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.
Jan de Beer, Office Partner-in-Charge, Frost Brown Todd LLP
Jan concentrates his practice in the area of international regulation and trade with a particular focus on import and export matters, customs regulations, labeling requirements, and transaction licensing. Jan has significant experience in counseling clients as to their responsibilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and export licensing obligations under the Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and the Department of State’s International Traffic In Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). In addition, Jan advises companies and individuals in matters relating to U.S. embargoes and sanctions, with experience in both the voluntary disclosure of violations and obtaining appropriate licenses for international transactions. He also assists companies importing goods into the United States with customs law issues, including classification and valuation of products; Customs duty protests; and country of origin and other labeling requirements.
Mark Birdwhistell, Senior Vice President for Health and Public Policy, University of Kentucky
Mark D. Birdwhistell is the Senior Vice President for Health and Public Policy for the University of Kentucky. He is a healthcare policy expert and administrator with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. Mark Birdwhistell has had a significant and influential career, spanning over forty years, in Medicaid policy particularly in the state of Kentucky.
He is best known for his work as Kentucky’s Secretary of Health and Family Services under Governor Ernie Fletcher, where he led major Medicaid reform initiatives.
Before and after his role in state government, Birdwhistell has held senior leadership positions at the University of Kentucky HealthCare system, where he continued to engage in healthcare policy and strategy. He has also contributed to policy discussions at the national level, particularly in the areas of Medicaid payment and coverage as well as Medicaid innovation, healthcare delivery transformation, and integrated care models.
In his current role, he leads the Office of Government Relations and Public Policy which manages all the government relations functions for the University of Kentucky.
Birdwhistell earned his Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky Martin School for Public Policy and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
As executive vice president, chief policy officer, and head of strategic advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Neil Bradley is responsible for the organization’s overall advocacy efforts. In addition to managing policy development for the Chamber, Bradley oversees its government affairs activities, political program, and relations with other business organizations.
At the Chamber, Bradley has led the national discussion on hundreds of high-profile policy issues, influencing legislation at the federal, state, and local levels. He frequently appears on broadcast and cable news networks to present the business community’s priorities.
Prior to joining the Chamber, 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 then-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 held the same position for Eric Cantor (VA) during his tenure as majority leader. Before that, he was policy director for House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (MO).
After leaving Capitol Hill, Bradley founded Chartwell Policy Solutions, LLC, a research, analysis, and advisory firm focused on public policy issues.
While working on Capitol Hill, Bradley was regularly named to Roll Call’s list of 50 top congressional staffers. The Hill recognized Bradley on its list of top lobbyists, and the Washingtonian magazine listed him as one of the Most Influential People in Washington.
Bradley serves on numerous boards, including the advisory board for the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University; the board of the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution; and the board for the Center for International Private Enterprise, where he is president and permanent secretary.
Bradley, a graduate of Georgetown University, resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, Kiki, and their son, Peter. He is a native of Sapulpa, Oklahoma.
Sarah Cameron, Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Sarah is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and Kentucky, and serves as the Office Managing Partner of Dinsmore & Shohl’s Covington office. Sarah serves as external general counsel to various business entities, including a national manufacturing company, and is an experienced business litigator. Sarah assists clients in effectively resolving business disputes, including contract enforcement issues and complex business torts. Sarah has a proven record of litigation success, with first-chair federal and state jury trial, bench trial, and appellate court experience. In addition to business litigation, Sarah's practice frequently involves complex trust and estate disputes. She has handled many cases involving questions of testamentary capacity and undue influence, as well as questions involving fiduciary obligations of trustees and attorneys-in-fact.
Ballard Cassady, Jr., President and CEO, Kentucky Bankers Association
Mr. Cassady has been President and CEO of the Kentucky Bankers Association (KBA), for 38 years. The KBA is headquartered in Louisville, Ky. Before that, he served as Commissioner of the Department of Financial Institutions in Frankfort. Mr. Cassady also was chief executive officer of Citizens Bank of Pikeville.
Mr. Cassady holds a B.S. degree from Transylvania University in Lexington and an MBA from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee; he also holds diplomas from the Kentucky School of Banking, the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University, and the University of Louisville Management Series.
Ballard serves on the Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking Board of Trustees, and the Louisiana State University Banking School of the South Board of Trustees.
