Barbara Aker, Family Pride Director, More Than a Bakery
Barbara Aker is the Family Pride Director at More Than A Bakery/Richmond Baking Company, a food manufacturer with locations in Versailles, KY and Richmond, IN.  She has more than 30 years’ experience as an HR generalist in the automotive, electronics, and manufacturing industries. Barbara is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and has served as Foundation and Membership Director for Bluegrass SHRM, Advocacy Captain for Kentucky through National SHRM and actively volunteers with several organizations for Fair Chance hiring. Barbara lives in Wilmore, KY, with her family and two dogs.

Ryan Bowman, Program Manager, Workforce Recovery Program, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
Ryan Bowman is the Workforce Development Manager of the Workforce Recovery Program at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He works with the business community to help show how being a transformational employer can mutually benefit everyone involved. Ryan is a combat veteran, serving two tours in Iraq. He received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Morehead State and his MPA from Murray State University. Ryan is excited to have a hand in sculpting the business landscape of Kentucky through his continued efforts to reduce the stigma of addiction, addressing criminal justice reform, and assisting employers and organizations in those areas through programs offered by the Kentucky Chamber Foundation.

Beth Brinly, Deputy Secretary, Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
Louisville native Beth Brinly brings a wide array of government, non-profit, and private-sector experience, and an extensive knowledge of workforce development, economic development and education to the position of deputy secretary of the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet. Dep. Brinly is no stranger to Kentucky state government having served in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet as the deputy secretary from 2014–2015, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development from 2010–2014, and the Kentucky Workforce Development Cabinet from 1990–1996. She began her state government career in the Governor’s Office where she worked in policy and budget from 1987–1990. Dep. Brinly comes to the cabinet from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) where she was vice president of the Workforce Program Area in the Human Services Division. Prior to that position, she served as the vice president of Workforce Innovation at consulting firm Maher & Maher. On the federal level, she worked at the regional office of the U.S. Department of Labor in Philadelphia as chief of the Division of Workforce Investment in the Employment and Training Administration. Dep. Brinly has also served as an Education Program Specialist in the Philadelphia Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Education. She has extensive experience with federal programs including the Workforce Investment and Opportunities Act, Wagner-Peyser and the Trade Act. Dep. Brinly earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Louisville in 1986 and a master’s degree in education from Pennsylvania State University in 2004, and she currently lives in Louisville.

Laura Butler, MRC, MA, Project Director, My Choice Kentucky, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Laura N. Butler, MRC, MA has a BA in Healthcare Administration from Midway College and a masters’ degrees in Rehabilitation Counseling and Applied Environmental and Sustainability Studies from the University of Kentucky. Ms. Butler serves on multiple projects at the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky working to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

Melissa Claar, MPH, CAE, RETAIN Outreach Liaison, UK Staff Senator, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Melissa is an Outreach Liaison with RETAIN Kentucky and Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky. She has over 20 years of experience in occupational health and healthcare systems and has earned a Master’s of Public Health from EKU. Melissa has dedicated the past 2.5 years to the project, focusing on nurturing relationships with healthcare referral sources, developing innovative engagement strategies, and promoting services designed to support stay-at-work and return-to-work initiatives.

Marilyn Clark, Economic Inclusion Manager, University of Kentucky
Marilyn Clark is the Economic Inclusion Manager for the University of Kentucky where she works across the enterprise to increase spending with underrepresented and Kentucky-located suppliers. She works closely with project managers and departments to connect suppliers to opportunities at UK. In addition, Ms. Clark is on the core committee of the UK Economic Development Collaborative (EDC), a network of campus and community stakeholders who oversee UK’s economic development and business engagement activities. Clark leads Economic Engagement , a subcommittee of the EDC. This committee works to break down barriers and expand opportunities for low-income populations and underrepresented businesses in Lexington. Ms. Clark has an Executive MBA from the joint University of Kentucky and University of Louisville program. She completed diversity certificate programs with Cornell University and the University of Houston. And has an undergraduate degree in journalism and broadcasting from the University of North Texas.

