The Henderson Leadership Initiative celebrated its 20-year anniversary at a Wednesday lunch with HLI leaders lauding the organization’s founders and fellows while also looking forward to the next 20 years.
The lunch celebration had been scheduled to include an appearance of and speech from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, but inclement weather in central Kentucky Wednesday morning kept him away.
Beshear did send along a video in which he said he was longtime family friends of one of HLI’s founders, Herb McKee, Sr., whom the governor said was so proud of the results coming from the work of the fellows that had gone through the program.
Additionally, founder and current president of the HLI board, Scott Davis, said the day was one to celebrate not only the founders—himself, McKee, Ron Jenkins, Joel Hopper and Dale Sights—but also the 330 fellows who have gone through the program and have made contributions to Henderson since.
He also said that the work of the fellows is proof that “leadership is not a position, it is a service.”
Another HLI board member, Henderson City Attorney Dawn Kelsey, said that the work of the fellows includes city and county elected and appointed officials, as well as business and nonprofit leaders.
“The impact spread across our community is difficult to measure,” she said.
She credited much of the community progress in the past 20 years to the work of HLI fellows.
The program also recognized those who held the position of executive director in the past 20 years. That list includes Arlene Alexander, Susan Vickers, Danielle Crafton, Chuck Stinnett, Tiffany Sights and now Brianna Cessna.
HLI also named past executive directors Chuck Stinnett and Tiffany Sights as honorary fellows.
Stinnett, who was out of town at the time of the ceremony, said he was “surprised and honored” to be named an honorary fellow. He said he grateful that his contributions warranted inclusion as a fellow.
Tiffany Sights was “totally shocked and thrilled.” She was the executive director for three years. She said her time with HLI was special, meeting new people and building relationships. She said for not having gone through the program herself, receiving the honorary fellow was “really special.”
Current board members are Davis, Kelsey, Henderson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bob Lawson, Housing Authority of Henderson Executive Director Bobbie Jarrett, Henderson County Judge-Executive Brad Schneider, retired Sitex President Jon Sights, Henderson Community College President and CEO Dr. Jason Warren, Matt Duncan, senior commercial lender for Independence Bank, and Whitney Floyd, president of Latta Insurance.
Read a recent article about HLI’s 20th anniversary here.
