Kentucky Young Professionals Summit - Speakers

		Teddy Abrams, Musical Director, Louisville Orchestra Teddy Abrams, Musical America’s 2022 Conductor of the Year, is now in his tenth season as Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra (LO). As profiled by the New York Times, CBS Sunday Morning, the New Yorker, NPR, Opera News, the Wall Street Journal, PBS’s Articulate, and PBS NewsHour, he has been the galvanizing force behind the orchestra’s extraordinary artistic renewal and commitment to innovative community engagement since his appointment in September 2014. Abrams’s 2023-24 season with the LO begins with a tour with mandolinist, vocalist, and composer Chris Thile that features his new song cycle ATTENTION!, co-commissioned by the LO. This continues the LO’s historic multi-season state tour – “In Harmony – The Commonwealth Tour of the Louisville Orchestra” – that began last season. Other season highlights include music of Gabriel Kahane and John Adams; Mahler’s “Tragic” Symphony No. 6; and “Creators Fest” concerts featuring world premieres of works from the second round of composers participating in the Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps. This trailblazing initiative provides a fully funded residency for three composers who receive local housing, a salary, health benefits and dedicated workspaces. After making his Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and returning to Ravinia to lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in August 2023, Abrams continues to be in high demand as guest conductor. This winter, he makes his Helsinki and Buffalo Philharmonic debuts and returns to the Utah Symphony. Highlights of the 2022-23 season include engagements with the Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas City, and Pacific Symphonies; a return to the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg; and a debut with Innsbruck’s Tyrol Symphony Orchestra. Earlier international engagements include the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Malaysian Philharmonic. In North America, Abrams has conducted the San Francisco, National, Houston, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Vancouver and Phoenix Symphonies; the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; and the Florida and Sarasota Orchestras.
		Jennifer Barber, Office Partner-in-Charge, Frost Brown Todd LLP Jennifer Barber is the Partner-In-Charge of the Louisville office of Frost Brown Todd, Kentucky’s largest law firm. She is a tax attorney who advises clients on tax planning, disputes, and economic incentives. She has been named to Best Lawyers In America®, Super Lawyers®, and Martindale Hubbell’s Registry of Preeminent Women Lawyers. She was recognized by Business First of Louisville as “Enterprising Woman to Watch” and “Forty Under 40” for her impact on state and local economic development. She was inducted into the Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame in 2022. Jennifer has served on numerous boards, including the Kentucky State Fair Board and the UK Board of Trustees. She currently serves on the boards of U.S. Bank and UK Healthcare. Jennifer previously served as United States Delegate to the 75th United Nations General Assembly where she handled foreign policy, particularly in the areas of human rights and humanitarian aid.
		Condrad Daniels, President, HJI Supply Chain Solutions Condrad M. Daniels is the president of HJI Supply Chain Solutions, a single source provider of outsourced manufacturing, contract warehousing and 3PL supply chain solutions. Condrad currently serves on the executive board of directors for the Kentucky Chamber, GLI and the Leadership Louisville Center. He is currently the Board Chair for the Kentucky Chamber Foundation and also sits on the Advisory Board of the University of Louisville School of Business and is on the Transportation Industry Council of the 8th District Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Condrad played college football and earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from the University of Louisville.
		Hon. Craig Greenberg, Mayor, Louisville-Jefferson County 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 public safety, affordable housing, economic development, universal pre-K for all 3 and 4-year-olds and more. 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. He is a former board member of the University of Louisville and is now a co-owner of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Mayor Greenberg has been married to his wife, Rachel, for 24 years and they have two sons, Daniel and Benjamin.
		Paige Franklin, CEO, Aetna Better Health of Kentucky Paige Franklin is the Chief Executive Officer of Aetna Better Health of Kentucky. At only 34 years old, Paige was promoted to her current position and vice president within CVS Health, Aetna’s parent company. At the time of her promotion, and still today, 2 years later, Paige is among the youngest vice presidents in a Fortune Six Company. In her role as CEO, Paige has profit and loss responsibility for more than $2 billion in annual revenue. During her time with Aetna, Paige has been the architect of two successful procurements, including securing the sole contract to administer the Commonwealth’s first of its kind Supporting Kentucky Youth (SKY) contract, serving Kentucky’s children who are impacted by the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Paige has a passion for mentorship and development of young talent.