Johnny Collett, Deputy Director, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Johnny Collett is deputy director at the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute (HDI). Before joining HDI, Collett served as Assistant U.S. Education Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, Collett served as program director for special education outcomes at the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, D.C. Collett has also previously served as a division director and state special education director at the Kentucky Department of Education, and as a high school special education teacher.

John Crockett, President, LG&E and KU Energy LLC
John R. Crockett III is president and chief development officer of LG&E and KU, which serves nearly 1.3 million customers in Kentucky and Virginia. Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities provide electricity and natural gas service and operate about 7,500 megawatts of power generation. Crockett was named to his position in October 2021. As president and chief development officer, he is responsible for all matters of LG&E and KU Energy and is focused on state and federal government affairs, rates and regulatory strategy, local communications, stakeholder engagement and driving economic development and growth in our communities. He serves as a key leader in the PPL organization.

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.

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.

Cathy Heredia, Director of Human Resources, JBS
Cathy Heredia is the Director of Human Resources at JBS Pork Processing plant in Louisville, KY where the company employs over 1200 team members.  In her role as Director of Human resources, she has focused on retention by providing meaningful resources to their employees. One of the many initiatives JBS has  is free onsite ESL and leadership classes. These classes have been an opportunity for their employees to develop their English skills and advance into management positions. Through a partnership with Jefferson Community Technical College, workforce solutions program they have also developed maintenance training classes for their team members. JBS  strives to be a “Great place to work”, through focusing on being the best and helping provide a better future for our team members.

Kitty Jones, Director of Membership, Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
Kitty Jones was formerly the Director of Employment Opportunities, the division of supported employment for Puzzle Pieces, a nonprofit that serves more than 400 clients with disabilities. Her team, of 10 Employment Specialists, was named the 2023 Education and Workforce Development Institution of the Year by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce. She led her team to more than 100 successful client placements and developed key partnerships with local high school and postsecondary schools to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services. Kitty is an active partner in the development of the OBKY Coalition for Workforce Diversity to promote a more inclusive community.  Kitty is now currently working in a new role as the Director of Membership for the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.  She is responsible for all membership programming and participates as a team member on the planning and execution of all Chamber programs, committees, events, services, and communication outlets.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Founder, Change & Impact, Inc.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a professional American basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 2012. He first gained national attention in high school as a McDonald’s All-American and was named Mr. Basketball USA. Kidd-Gilchrist went on to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky where he and his teammates won the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament under Coach John Calipari. Kidd-Gilchrist was drafted as the number two pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats, and owner Michael Jordan. He has played for the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks throughout his NBA career. As a person who stutters, Kidd-Gilchrist has also served as an ambassador to the stuttering community. In 2021, he founded Change & Impact, Inc. a stuttering initiative with a mission to improve access to healthcare and expand services and resources for those who stutter. He regularly appears nationwide as a guest speaker at camps and healthcare associations focused on stuttering, and colleges and universities offering Communication Sciences and Disorders programs to visit colleges, universities, hospitals, camps and support groups both nationally and internationally.

Dina Klimkina, Senior Account Director, Concepts, Inc.
Dina has engaged state legislators, governors’ offices and agency leadership from more than 45 states and the federal government to provide policy research, technical assistance, and educational resources around disability and employment policy issues. She has supported a number of projects funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (DOL/ODEP), including the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth and the Kentucky Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network.

Shirley Kron, Director Outreach and Engagement, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Shirley Kron is the Director of Outreach and Engagement at the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute and serves as the Healthcare lead for RETAIN KY developing and expanding healthcare partnerships across the Commonwealth. Prior to her role at HDI, Shirley served as the Regional Director for Occupational and Corporate Health at CHI responsible for the KentuckyOne Workplace Care program. She managed physician practices that provided occupational medicine services for over 800 employers and provided management oversite of onsite physicians at two large manufacturing employers in Louisville.  She has over 40 years of experience in occupational and rehabilitation nursing and held certification as COHN-S.