He lives in Louisville with his wife Marcia a Pikeville native. They have three children - Molly, “Cash” and Jacob, along with 5 grandchildren soon to be 8.
Danielle Tharp Clore, Executive Director and CEO, Kentucky Nonprofit
Danielle Tharp Clore is the CEO of Kentucky Nonprofit Network - the state association of charitable nonprofits she founded in 2002. 1200 members strong, KNN serves as the unified public policy voice and resource for nonprofit impact for Kentucky's charitable nonprofits.
Danielle was selected in 2017 by Women Leading Kentucky as a recipient of the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award, and was a 2015 finalist for the Excellence in Advocacy Award by the Professional Women in Advocacy Conference, Washington DC. She was recognized by the Lane Report as a Top Woman in Business in 2019 and by the Kentucky Gazette as a 2020 Notable Woman in Kentucky Politics and Government.
Danielle is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Transylvania University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kentucky Martin School of Public Administration. A lifelong Kentuckian, Danielle is a native of Bardstown, grew up in Pineville, and now resides in Lexington.
Jim Coleman, Chairman and CEO, Coleman Crest Farm
From his family’s farm in Lexington, Kentucky to Wall Street, Jim Coleman has delivered stellar results over the last 37 years with Oscar Mayer & Co., Pepsi Cola Company, Altria Corporation, American Express, several entrepreneurial ventures, and several government and quasi government entities including: the New York State Senate, Westchester County Government and the Prince George’s County Maryland Economic Development Corporation.
Jim was raised on his family’s farm, Coleman Crest, which was originally purchased by his great grandfather, James Coleman, on March 27, 1888, after he and his family had tilled the farm as slaves. Jim is the sole owner of Coleman Crest Farm today.
In 2015, Jim was appointed, president & CEO of the Prince George’s County Maryland Economic Development Corporation by Prince George’s Maryland County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III.
Under Jim’s leadership, the corporation’s workforce services division trained and prepared over 71,000 of the county’s residents for new high wage jobs in the county’s private sector. As a result, county residents filled over 20,000 newly created jobs, reducing the county’s unemployment rate from 5.3% to 3.9% and increased the county’s median household income to a record high of $79,184, which is more than $20,000 higher than the nation’s median household income.
Jim connected Prince George’s County based businesses to the international market by facilitating trade missions to China, South Korea, Cuba, Nigeria and South Africa. These trade missions generated a business investment pipeline of over $100 million.
After the passing of his loving wife Cathy, of 37 years, Jim returned to Lexington Kentucky in August 2020 to restore his heart and Coleman Crest Farm. Jim rapidly restored Coleman Crest Farm into a hyper growth farming enterprise with three operating divisions including certified organic crop production, an Incubator for Aspiring Farmers and Agritourism.
On July 19, 2022, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture approved Coleman Crest Farm to be an Official Certified Organic Farming Operation, making Coleman Crest Farm the only African American Owned Farm in the state of Kentucky to be Certified Organic and the 117th African American Farm in the Nation.
To date, Jim has secured successful produce customer relationships with Feeding Kentucky, God’s Pantry, Amen House, Dare to Care, Critchfield Meats, Good Foods, Black Soil, Thompson Catering, Ramsey’s Diners, Dudley’s on Short and What Chefs Want.
Jim has established partnerships with the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University to leverage the latest approaches to agriculture management and to leverage the innovative spirit of their students to achieve his long-term vision for Coleman Crest Farm, which is to preserve the farm in perpetuity, as a teaching farm for aspiring farmers.
In 2021, Jim established the “Cathy and Jim Coleman Scholarship Endowment Fund”, which is currently valued at $3 Million. The fund is 100% dedicated to providing scholarships for minority students in the University of Kentucky’s College of Agricultural and for students at Howard University, Jim and Cathy’s alma mater.
Jim is a 1983 graduate of Howard University with a B.A. in Economics.
He is the author of “Cut the Crap and Close the Gap”, an operating guide for small and large businesses and not for profit organizations. Cut the Crap and Close the Gap was published by Morgan James in 2016 and is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Jim is also the author of “Don’t Sell The Goose That Lays The Golden Egg” and Hang’em In The Middle” published in October 2023 and both of the books are also available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.
In 2025, Jim launched, “The Jim Coleman Show”, a podcast show about organic farming, organic living and organic wealth building.
Jim is a certified management training facilitator with Development Dimensions International, the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness and Dale Carnegie. Jim is a 2014 graduate of the World-Wide College of Auctioneering.
