John Bevington, Senior Director, Business & Economic Development, LG&E and KU (Energy/Datacenters) 
John Bevington was named to his current position in October 2018. He is responsible for directing all aspects of LG&E and KU’s business and economic development strategies and implementation.

Before joining the company, Bevington was with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development for nine years and held a number of roles with increasing responsibility in project management, business and community relations and business development. He most recently served as commissioner of the Department of Business Development.

Bevington earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and finance from Western Kentucky University.

He serves on the board of the Frankfort YMCA, the YMCA of Central Kentucky and the Kentucky Association for Economic Development. He is a volunteer coach for youth sports and is active with community and charitable events in the Frankfort community.

Madison Gooch, Vice President, watsonx, IBM 
Madison currently serves IBM clients and partners as the Vice President of watsonx, IBM’s generative AI platform, across the Americas. She joined IBM in 2014 and has held several sales, client success, go-to-market and leadership roles throughout her tenure.

Her former roles include being the Chief of Staff for the General Manager of Watson, leading the global sales organization for Conversational AI, AI and Data Science technologies, launching the first set of analytics cloud offerings in the Americas, and many technical and sales leadership roles, where her primary responsibility was to empower, coach and grow IBMers and directly engage with clients to ensure they realize business and technical success with IBM technology.

Currently, Madison is responsible for IBM’s generative AI technology stack and the go-to-market across the Americas, where she focuses on how generative AI will transform business through digital labor, productivity enhancements and revenue generation across use cases for customer care, conversational AI, employee experience transformation, and application modernization. Madison is passionate about AI, technology innovation, AI ethics, and most importantly, innovating with clients on how to solve their deepest business challenges.

Madison received her BBA from the University of Kentucky, with a major in leadership and administration. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her husband, a commercial pilot, and two-year-old son.

Craig Greenberg, Mayor, Louisville Metro Government 
Mayor Craig Greenberg is a proud Louisvillian, husband, father, and entrepreneur who believes in thinking big, working hard, and making things happen. Mayor Greenberg is committed to moving Louisville in a new direction by focusing on key priorities that support the values of Louisville families, including improving public safety, making housing more affordable, creating jobs, and expanding early childhood learning for 3 and 4-year-olds.

A proud graduate of Jefferson County Public Schools, the University of Michigan, and Harvard Law School, Mayor Greenberg was an attorney before helping launch and lead 21c Museum Hotels. Mayor Greenberg has been married to his wife, Rachel, for 25 years and they have two sons, Daniel and Benjamin.

Jeff Guan, Associate Dean for Programs, University of Louisville College of Business 
Dr. Jeff Guan is a Professor of Computer Information Systems and Associate Dean for Programs at the College of Business, University of Louisville. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering and brings extensive expertise in artificial intelligence, technology management, and digital transformation.
Dr. Guan teaches courses on AI and technology management, equipping students with the skills to navigate and lead in technology-driven environments. His research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence and the adoption of emerging technologies within organizations. Recognized for his innovative ideas in business education, Dr. Guan also collaborates with businesses and institutions to integrate AI solutions into their operations and strategy.

Jordan Harris, Client Relationship Executive, Deloitte Consulting LLP 
Jordan Harris is a Client Relationship Executive with Deloitte Consulting, based in Louisville, Kentucky. He previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on his staff in Washington DC. Prior to joining the Senator's staff, Jordan is the Founder and former Executive Director of Pegasus Institute, a state-based public-policy think-tank – the first founded by millennials in the United States. While serving as Executive Director for Pegasus Institute, the organization's research contributed to more than two dozen national, state, and local legislative changes. In the role, Jordan was a regular columnist with work appearing in USA Today and more than 70 newspapers and was cited more than 250 times by national and local media outlets.