Lisa Lewis, Program Coordinator, Pennyroyal Center
Lisa Lewis is the Program Coordinator for the Pennyroyal Center IPS Supported Employment Program in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Lisa has been with the Pennyroyal Center for 4 years. She began as an Employment Specialist and has been the Program Coordinator for 3 years. Lisa has over 22 years of experience in Workforce Development. Lisa has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and Human Services.

Cora McNabb, Executive Director, Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Cora McNabb is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. She graduated from Indiana University and has worked in the non-profit environment for 14 years prior to accepting a position working with the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.  She has over 30 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation in the areas of workforce initiatives, management, administration, and grant writing.  For most of her career she has provided direct oversight of employment programs for people with disabilities.

LaKisha Miller, Executive Director, Workforce Center, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
LaKisha Miller is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center.  For nearly five years, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation's Workforce Center has represented over 68,000 businesses, convening employers to understand their hiring needs and providing programs to educate Kentuckians and prepare them for meaningful employment.  LaKisha has spent the last four years advocating for the workforce in Kentucky by aligning talent to the needs of businesses across the state.  LaKisha serves on several Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board committees and statewide workforce development committees.   The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has recognized her nationally as a leading workforce professional to guide the national movement towards employer-led workforce systems.  LaKisha currently serves as the chair of the Jobs and Workforce Data (JWD) Network and on the T3 Leadership Committee committed to improving the development, sharing, and utilization of high-quality workforce data.

Zach Morgan, Director of Workforce Development, Kentucky Association of Manufacturers
Zach Morgan is the Director of Workforce Development at the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. Prior to this role, he was a workforce project manager at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, where he created the Military Hiring Academy and convened several employer-led initiatives in manufacturing and the distilling industry. Before joining the Kentucky Chamber, he was involved in workforce matters at the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, in the Governor’s office. At KCMA he helped streamline employment processes for service members, military spouses, and veterans – through consultation with government agencies, non-profits, and legislators. Zach was an Army reservist and military spouse for eight years during the Global War on Terrorism. He is a Kentucky Colonel, has a background in public relations and public history, and an MA in Military History.

Amanda Owen, Executive Director, Puzzle Pieces
Amanda Owen left her job as a special education teacher over a decade ago to launch Puzzle Pieces, a nonprofit that serves individuals with disabilities, offering them more opportunities outside the classroom and after graduation. Amanda has grown Puzzle Pieces to serve more than 400 clients with a staff of over 100 and a $6 million operating budget. She has led her organization to develop a supported employment program paired with Pre-ETS since 2018.  Since then, the Supported Employment team has grown to 9 full-time employees, which have successfully transitioned over 100 clients into the workforce. Amanda also played a pivotal role in her community by developing the Coalition for Workforce Diversity, offering networking and education to current and future employers on how to feel confident in successfully employing those with disabilities. Amanda was appointed by Governor Beshear to the Kentucky Employment First Council.

Aaron Poynter, Director, Reentry and Employment Services Branch, Kentucky Office of Adult Education
Aaron Poynter currently serves as the Director of the Reentry and Employment Services Branch with the Kentucky Office of Adult Education. Aaron has always had a passion for service and began his professional career in Law Enforcement. Upon relocating to Russell County Kentucky, Aaron transitioned into workforce development with an emphasis on assisting the justice involved population across the Commonwealth. With a passion to assist individuals, employers and communities Aaron has been the tip of the spear in the successful development and implementation of innovative programming across the Region and State. Aaron is a graduate of Western Kentucky University, The Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training, and Leadership Kentucky's BRIGHT and Elevate programs and a graduate of the Leadership Kentucky 2023 Class. Aaron was selected as a Fellow to represent Kentucky in the 2022-2023 Appalachian Leadership Institute through the Appalachian Regional Commission. In 2024 Aaron joined the Board of Directors for Leadership Kentucky. Aaron resides in Russell Springs with his wife Sara and daughters Reese and Ellary.

