Jacqueline Coleman, Lieutenant Governor, Kentucky
Jacqueline Coleman is the fifty-eighth lieutenant governor of Kentucky. She was raised on a farm in the small Kentucky town of Burgin. Her family owned a lumberyard for five generations. It was there she was taught to help her neighbors. As a result, Jacqueline has devoted her life to public service.

Jacqueline is a passionate advocate for public education. She entered public office after serving as a teacher, assistant principal and basketball coach. She believes education is the key to providing Kentuckians opportunities for transformational change that can create new cycles of success.

During her first term, through the Team Kentucky Student Mental Health Initiative, she worked to secure more than $40 million in federal funding to increase student mental health resources in schools. She led the charge to waive the testing fee for adults earning their GED. Since then, more than 25,000 Kentuckians have taken advantage of the program. She revived the Kentucky Commission on Women after its office was shuttered and funding was removed during the previous administration.

As a rural Kentuckian, Jacqueline aims to ensure Kentucky's booming economy reaches people in every zip code. In the first six years of the Beshear-Coleman administration they have announced a record $43 billion in economic investments. More importantly, this will change the lives of thousands of families with the creation of nearly 70,000 new full-time jobs.

Lt. Governor Coleman is wife to Chris, mom to Evelynne, adopted mom to Emma and a bonus mom to Will and Nate.

Ambassador Kelly Craft, 30th Representative of the United States to the United Nations and 31st United States Ambassador to Canada
Ambassador Craft was sworn in as the Representative of the United States to the United Nations in September 2019 and held the position until January 2021. While leading the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Craft’s highest distinction of service to her country was the implementation of the historic Abraham Accords—the most significant turning point in the Middle East peace process in fifty years.

Ambassador Craft served as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada from October 2017 until 2019 where she worked through the complex revisiting of the NAFTA treaty, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This agreement was not only for its economic magnitude, but for its cutting-edge labor laws that protected the dignity of workers in all three countries. Ambassador Craft has served on numerous boards, currently including the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC), the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Canadian American Business Council Advisory Board. 

Ambassador Craft has a deep commitment to education, including serving on the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, co-founding the Morehead State University Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, and co-founding the Craft Innovation Campus at the Boys & Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County.

Ambassador Craft has continued to be engaged in diplomatic efforts to advance U.S. foreign policy priorities across the Arctic, Middle East, and Southeast Asia. She engages with foreign governments, multilateral organizations, and private-sector partners to strengthen strategic alliances, enhance regional security cooperation, and promote American values in complex geopolitical environments. 

Colene Elridge (Coach Colene), CEO, Be More Consulting 
Colene Elridge, also known as Coach Colene, is a dynamic speaker, leadership coach, and CEO of Be More Consulting. With over 20 years of experience in HR and organizational development, she’s known as “The Fixer” for her ability to help leaders and teams create better workplaces. Colene is the author of Monday Morning Pep Talks, and her new book, Read This When... Pep Talks For When You're (Barely) Holding It Together. She is also the founder of the EmpowHer Conference, and a trusted voice on leadership, inclusion, and personal growth. She brings energy, honesty, and heart to every room she steps into.

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.

Lee Kiefer, Olympic Gold Medalist
Lee Kiefer first made her way into the history books when she medaled at the cadet, junior, and senior World Championships in 2011 at 16 years old. She continued to have success through college where she won 4 individual NCAA Championship titles with the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Lee did not anticipate her career would be so long and illustrious, but at 31 years old, her resume included holding the #1 World Ranking 4 consecutive years and being a member of four Olympic teams for Team USA: London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, Tokyo 2021, and Paris 2024. She won the first women’s foil individual gold for her country in 2021, and at the following Games, she not only defended her title but also brought home the team gold with her squad, making them the first Olympic champion team in USA Fencing history. While actively pursuing LA 2028, she and her fellow Olympian husband work with young fencers through their new business endeavor KM Fencing.

Shay McAlister, Independent Journalist, Shay Informed
Shay McAlister is an award-winning investigative journalist and founder of Shay Informed, an independent news platform serving Kentucky and surrounding communities. After a decade as a reporter and anchor at WHAS11-TV in Louisville, she launched her ad-free, subscription-based new outlet in 2025 to focus on accountability journalism and victim-centric reporting. Her work has earned six Regional Emmy Awards, two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, and driven real-world impact- from a chart-topping podcast that brought a cold case back to life to investigations prompting policy changes. A Missouri School of Journalism graduate, McAlister is a mother, board president of non-profit The ACE Project, and passionate advocate for journalism that serves communities over algorithms.