		Les Fugate, Vice President and Director, State and Local Public Affairs, Brown-Forman Corporation Les Fugate is the Vice-President and Director of State and Local Public Affairs for the Brown-Forman Corporation, the largest publicly traded American-headquartered spirits company and among the largest global spirits companies proudly headquartered in Louisville, KY. Les directs the public policy and outreach efforts for Brown-Forman across the U.S. and Canada. An accomplished former political aide, non-profit executive, and communications and public relations practitioner, he has directed numerous successful legislative campaigns and public affairs initiatives. Prior to joining Brown-Forman, Les served Executive Vice President for a public relations and public affairs agency where he serviced clients as large as Fortune 50 corporations and as small as local non-profits. Fugate served as the chief political aide to former Kentucky secretary of state Trey Grayson where he directed the communications office, legislative affairs, and local elected official outreach. He also spent time as an Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of a non-profit. Fugate is a Cum Laude graduate of Centre College and earned his master’s degree from Vanderbilt University where his studies concentrated on government relations, communications, and fundraising. Les currently serves in a variety of volunteer roles most notably serving as a member of the board of directors and executive committee and as secretary for Leadership Kentucky, board of directors and executive committee of GLI the metro chamber of commerce for Louisville, KY, board of directors of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce where he serves as chair of the Competitiveness Council and the board of directors of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation, board of directors for IMPETUS for a better Louisville, board of directors of Saving Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), Board of Directors for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program, Vice Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council for Centre College and on the board of directors and executive committee of the Kentucky Derby Festival where he has chaired several committees. He previously has served on numerous boards and executive committee including the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the Kentucky YMCA, and numerous arts organizations across Kentucky.
		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.
		Cassidy Hyde, Executive Director, YPAL As Executive Director at YPAL, Cassidy is known as an authentic community builder and passionate advocate for young people in Kentucky. She seeks to empower folks to maximize their potential and cultivate a culture of belonging, so everyone knows they are valued and there is a place for them here. Cassidy previously served in Advancement at Make-A-Wish after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Economics from the University of Kentucky. Hyde has completed the New Leaders Council Institute, Leadership Louisville Center's Ignite Louisville and Focus Louisville programs and YPAL's Emerging Leaders Program. Cassidy is originally from Henderson, KY. She currently volunteers with the UK Alumni Association, Kentucky Derby Festival, Kids Cancer Alliance, Leadership Louisville Center, and Greater Louisville Inc. Most notably, she is a camp counselor for some of Kentucky’s strongest kids and is a proud dog mom to her adopted Border Collie, Cooper.
		Peggy Noe Stevens, Founder and President, Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates Peggy Noe Stevens in both career and personal life has devoted herself to 30 years of hospitality, entertaining and developing spirit brand destinations. A Master Bourbon Taster who is also a certified etiquette, image, and professional speaker, she produces one-of-a-kind experiences for both people and places. Because of her signature style, expertise and creativity, companies retain her to seek out the strategic essence of image and brand culture and was inducted into the 2019 Bourbon Hall of Fame and 2020 Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame for those efforts. She is the only female in the world to be inducted to both Hall of Fame awards. While at Brown-Forman, she was also given the opportunity to move into the new frontier of experiential marketing, where she assimilated and directed an impressive portfolio of wine and spirit brand destinations and worked with such iconic brands as Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Southern Comfort, Fetzer and Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards. In this role, Peggy’s keen strategic direction and sense for establishing rich cultures positioned each destination to become a top attraction in its respective location. Directing all channels of destination management, she comprehensively fine-tuned experiential touch points with the consumer from retail and aesthetics to culinary and tasting programs, creating unique and memorable experiences. She simply mastered the art of engaging people emotionally through the senses. Peggy’s career has allowed her to travel globally to observe the strengths and weaknesses of many brand cultures and she is an expert in consumer lifestyle behavior as it relates to the brand and its environment. In many ways, Peggy has been a trail blazer for women, and yet has lived up to her heritage. She became the world’s first female Master Bourbon Taster in the industry and can trace her lineage back to some of the great bourbon making families in Kentucky. In 2011, she created the Bourbon Women Association, the first female consumer group in the industry to celebrate and support Kentucky’s signature product with a sixteen-city platform for women. Peggy was one of the originators for the conception and strategic development of the iconic Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which has become a global sensation for the spirits industry. Because of her accomplishments, she was given the prestigious “Networking Award” by the Kentucky Distiller’s Association in 2016 for making a difference in the industry for women. Author, global speaker, whiskey taster and experience maker, Peggy brings a gracious, fresh and relevant approach to establishing image and creating experiences for consumers. She engages audiences with her dynamic wit and energetic message.