Gabriela Salazar, Program Manager- Every Voice, GE Appliance
Gaby Salazar began her career in counseling working with non-profit and faith-based organizations first in Kentucky and then overseas in South Africa, Bolivia, and Israel.  In 2019, Gaby returned to Louisville and started her corporate career at GE Appliances, a Haier company (GEA).  During her tenure, Gaby worked in both the Logistics and Transportation and Deployment functions before joining the Supply Chain Recruiting team in 2022 as GE Appliances Every Voice Program Manager.  Every Voice focuses on hiring foreign born individuals with limited English for Manufacturing Operator roles, partnering with various organizations to ensure individuals further their English capability to create a career pathway for them at the company.

Carlos Sanchez, President, AT&T Kentucky
Carlos E. Sanchez was named President AT&T Kentucky in April 2022. Carlos has been with AT&T for 20 years. In his current role, he leads and executes the overall strategic direction of AT&T’s corporate initiatives across the commonwealth, as well as the company's local and state government relations efforts. He works closely with community and business leaders, elected officials and others at AT&T to bring fiber and 5G wireless broadband services to consumers and businesses.Carlos E. Sanchez lived in Charlotte for twenty years and formerly worked as AT&T’s Government Affairs Director for AT&T North Carolina. Before joining AT&T, he was Regional Sales Director for BTI, a competitive local exchange carrier. Prior to moving to Charlotte, Carlos was Executive Vice President of Kisa Internacional S.A., a telecommunications technology integrator in Bogotá, Colombia. He also lived in New York City where he operated a local cable television station. Before moving to New York, he worked with his family producing a weekly travel television program that aired in The Travel Channel and the Telemundo Network.

Jennifer Sheehy, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor
Jennifer Sheehy is the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor. The mission of ODEP is to develop policy that increases job opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. In 2016, she was also appointed by the President to the AbilityOne Commission. Prior to her current position, Jennifer spent ten years at the US Department of Education in many roles, including acting Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, acting Deputy Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration and Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Jennifer came to the Department of Education from the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities where she was Senior Policy Advisor and served a detail as Associate Director in the White House Domestic Policy Council. Before she joined the task force staff, Jennifer was Vice President of the National Organization on Disability and Director of its CEO Council.

Jennifer earned a B.A. from Cornell University and graduated with honors from Georgetown University, where she received her MBA. While in graduate school, she worked in marketing research with Anheuser-Busch Companies in St. Louis. Before graduate school, Jennifer also worked in marketing and management for Sheraton and Marriott.

Jennifer has received many civic and achievement awards including the 2019 Presidential Rank Award, the Accenture Women in Government "Rising Leader" award, and the Diet Coke/Glamour magazine "Women at Their Best" award. Jennifer lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband

Martha Stephenson, Vice President of Career Services, Goodwill Industries
Martha Brown Stephenson has dedicated her career to advancing social justice through community leadership. At Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Martha helps individuals by providing career services and employment opportunities for those who face barriers to economic stability. In her role as Vice President of Career Services, Martha manages an $21.5 million budget and is responsible for the strategic direction, operational excellence, and financial performance of the organization's core mission area. She oversees a portfolio of programs and services and leads the development and implementation of new initiatives and partnerships that address the emerging needs and opportunities of the communities and populations that Goodwill serves. Martha is a leader, visionary, and champion for social justice who has been recognized for her impact in the non-profit community. She is a 2018 graduate of the Center for Non-Profit Excellence Leadership Program and a 2023 Service & Advocacy Tower Award Recipient from Presentation Academy. Martha is also a member of several professional and civic organizations, such as Joshua Community Connectors, where she serves as Chair of the Board of Directors.