Jim is a board member of the Henry Clay Estate Foundation, Field & Main Bank, God’s Pantry Food Bank, the Rural Land Management Board of Fayette County, Kentucky, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Lexington History Museum. Jim is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture.
Beth Davisson, Senior Vice President, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
Beth Davisson is a Senior Vice President with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. She leads the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the state’s largest association advocating on behalf of business. Beth joined the Chamber in 2017 to begin building the Workforce Center as the Foundation’s only fully dedicated employee. Since then, the Foundation has grown to a team of fifteen and continues to expand its support to employers and efforts in building a stronger workforce. Beth is a lifelong resident of Kentucky, earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and MBA from Sullivan University. She has spent the last 10+ years advocating for the workforce in Kentucky and the nation’s capital and aligning talent to the strategic plans of business. Beth was honored as a “Top 40 under 40” and named a “Top 20 People to Know in Human Resources” by Business First Louisville. She serves on the boards of KYSHRM and Goodwill Industries. Beth was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to the Executive Committee for the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, leading the state’s education attainment and employer engagement efforts, and is a Workforce Fellow for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Lisa DeJaco Crutcher, CEO, Catholic Charities of Louisville, Inc.
Lisa DeJaco Crutcher is the Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities of Louisville, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that carries out the social ministry of the Catholic Church in central Kentucky. Before assuming her role at Catholic Charities in April 2017, Lisa spent 17 years as a commercial litigator at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP. A sixth-generation Louisvillian, Lisa holds a B.A. summa cum laude from Furman University, an M.A. from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Her community engagement has included Board service with Thrive By 5, Dare to Care Food Bank, the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, the Earth & Spirit Center, St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, Boys and Girls Haven, Americana Community Center, the Junior League of Louisville, and Volunteers of America Mid-States.
Kim Halbauer, President, Kentucky Region, Fifth Third Bank
Kimberly Halbauer serves as regional president for Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Kentucky), covering Kentucky and Southern Indiana. This area accounts for more than $2.5 billion in assets. Kim is responsible for the talent development, growth and strategic alignment of our Business, Commercial, Wealth & Asset Management and Consumer businesses to deliver distinctive value to our customers and community impact in the region.
Kim has more than 35 years of experience with Fifth Third, including most recently the managing director of Fifth Third Private Bank in Cincinnati.
Kim has served in a variety of leadership roles in the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati communities. Most recently Kim serves on the boards of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, Greater Louisville, Inc, Louisville Economic Development Alliance, Endeavor, Thomas More University, Leadership Louisville Center, Parking Authority of River City, and Fund for the Arts.
Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO, Volunteers of America Mid-States
Jennifer Hancock is the President and CEO of Volunteers of America Mid-States. Jennifer earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Kentucky and earned her license to practice independently in 2001.
Jennifer has served in many capacities during her more than 25 years of professional leadership in the nonprofit sector and her 18 years advancing the mission of VOA. Under her leadership, VOA has become a nationally recognized expert in providing family-focused and results-oriented solutions for the opioid and addiction crisis. Working closely with a wide range of elected officials and community leaders, the organization has earned consistent recognition for providing best-practice care in more than 30 programs across four states.
Since becoming CEO in 2015, Jennifer has led VOA through unprecedented growth and now oversees a $65MM budget and a team of more than 650 professionals. In addition to addiction recovery services, VOA delivers solutions in the areas of veteran services, including suicide prevention, housing and homelessness, public health, comprehensive care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a Restorative Justice program that helps keep youth out of the criminal justice system. Jennifer is driven by her love for bringing diverse stakeholders together to solve complex social problems, and she’s inspired by VOA’s mission.
Jennifer is active in the community, serving on many boards, including as Immediate Past Chair of Impetus for a Better Louisville, University of Louisville Board of Overseers, West End Opportunity Partnership, Louisville Economic Development Alliance, AdventHealth Hospital, 1 Clay County, You Decide, Kentucky!, and as an Advisory Council Member of Young Professionals Association of Louisville. She was recently honored to have her experience in the addictions field featured in Newsweek magazine. Jennifer received the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Business First Power 50 award and the 2022 Enterprising Women award.