		Justin Patton, Motivational Speaker Justin Patton is an international speaker, leadership presence expert, and award-winning author of four books. As founder of The Trust Architect Group, he empowers individuals to use their presence to communicate with stronger trust and create workplaces that keep people coming back for more. His high-energy style, audience engagement, and applicable take-aways are what make him a sought-after keynote speaker across the world. Justin taught high school English teacher before moving on to study body language from a former FBI agent and then coaching executive leaders, NCAA athletes, and contestants in the Miss America and Miss USA pageants. Justin's expertise has earned him a prestigious spot on the Forbes Coaches Council, as a faculty member for the US Chamber of Commerce, a Professional Certified Coach credential with the International Coach Federation, and the highest earned designation one can receive with the National Speakers Association. Additionally, Justin’s work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Authority Magazine. Justin’s programs will inspire you to reimagine who you are at your best and think differently about how you lead, love, and communicate.
		Jacqueline Pitts, Senior Vice President of Communications, Kentucky Chamber Jacqueline Pitts is the Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Jacqueline joined the Kentucky Chamber in 2014 when she was hired to launch the first political news site for a chamber of commerce in the nation. Since then, Jacqueline has continued her role as Managing Editor of The Bottom Line, serving as a political reporter for the business community through stories, interviews, and videos. Under her leadership, the communications department oversees all media relations, social media, graphic design, email marketing, print and digital newsletters, website design, advocacy communications, program marketing, photography and more for the Chamber and the Kentucky Chamber Foundation. Jacqueline has been recognized nationally as a trailblazer and one of the Top Women in Communications by Ragan Communications and PR Daily in 2023, 40 Under 40 by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) in 2021, and was part of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network first Millennial Cohort in 2020. Additionally, she was named among 2023’s Notable Women in Kentucky Politics and Government by the Kentucky Gazette. The Chamber’s communications efforts also gained national recognition in 2022 under Jacqueline’s leadership, receiving the ACCE Communications Excellence Award for disaster relief. Jacqueline currently serves on the boards of United Way of Kentucky and Jobs for Kentucky’s Graduates and is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Kentucky. Prior to her work at the Chamber, Jacqueline worked as the political producer for Pure Politics, a nightly political television show in Kentucky. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University where she double majored in broadcast journalism and political science.
		Ryan Quarles, President, KCTCS 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.
		Chris Ratterman, Founder & CEO, Shady Rays Chris Ratterman is the Founder and CEO of Shady Rays - one of the nation’s fastest-growing adventure eyewear brands. He holds a BSBA in Marketing and Finance from Xavier University and an MBA from Indiana University Southeast and has recently been recognized as a 2023 Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur Of The Year® East Central. A decade ago, Chris set out to solve the problem of lost and broken sunglasses - it didn’t make sense to him to spend a lot of money on sunglasses, just to lose or break them. So, he bootstrapped Shady Rays from a side bedroom, enlisting the help of his father Tom to ship out every order from his living room “fulfillment center.” Today, that fulfillment center is quite a bit larger than the four walls of the formal living room, shipping out thousands of orders a day to Shady Rays’ community of millions of customers around the world.
		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.