Carolyn Tandy, SVP and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Humana
Carolyn Tandy leads our inclusion, diversity and equity efforts as the SVP, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at Humana. She is responsible for elevating our inclusion and diversity focus and infusing cultural competency across all corners of our company and in the communities where we live and work. Additionally, Carolyn oversees Humana’s enterprise culture initiatives to continue to strengthen our culture and engagement across the company. Previously, Carolyn served as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Texas Roadhouse where she led the company’s national diversity and inclusion strategy for more than 70,000 employees across 58 markets. She was responsible for leading the company’s culture-shaping strategies for corporate culture, workforce development, minority and women's business development and driving forward community relations. By partnering with several external organizations to develop key relationships for community support and pathway initiatives for recruitment, hiring and retention, Carolyn was instrumental in helping Texas Roadhouse earn recognition as top employer for diversity and for women. Additionally, Carolyn brings a wealth of experience in strategic initiatives and leadership development, serving for more than 10 years as the Director of Congressman John Yarmuth’s District Office and constituent outreach efforts. Earlier in her career she was the Director of African American Outreach for the Democratic National Committee and Senior Advisor, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy. Carolyn earned her BA degree at Gordon College and is a certified Diversity and Inclusion professional from Cornell University. She received her master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Webster University. When not leading the way at work and in her community, she can be found spending time with her husband, David, and three wonderful children.

Robert Tiell, Career Strategist & Vocational Expert, Vocational Evaluators of Kentucky
Bob Tiell, presently associated with the Psychology Resource Group, is a career strategist & vocational expert practicing in Louisville for several years. He has a wealth of experience across multiple disciplines and has served thousands of clients in the metro Louisville region. Programs and services include career management, employment counseling, post-secondary college and school advisement, business start-ups and expansion, business/employer & contract services and many other career-related and workforce development services to diverse populations and work organizations. Bob has also won national awards, is published in professional journals, is adjunct instructor at Bellarmine Univ. and has recently co-authored and co-edited two books. He is a member of both the American and Kentucky Psychological Associations and the National Career Development Association. Louisville Business First has published Bob’s Viewpoint articles and cited him as one of the foremost career specialists in the metro Louisville market.

Barry Whaley, Project Director, Southeast ADA Center Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University
Barry Whaley, M.S., is a Project Director and Principal Investigator at the Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University. His current projects are the Southeast ADA Center, the Inclusive Public Space Project, and the Mid-Atlantic Youth and Self-Advocacy Project. For forty-four years he has worked toward equitable access for people with disabilities in our country and around the world. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including The Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, Laws, and the Journal of Forensic Science and Addiction Research. His current research examines the impact of the intersectionality of race and disability, on three ADA-related issues: 1) employment; 2) access to digital technology; 3) long and short-term poverty. Mr. Whaley is qualified in federal district court to give expert testimony on applicable guidance and industry standards for accommodating people with disabilities in the workplace.

Kimberly Wickert, Director of Organizational Partnerships, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Kimberly Wickert has been helping individuals, employers, and organizations in the remain and return to work process for over 20 years.  She promotes collaboration to identify opportunities and overcome obstacles for individuals, employers, workforce professionals and healthcare providers involved in the process to support sustainable solutions in an inclusive environment. She advocates for women in the workplace by identifying and promoting stay at work and return to work strategies that promote gender equality. Kimberly has partnered with Vocational Rehabilitation in multiple state systems supporting them in the vocational goals of their consumers as she developed and led a community rehabilitation provider program and received a grant to provide VR intakes and orientations for consumers on behalf of the state VR system. Her program allowed underserved consumers, including women, to be served in an accessible and expedient manner. She began her career as a case manager and vocational specialist working in a hospital setting helping individuals with work related injuries in their return-to-work goals through vocational evaluations and job placement and development services.  She collaborated with her teammates in Physical and Occupational therapy to build a work hardening and work conditioning program with a vocational focus for the participants in the program.  In addition to being part of the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute, she also worked in various educational settings including Kent State University, Wright State University and The Ohio State University teaching in rehabilitation counseling programs and advocating for individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

Katie Wolf Whaley, MSW, Project Director, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky
Katie Wolf Whaley, MSW, is a Principal Investigator and Project Director at the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute. In her work she coordinates training & technical assistance on employment strategies for people with disabilities to service providers, job seekers, family members, and businesses. She works, in collaboration with partners across the state and nation, to build effective systems of support to increase opportunities for people to gain and maintain competitive integrated employment. Katie serves by Gubernatorial appointment as Chairperson of Kentucky’s Employment First Council, serves as the President of the Kentucky Chapter of APSE (Association of People Supporting Employment First) and has served on the national board of APSE. Katie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Kentucky.