Amy Luttrell, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
Amy Luttrell is President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, a $140M social enterprise which serves 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Prior to moving to Kentucky in 2014, she served three other Goodwills over a 35-year span. As CEO, Amy leads over 2,500 employees in operating Goodwill’s business lines and providing many direct services to assist people who face barriers to employment to join the workforce and find pathways out of poverty.
Amy has served on many boards and councils, currently the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce board, the Greater Louisville Inc. Foundation board, and the Park Community Credit Union advisory board. She chaired the Goodwill International board from 201-21. Amy is a 2015 Leadership Kentucky graduate and a member of the Rotary Club of Louisville. She grew up in Lexington and Murray and graduated from Murray State University.
LaToi Mayo, Shareholder, Littler
LaToi D. Mayo has advised, counseled and defended employers in regard to labor and employment matters for over 18 years. Most recently, LaToi has developed extensive skills in enforcing employment related arbitration agreements, defending and managing wage and hour class actions and advising employers on state and federal wage and hour compliance issues. She also routinely assists employers with respect to diversity, discrimination, and leave issues. She works frequently with hospitality and service related groups, manufacturers, health care facilities, financial institutions and local city governments. LaToi routinely presents at seminars focusing on labor and employment topics for a variety of professional organizations in Kentucky. She also conducts training for managers, supervisors and the general workforce and provides labor and employment compliance counseling.
Jack Mazurak, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Kentucky Distillers Association
As the Director of Governmental & Regulatory Affairs for the Kentucky Distillers' Association, Jack Mazurak works to modernize spirits laws and regulations while advocating for and growing Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and spirits industry.
Prior to joining the KDA, Mazurak served multiple Governors, first as Director, and later Executive Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. Working to bring new and diverse economic opportunities to the Commonwealth, Mazurak used his experience in the public and private sectors for the benefit of his fellow Kentuckians. In his current role, he partners with stakeholders in industry, government and communities to help Kentucky Bourbon continue to create jobs, grow and diversify investment, expand tourism and support vibrancy in rural and urban locations statewide.
A native of rural upstate New York, Mazurak reported on business and government for newspapers there, and in Jackson, Miss., before going on to support public affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Through those diverse experiences, Mazurak developed a deep appreciation of how business, government and communities can work together to improve education, health, job opportunities and quality of life.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell is Kentucky’s longest-serving senator. Elected nine times to lead the Republican conference from 2006-2024, he is also the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history. From 2015 to 2021, McConnell was just the second Kentuckian to serve as Senate Majority Leader, following Senator Alben Barkley (1937 to 1949). He previously served in leadership as the Majority Whip and as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
McConnell’s consequential Senate leadership has earned widespread praise. Seasoned observers have called him “the most important Republican since Ronald Reagan” and “the most important leader of the United States Senate in American history”. On three occasions, TIME Magazine named McConnell one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
McConnell led a transformation of the federal judiciary in a victory for the rule of law and the Constitution. His decision to follow precedent and keep a Supreme Court vacancy open during the 2016 presidential election gave Republicans the opportunity to confirm three justices to the Court. In four years, he prioritized the confirmation of 30% of circuit court judges nationwide and a total of 234 lifetime appointments to the federal bench.
Throughout his career, McConnell has championed an internationalist foreign policy grounded in a strong national defense, robust trade, and strategic alliances and partnerships. He recognizes global leadership as the cornerstone of U.S. national security and leads efforts to restore America’s hard power in the tradition of peace through strength. His work on this front continues in leadership of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
McConnell made history in 1984 as the only Republican challenger in the country to defeat an incumbent Democrat and as the first Republican to win a statewide Kentucky race since 1968. On November 3, 2020, he was elected to a record seventh term, winning 117 of the Commonwealth’s 120 counties.
McConnell graduated with honors from the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences, where he served as student body president. He also is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was elected president of the Student Bar Association. He is the proud father of three daughters.
McConnell is married to Secretary Elaine Chao, the 18th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Previously, Secretary Chao served for eight years as President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Labor. She is also a former president of the United Way of America and director of the Peace Corps.
