 40 by AdAge and the P&G Alumni Network.

Katherine Loughead, Director of State Tax Projects, Tax Foundation
Katherine Loughead is the Director of State Tax Projects at the Tax Foundation, where she oversees the state tax policy team’s research agenda and serves as a resource to policymakers in their efforts to modernize and improve the structure of their state tax codes.

Katherine has testified before legislators in seven states and has authored or coauthored tax reform options guides on Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Her work has been cited in The New York Times, The Economist, USA TODAY, Forbes, Bloomberg, the Associated Press, and numerous state media outlets across the country.

Prior to joining the Tax Foundation in 2018, Katherine worked for a US senator and a member of the US House of Representatives, where she advised on tax policy during the consideration of the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. A graduate of the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University, Katherine holds a degree in English and Business Administration, as well as a paralegal certificate from Georgetown University.

Originally from Belvidere, Illinois, Katherine currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
    
Chris McDaniel, Senator, Kentucky Legislature
Bio coming soon.

Trevor Pawl, CEO, Louisville Economic Development Alliance (LEDA)
Trevor Pawl is the CEO of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), a public-private partnership focused on driving inclusive business attraction, expansion, and innovation across the Louisville region.

Before coming to Louisville, Pawl was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer as Michigan’s first Chief Mobility Officer, where he led more than 80 public-private partnerships that secured over $480 million for next-generation transportation projects. He also authored Michigan’s first statewide mobility strategy, setting a course for the state’s leadership in the global auto industry through 2030.

Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Vice President of Business Innovation at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, where his teams generated $3.4 billion in new procurement opportunities for Michigan suppliers. Prior to that, he launched a U.S. Department of Commerce-funded program at the Detroit Regional Chamber that created more than $200 million in bid opportunities for local manufacturers.

He holds a BA from Grand Valley State University, and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy. In 2023, he and his wife, Jessica, traveled with their two children to 16 countries, a sabbatical that broadened his perspective on economic development and ultimately led him to Louisville.

Kate Shanks, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Kentucky Chamber
Kate Shanks is Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for the Kentucky Chamber. She has been with the Chamber since 2015 and focuses her work on energy, environment, small business, and competitiveness issues. She is a lifelong resident of Kentucky and earned both a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Conservation and Management and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky. Prior to joining the Chamber, Kate spent 12 years working for state agencies focused on energy and environmental policy and regulation and has held multiple positions relating to communications, outreach, policy analysis and design, and legislative affairs.

Seema Sheth, Senior Vice President and Regional Executive – Louisville Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Seema Sheth is senior vice president and regional executive of the Louisville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Sheth became head of the Louisville Branch, which serves southern Indiana and western Kentucky, in December 2021.

Sheth joined the St. Louis Fed from PNC Private Bank in Louisville, where she served as vice president and relationship strategist. At PNC, she specialized in financial planning and stewardship of high-net-worth clients. Passionate about financial capability, Sheth founded the Adulting Academy, which teaches the basics of finance to young adults, and still speaks frequently on the topic and its importance.

Sheth was recognized in 2024 by Louisville Business First as a Forty Under 40 recipient and in 2021 as one of 20 people to know in wealth management and financial planning. Other recognitions include receiving a MOSAIC Award from the Jewish Career and Family Services Foundation for her work in the nonprofit sector and receiving a Tough Cookie award by the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana for her work in the Louisville community, particularly as it relates to uplifting and supporting girls. She has been featured in TOPS Louisville, StyleBlueprint and Today's Woman magazines as a leader in business. Sheth serves as co-chair of Canopy KY, a social enterprise nonprofit. In addition, Sheth is a board member of Louisville Public Media, the University of Louisville College of Business board of advisors, the board of trustees of the Speed Art Museum, the Kentucky Financial Empowerment Commission, the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation and the Kentucky Derby Museum.

Sheth earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California-Irvine and an undergraduate degree in theater from the College of William and Mary. She and her husband are the parents of four children.

