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Announcing the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026, Presented by Republic Bank

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65 Leaders Selected for the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026, Presented by Republic Bank

 


The Leadership Louisville Center has announced the 65 members of the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026, presented by Republic Bank. As the Center’s flagship program, Leadership Louisville brings together influential leaders from across the region for a 10-month journey of civic learning and growth.

Now in its 47th year, the program is nationally recognized for equipping leaders with the knowledge, network, and passion to drive positive change in the Louisville region. Through experiential learning and community immersion, participants will better understand the history, assets, and complex challenges of the city—emerging ready to lead with purpose. “

The 65 members of the 2026 Leadership Louisville class are about to embark on a transformative experience,” said Cynthia Knapek, President and CEO of the Leadership Louisville Center. “They’ll gain the clarity, perspective, and relationships needed to create real impact across their organizations and our community.”

Republic Bank returns as the presenting sponsor for the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026, continuing its strong commitment to community leadership. “Enabling our community to thrive is central to Republic Bank’s mission,” said Logan Pichel, President and CEO of Republic Bank. “We understand our responsibility to empower and support the leaders who will shape our region’s future.”

This year’s class represents leaders from a broad range of sectors—including corporate, nonprofit, healthcare, education, and government. Among the 2026 class is Colonel Matthew T. Ziglar, Army Special Operations Forces Division Chief, and the fourth recipient of the Charles F. Herd Scholarship. The scholarship honors the legacy of Leadership Louisville co-founder Charles F. Herd and supports leaders who exemplify service and commitment to community.

“Colonel Ziglar is exactly the kind of leader and man my father would want to live in our city,” said Colonel (Retired) Walter Herd. “The Herd family congratulates him and welcomes him to the River City.”

Members of the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026 are:

  • Marshall Anderson, Chief Technology Officer, New Directions Housing Corporation

  • Derek Bell, Chief Accounting Officer, RPG, Republic Bank & Trust Company

  • Aneeta R. Bhatia, MD, President Elect, Greater Louisville Medical Society

  • Tyler Bliss, Executive Director, Caesars Foundation of Floyd County

  • Jenniffer Breitenstein, CMO/COO, OnPoint Warranty

  • Max Bridges, Partner, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP

  • Charles Burton, Jr., Vice President of Operations, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana

  • Alma Conner, Senior Director, ERP, Atria Senior Living

  • Tonya L. Cook, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana

  • Kyle Cox, Senior Vice President, Manager of Tax Credit Underwriting, PNC Bank

  • SiDonna Cox, Project Manager, Schmidt Associates

  • Julie Dials, Senior Associate Vice President Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, University of Louisville

  • Joe Ellison, III, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of High Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools

  • Alexander Joseph Finn, Business Representative, IBEW Local Union #369

  • Jennifer M. Foreman, Ed.D., Associate Director, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville

  • Andrew Glibbery, Owner, Louisville Silent Disco

  • Robert Gruss, Senior Manager Audit, KPMG LLP

  • Joseph Chad Hester, Director of Field Sales & Marketing, Humana Inc.

  • Shannon Jenkins, Partner, Cerity Partners

  • Kathy Keadle, SVP, Director of Public Relations, Doe-Anderson

  • Devan King, Director of Operations, St. John Center

  • Kevin Klingensmith, Senior Director, Parts Supply Chain, GE Appliances, a Haier company

  • Carl Lammers, Member, Frost Brown Todd

  • Stephanie H. Lanham, System Vice President, Surgical Services, Norton Healthcare

  • Robin Lester, Dean of Students, Simmons College of Kentucky

  • Christopher P. Link, Senior Vice President Senior Relationship Manager, Bank of America

  • Robert M. Link, Kentucky Market Leader | Health & Benefits Consulting, Collier

  • Shannon Logan, Assistant Director, Louisville Metro Government

  • Amber Lovvorn, Senior Operations Manager, Amazon

  • Ann Marie Maldini, Commercial Banker, JPMorgan Chase

  • Lori Mangum, President, Junior League of Louisville

  • Priscilla McIntosh, CEO, The Morton Center

  • Eric McKendrick, Site Leader, Amazon Shepherdsville

  • Chadwick Aaron McTighe, Member, Stites & Harbison PLLC

  • Megan Metcalf, Deputy General Counsel, Louisville Metro Government

  • Jean Michalak, Partner Development Manager, Heaven Hill Brands

  • Amy L. Miles, Partner, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC

  • Laura Monroe, Senior Finance Director, Bacardi UK

  • Saravanan Murugan, Associate Director, Humana Inc.

  • Catie Nelson, Director of Events, Waterfront Park

  • David Pankotai, President & CEO, Seven Counties Services Inc.

  • Tremayne Lamar Perkins, Sr. Manager, Global Inclusion, Brown-Forman Corporation

  • Nick Porter, Director, DMLO CPAs

  • Marcus Poyntz, Chief Operating Officer, Blueprint502

  • Joseph Quinn, Vice President, Legal, Churchill Downs Incorporated

  • Travis Ragsdale, Account Manager, Tandem Public Relations

  • Derek Rahn, Manager of Business Services, LG&E and KU Energy

  • Christopher D. Redd, Head of Talent Acquisition, Software Mind North America

  • Diane Scardino, Chief Administrative Officer, Norton Healthcare

  • Amelia Sebastian, Tax Associate Director, Dean Dorton

  • Maddie Shepard, JCTA President, Jefferson County Teachers Association

  • Jason A. Sojka, Vice President, Convention Development, Louisville Tourism

  • Heather Suell Stewart, Executive Director, Kentucky Harvest, Inc.

  • Megan Atkins Thoben, Vice President of Operations & Customer Engagement, Louisville Regional Airport Authority

  • Tanisha Tish Frederick, Founder, B.A.Y.A. (Beautiful as You Are) Corporation

  • Tony Thompson, Senior Vice President, Middle Market Banking, Fifth Third Bank

  • Elizabeth Todd Byron, Executive Director of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, Bellarmine University

  • Alice Tremaine, Advance Care Planning Manager, Baptist Health

  • Colin Triplett, Chief Programs Officer, Catholic Charities of Louisville, Inc.

  • Ramona Vasta, Development Manager, LDG Development

  • Max Weber, Chief Marketing Officer / Owner, The Weber Group

  • Gretchen Elizabeth White, DNP, Director of Nursing, Baptist Health La Grange

  • Afton Yaeger, Senior Wealth Advisor, Mariner Wealth Advisors

  • Colonel Matthew T. Ziglar, Army Special Operations Forces Division (ARSOF) Chief, US Army

  • Terry Zink, Founder | Architect, OnBroadway

 

Interested in Leadership Louisville?

Visit the Leadership Louisville page

Nominations are always open for future classes, use link below to recommend someone for the program.

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