Anne-Tyler Morgan, Esq., Member, McBrayer PLLC
Anne-Tyler Morgan is an attorney and Member of McBrayer PLLC. In addition to chairing McBrayer’s Economic Development and Politics and Elections practice groups, Ms. Morgan began her career in Medicaid managed care and maintains a robust regulatory healthcare practice. She has previously served as Senior Policy Advisor and Deputy General Counsel for the Kentucky House of Representatives Majority Leadership, Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services, and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. She was appointed to Kentucky’s Advisory Council for Medical Assistance (“MAC”) in 2019, has served on the Kentucky Chamber’s Healthcare Policy Council since 2018, and has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) for the last six years. In addition to her healthcare contributions, Ms. Morgan serves the Kentucky Chamber as a member of the Foundation Board of Directors, the Center for Policy and Research Board of Advisors, and the Competitiveness Policy Council.
James C. Musser, Esq., Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Relations, Kentucky Hospital Association
James C. Musser is the Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Relations for the Kentucky Hospital Association. Musser leads the association’s government affairs efforts at both the state and federal levels of government.
Previously, Musser served as the Executive Director of the Office of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. He oversaw the Cabinet’s legislative and regulatory initiatives and acted as the Cabinet’s chief liaison to the General Assembly.
Musser worked in Washington, D.C. for twenty-five years where he served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, Special Adviser to the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, and as Senior Staff Counsel to the Honorable Jim Bunning of Kentucky.
Musser has also been a guest lecturer at the Harvard Law School, the Shenandoah University Department of Political Science, and the University of Louisville Graduate School of Public Health.
Musser is a native of Boyd County and began his career practicing law in Northern Kentucky. Musser earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law and he is a summa cum laude graduate of Marshall University.
Caleb Ragland, President, American Soybean Association
Caleb Ragland, a farmer from Magnolia, Kentucky, is president of the American Soybean Association. He began serving on ASA's board of directors in December 2017. He farms 4,000 acres of soybeans, corn, and winter wheat along with his wife on the couple’s Magnolia Grain & Stock Farm.
Ragland joined the Kentucky Soybean Association in 2006 and has served as chair of KSA’s legislative committee. He serves as president of the Kentucky Livestock Coalition and as treasurer of the LaRue County Farm Bureau. Ragland is on the Kentucky Farm Bureau Swine Advisory Committee and recently served on the search committee for the new dean of the College of Agriculture at University of Kentucky. He also serves on the Bank of Buffalo board of directors.
Ragland is a graduate of Bryan College with a B.S. in Business Management and Economics/Finance, Summa Cum Laude.
Chelsea Granville Reed, Partner, Dentons
Chelsea Granville Reed is a Partner in the Dentons US Region Employment and Labor group, where her practice focuses on employment litigation in state and federal courts. She represents employers in a broad range of litigation arising under anti-discrimination statutes, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. She has successfully defended charges of discrimination and allegations of wage and hour violations by current and former employees before local, state, and federal administrative agencies, including the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In addition to her employment litigation practice, Chelsea has led and assisted with internal company investigations in connection with allegations of discriminatory practices and company policy violations. She works closely with company leadership and human resources to provide proactive solutions and assistance in navigating issues involving employee leave, accommodation requests, employment agreements, restrictive covenants, workplace policies, wage and hour disputes, workplace safety concerns, and other compliance related matters.
Chelsea also maintains an active commercial litigation practice as a member of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. She litigates business disputes in state and federal courts, ranging from matters involving misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of fiduciary duty to severance agreements and restrictive covenants, including breach of noncompete and non-solicitation agreements. Moreover, drawing upon her prior experience as a criminal defense attorney, she has defended clients in connection with government investigations involving allegations of employee misconduct, False Claims Act investigations, as well as health care related fraud allegations, and assisted clients in responding to subpoenas and civil investigative demands from state and federal government entities.
Chelsea is a Lexington, Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Virginia and University of Kentucky College of Law.
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 for more than six years 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 nearly 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.
Tom Stephens, President and CEO, Kentucky Association of Health Plans
Tom Stephens joined KAHP in January 2021, bringing extensive public and private leadership experience. Previously, he served as Secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet, overseeing the state's largest self-funded health insurance plan, workforce planning, and a $1.6 billion annual payroll. He also worked as Corporate Counsel for Alltech and founded Stephens Enterprises, a consulting firm offering business solutions and legal services. Additionally, Stephens co-founded the Gilroy Group, a residential real estate management and investment firm.
A graduate of Tulane University and Loyola University School of Law, Stephens was a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow, specializing in regulatory compliance and maritime law. He is a recent graduate of the GLI Health Enterprise Network Fellows Program. Stephens chairs the Sayre School Board of Trustees and serves on the boards of Bluegrass Community and Technical College and the Central Kentucky American Heart Association. He is also a licensed private pilot and a Kentucky Civil Air Patrol member.