Elizabeth McCoy, CEO, Planters Bank
Elizabeth McCoy is the CEO of Planters Bank in Hopkinsville, KY. Planters Bank is comprised of locations in Western Kentucky and Montgomery County, Tennessee. She currently serves on the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees as the Investment Committee Chair; the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership Board; is a past Chair of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; and serves on several other boards and committees including the Hopkinsville Industrial Foundation Board and Executive Committee, the Gatton College – Business Partnership Foundation Board and the Dean’s Advisory Council for Gatton College of Business. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. Mrs. McCoy has also served on the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts Board and as the Past Chairman of the Jennie Stuart Medical Center Board of Directors. In 2023, she was recognized with the Kentucky Chamber Woman in Leadership Award and in 2018 she received the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award and is a past recipient of the Laurel County Homecoming Out of Towner Award. She is originally from London, Kentucky, and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the Gatton School of Business. She holds an MBA and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mrs. McCoy is married to Hal McCoy and has one son. 

Renee Shaw, Director of Public Affairs and Moderator, Kentucky Educational Television (KET) 
Renee Shaw is the Director of Public Affairs and Moderator at KET, currently serving as host of KET’s weeknight public affairs program Kentucky Edition, the signature public policy discussion series Kentucky Tonight, Election coverage and KET Forums. A 30-year veteran in broadcast journalism, garnering nearly four-dozen community recognitions and industry awards, Renee was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in April of 2025; inducted into the Western Kentucky University Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2023; earned a place in the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) in 2023, one of the industry’s highest honors recognizing television professionals; and inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2017. She has twice been recognized as the 50 most notable women in Kentucky politics and government by The Kentucky Gazette.

Since 2001, Renee has been the producing force behind KET’s legislative coverage that has been recognized by the Kentucky Associated Press and the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Under her leadership, KET has expanded its portfolio of public affairs content to include a daily news and information program, Kentucky Supreme Court coverage, townhall-style forums, and multi-platform program initiatives around issues such as opioid addiction, youth mental health and aging.

In February of 2023, Renee graced the front cover of Kentucky Living magazine with a centerfold story on her 25 years of service at KET and even longer commitment to public media journalism.

In addition to honors from dozens of educational, civic, and community organizations, Renee has earned top honors from the Associated Press and has twice been recognized by Mental Health America for her years-long dedication to examining issues of mental health and opioid addiction.
In 2022, she was honored with Women Leading Kentucky’s Governor Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award recognizing her trailblazing path and inspiring dedication to elevating important issues across Kentucky.  

In 2018, she co-produced and moderated a 6-part series on youth mental health that was awarded first place in educational content by NETA, the National Educational Telecommunications Association.

She has been honored by the McConnell Scholars in receiving the 2023 Outstanding Leadership in Kentucky award; the Kentucky Association of School Administrators 2023 William T. Nallia award for her work in elevating education issues statewide; the AKA Beta Gamma Omega Chapter with a Coretta Scott King Spirit of Ivy Award; the AKA Legacy of Social Justice Award in 2024; the 2021 Berea College Service Award; and was named “Unapologetic Woman of the Year” in 2021 by the Community Action Council.

Renee earned the state media award from the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2019; named a Charles W. Anderson Laureate by the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet in 2019 honoring her significant contributions in addressing socio-economic issues; and was recognized as a “Kentucky Trailblazer” by the University of Kentucky Martin School of Public Policy and Administration during the Wendell H. Ford Lecture Series in 2019.

Renee was bestowed In 2015, she received the Green Dot Award for her coverage of domestic violence, sexual assault & human trafficking. In 2014, Renee was awarded the Anthony Lewis Media Award from the KY Department of Public Advocacy for her work on criminal justice reform. Two Kentucky governors, Republican Ernie Fletcher and Democrat Andy Beshear, have commissioned Renee as a Kentucky Colonel for noteworthy accomplishments and service to community, state, and nation.

A former adjunct media writing professor at Georgetown College, Renee traveled to Cambodia in 2003 to help train emerging journalists on reporting on critical health issues as part of an exchange program at Western Kentucky University. And, she has enterprised stories for national media outlets, the PBS NewsHour and Public News Service.

Shaw is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Kentucky and a longtime member of the Frankfort/Lexington Chapter of The Links Incorporated, an international, non-profit organization black women committed to volunteer service. She has served on the boards of the Kentucky Historical Society, Lexington Minority Business Expo, and the Board of Governors for the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is a current board member of CASA of Lexington that advocates for abused and neglected children.

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, 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.

Amy Wickliffe, Partner, McCarthy Strategic Solutions 
Amy Wickliffe brings over two decades of political strategy and lobbying experience to her work on behalf of clients, advocating for their causes before the Kentucky General Assembly. Amy previously served as Chief of Staff to First Lady Glenna Fletcher, Statewide Finance Director for Governor Ernie Fletcher and played key roles in various other political campaigns throughout her career.  Amy is widely recognized for her ability to focus organizations on clear objectives, craft compelling messages, and build and manage effective coalitions. These strengths have positioned her as a leader in some of Kentucky’s most high profile policy initiatives including workers’ compensation reform, a constitutional amendment for crime victims’ rights, comprehensive energy legislation and housing policy. She is also a committed advocate for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault, working to elevate their voices and strengthen protections across Kentucky.  Amy holds a B.A. in Psychology from Transylvania University and a M.B.A. from Midway University.