Jamia McDonald, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Jamia McDonald is a highly experienced government leader in Deloitte's Human Services Transformation practice, where she leads our national program and policy team serving our Government and Public Services industry. Her team supports HHS leaders around the country, both state and federal, with policy and program transformation, service delivery transformation, and thought leadership. She had deep expertise in Child Welfare, as well as deep understanding of Child Support and Early Learning, Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF, Unemployment Insurance, LIHEAP, WIC, and other human service programs. Her career has focused on driving change to improve programmatic outcomes, identifying efficiencies, and optimizing financial resources to achieve objectives. Jamia serves as a leader for Deloitte’s State, Local and Higher Ed Artificial Intelligence (AI) practice and is paving the way for Generative AI throughout state and local governments and higher education institutions. These organizations benefit greatly from the innovative opportunities provided by AI and Jamia and her team are thought leaders in the space. Jamia is a regular speaker at national conferences, and frequently publishes industry-leading points of view.

Kevin Nolan, President & CEO, GE Appliances, a Haier company
Kevin Nolan is the President & Chief Executive Officer of GE Appliances, a Haier company, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. GE Appliances is the fastest growing appliances company in the U.S.

Mr. Nolan is a seasoned engineer and a passionate maker with 29 patent awards and a 30-year career at GE, including 10 years as GE Appliances’ Chief Technology Officer. 
He took innovation to a new level when he conceived and co-founded FirstBuild, the first Corporate maker’s space in the world and global co-creation community that harnesses the power of the maker movement to change the way home appliances are conceived, designed and manufactured. 

Originally from Connecticut, Mr. Nolan is an active voice in Louisville, KY, working directly and through several organizations to attract new investements to the area; promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs in schools and community centers; mobilizing resources to close the digital and educational gap in the city and personally participating in several community development organizations, including Metro United Way. 

Currently as CEO of GE Appliances, Mr. Nolan is successfully leading the company’s transformation, redefining structures, promoting a new culture and shaping the future of an organization founded more than 100 years ago.  

Ryan Quarles, President, Kentucky Community & Technical Colleges 
Dr. Ryan Quarles is the fourth president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and the first native Kentuckian to lead the system of 16 community and technical colleges and 70 campuses. He was named president by the KCTCS Board of Regents Sept. 29, 2023, following a national search. Quarles began his position Jan. 1, 2024.

Quarles comes to KCTCS with a long history in statewide public service. He was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2010 where he served until his election as Kentucky’s state commissioner of agriculture in 2016. In that role, he led the state’s second largest executive branch agency through 2023, serving two terms. On a national front, he was president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in 2020-2021.

His earlier work experience includes serving as associate general counsel at Georgetown College and working in private practice.

While a college student at the University of Kentucky, Quarles was appointed by former Governor Ernie Fletcher as the student representative to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, the state’s higher education coordinating agency. The three-year stint ignited his interest to seek advanced degrees in higher education.

Quarles holds seven college degrees: a doctorate in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University; a master’s degree in higher education from Harvard University; and a juris doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He earned his four other degrees, including two master’s degrees, from the University of Kentucky. Quarles is a graduate of Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky., and attended Lexington Community College, the forerunner of Bluegrass Community and Technical College. He is also a ninth-generation Kentucky farmer at Quarles Farms in Scott County.

Ashli Watts, President & CEO, Kentucky Chamber
Watts was named the President and CEO for the Kentucky Chamber, the state’s largest business association, in November 2019. Ashli joined the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in November of 2012, and during her tenure as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Chamber, she has led efforts in passing significant pieces of legislation such as felony expungement, right to work legislation, workers’ compensation reform, unemployment insurance reform and tax reform. Prior to joining the Chamber, she worked at the Kentucky Bar Association and the Legislative Research Commission.

Ashli 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. Ashli is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, currently serves on the boards for Campbellsville University, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of State Chambers, and the Louisville Orchestra. She was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear, and confirmed by the Kentucky State Senate, to serve on the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission, where she was also elected Chair in 2025. She currently resides in Frankfort with her husband Ryan and two children, Emma and Carter.