Charlie Vance, CEO, Member, Current HR
Charlie Vance is the CEO of Current HR, a professional employer organization (PEO) providing comprehensive HR solutions for employers including payroll, benefits, HR, tax administration, and regulatory compliance assistance. He is a licensed attorney in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He is the recipient of the Northern Kentucky Young Professionals 2017 Next Generation Leader Award for Entrepreneurship, received Eastern Kentucky University’s Young Alumni Award in October of 2017, and was recognized as a 2019 Forty Under 40 Award recipient by the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Purna Veer, President, V-Soft Consulting Group Inc.
Purna Veer, a first-generation immigrant from India, is the co-founder and president of V-Soft Consulting, an advanced technology solutions company specializing in staffing, digital transformation, and technology infrastructure. Since beginning in 1997, V-Soft has established offices across North America, Canada, and India, with its headquarters located in Louisville, Kentucky.
As V-Soft Consulting continued to expand solutions and flourish, Purna simultaneously followed other interests and opened Tandoori Fusion in 2017, a successful Indian Fusion Restaurant in Louisville, and Veering Creek Farm; the source of many fresh ingredients for Tandoori Fusion and the home of Pravasa Vineyard and Winery.
The locations of Purna’s business interests set the stage for his commitment to community. His investments and involvement extend to every market through employee sponsorships, philanthropic support through V-Soft Cares, and board leadership for economic development.
Purna is the Past Chair for the Greater Louisville Inc. Board and currently serves on Boards for the Hindu Temple of Kentucky, Home of the Innocents, Kentucky Chamber, and German American Bank.
Purna’s success in his business and community has been acknowledged through many awards over the years. In 2022 and 2023, he was an honored member of the Louisville Business First Power 50 as one of the most influential people in Greater Louisville. He was named Volunteer of the Year in 2022 by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives. Recognition has also come in the form of Most Admired CEO by Business First, the Mosaic Award Celebrating International Americans, and Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.
Purna graduated from Shivaji University in India with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He continued his studies in the United States, pursuing a master’s degree from Texas A&M University in Environmental Engineering and a Master of Business Administration and Management from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management.
Ashli Watts, President and CEO, Kentucky Chamber
Ashli 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 in 2016, right to work legislation in 2017, workers’ compensation reform in 2018 and reinstating arbitration agreements in 2019. As part of the Chamber’s leadership team, the Kentucky Chamber was named National State Chamber of the Year in 2017. Prior to joining the Chamber, she worked at the Kentucky Bar Association and the Legislative Research Commission.
LaJuana Wilcher, Partner, English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP
LaJuana Wilcher is a nationally recognized environmental attorney at English, Lucas, Priest and Owsley, LLP, and serves as Chair of the Kentucky Chamber's Energy and Environmental Policy Council. With decades of experience in Washington, D.C. and Kentucky, she possesses a unique understanding of environmental policy and law at both federal and state levels.
Although primarily representing private sector clients over the years, her career includes forays in the federal government, including significant roles at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As the Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator for Water from 1989 to 1993, she influenced critical policy decisions on federal water quality programs, collaborating with various federal agencies including the Office of Management and Budget, the Justice Department, the White House, and Congress. She previously had been Assistant to EPA's Deputy Administrator, and Special Assistant to the General Counsel. LaJuana began her federal work in the 1970s as a naturalist with the National Park Service and later served as a Reagan political appointee at the USDA in Washington.
From 2003 to 2006, she was Kentucky's Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet Secretary, furthering her relationships with EPA and DOJ. In private practice, LaJuana represents clients in interactions with U.S. Attorneys' Offices and EPA.
In addition to her environmental work, LaJuana is the Board Vice Chair of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) (NYSE:AGM), a publicly traded government-sponsored enterprise that enhances credit availability for farmers, ranchers, and rural homeowners by providing a secondary market for agricultural and rural housing loans. She was confirmed by the Senate in 2019 to be a Board member. She has also served on the U.S. National Park System Advisory Board and the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, appointed by the respective U.S. Cabinet Secretaries.
Her strategic and collaborative problem-solving approach and extensive knowledge of regulatory frameworks enable her to develop tailored solutions to complex environmental challenges.
She owns and operates Scuffle Hill Farm in Alvaton, Ky.