Mark Sommer, Partner, FBT Gibbons LLP
Mark F. Sommer, Esq. aspires professionally to save the world one taxpayer at a time. He is the Chair of the Tax, Benefits & Estates Group at Frost Brown Todd where he also leads its Tax Teams and concentrates his practice in the area of state and local taxes, federal taxation as well as civil/criminal tax controversy/litigation, economic development and incentives.

During his 35+ year practice, Mr. Sommer has advised clients with respect to complex tax and incentives matters, has helped clients understand tax threats and opportunities, and developed comprehensive solutions and curative legislation. His experience extends to income, sales and use, gross receipts, property (both real and personal) and other miscellaneous state and local and federal taxes. He has assisted with planning transactions, dispute resolution and litigation, negotiating incentives and settlements in federal and SALT matters. He has been involved as counsel in well over 1,000 controversies and disputes regarding countless tax issues before the administrative and judicial systems in many jurisdictions and assisted his clients in avoiding hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in risk and securing hundreds of millions of dollars in claims, refunds and incentives.

Mr. Sommer is a Past Chair of the ABA Tax Section’s State and Local Tax Committee, and practices at the forefront of state and local tax issues, including advocating for transparency while working to address larger tax policy questions through state legislatures and agencies. He is a go-to advisor on SALT in his part of the Country.

Throughout Mr. Sommer’s career, he has represented nearly 115 of the current Fortune 500, and almost just as many which no longer appear due to acquisition, merger or demise. He has been a Fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel for over 20 years and is recognized as a “Super Lawyer” in Kentucky. He has also been recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America for twenty plus years and was recently recognized for the sixth time by Best Lawyers as a “Lawyer of the Year.” Mr. Sommer has been honored by State Tax Notes as one of its two “Practitioners of the Year” in 2015 and as one of its “Persons of the Year” in 2013. He is the recent Past Chair of the Kentucky Lottery Corporation where he was the longest-serving Chair in its history.

Mark has written extensively in the area of state and local taxation, is a frequent speaker and lecturer at national conferences, forums and groups, having presented, moderated or served as a panelist nearly 275 times, has lectured on tax law academically, serves on multiple National Tax advisory boards and is interviewed frequently by journalists covering state and local tax developments. All of this is designed as a means to pay it forward, in honor of the great lawyers and mentors who trained him.

Outside of his busy work life, first and foremost Mr. Sommer enjoys spending time with his family and five adult children, enjoys history and trivia games, is a bourbon connoisseur and, of course, loves The Godfather.    

Jonathan Westbrook, CEO, East & Westbrook Construction
Jonathan is the CEO of East & Westbrook Construction Co., Inc., prior to that role he served as President since 2008. Jonathan has over 20 years of construction and management experience, from working as a laborer to managing and overseeing construction operations for projects all over the United States.

Thanks to an experienced and energetic team of construction professionals, East & Westbrook has seen continued growth from its modest roots and currently employs over 250 team members.

Prior to joining East & Westbrook in 2003 Jonathan worked in Management for Home Depot and earned the “Excellence in Leadership Excel Award” from their district.

Jonathan currently serves on boards for Kentucky Workforce Development Board, Baptist Health System, Greater Louisville, Inc., and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the LaGrange Rotary Club and is also Past-President. He has served as Chair of the Oldham County Educational Foundation, Chair of the Oldham County Chamber Economic Development Board, Chairman of the Board of the LaGrange Baptist Hospital, Chair of the Kentuckiana Works Regional Workforce Board, board member for the Kentucky-Indiana Exchange, a Regional Leadership Coalition, Oldham County Schools Local Planning Committee, and YMCA.

Jonathan Westbrook and his wife Beth are both graduates of South Oldham High School and University of Louisville and have been married for over 20 years. They have four children currently in school at South Oldham Middle, South Oldham High School, and University of Louisville. Jonathan has been a volunteer debate coach, volunteer soccer, hockey and basketball coach and PTO member in addition to other community involvement.

Jonathan has a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Louisville College of Business and an MBA from Sullivan University. While at the University of Louisville, Jonathan was a national semi-finalist for two consecutive years for the UofL Debate Society and is a McConnell Scholar Alumni.