Celebrating the 2026 Leadership Louisville Class, presented by Republic Bank
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Celebrating the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026
63 leaders complete the Center’s flagship civic leadership program, presented by Republic Bank, as application deadline approaches for Class of 2027 on May 15.
The Leadership Louisville Center proudly celebrated the graduation of the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026, presented by Republic Bank, marking the completion of the organization’s flagship community leadership program for 63 influential leaders across the region.
Since 1979, Leadership Louisville has been a cornerstone of civic leadership development, equipping leaders with the knowledge, connections, and perspective needed to lead across sectors and drive meaningful impact in the community. Over the past ten months, members of the Class of 2026 engaged in an immersive experience exploring Louisville’s most pressing issues, key institutions, and opportunities for growth, emerging better prepared to lead for the greater good.
“The 63 members of the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026 have completed a truly transformative experience,” said Cynthia Knapek, President and CEO of the Leadership Louisville Center. “They leave this program with a deeper understanding of our community, stronger connections across sectors, and the tools to lead with purpose and impact.”
“Republic Bank is proud to support Leadership Louisville and the leaders who are shaping the future of our community,” said Logan Pichel, President and CEO of Republic Bank. “Investing in leadership development and civic engagement is essential to building a thriving region, and this program continues to deliver that impact year after year.”
The Class of 2026 represents a diverse cross-section of leaders from business, nonprofit, government, education, healthcare, and civic sectors. The class also included the recipient of the Charles F. Herd Scholarship, Colonel Matthew T. Ziglar, State Deputy Director of Army Instruction with the Kentucky Department of Education. The scholarship was established in memory of Charles F. Herd, a founder of the Leadership Louisville Center and a dedicated civic leader.
Applications Now Open for Leadership Louisville Class of 2027
The Leadership Louisville Center is currently accepting applications for the Leadership Louisville Class of 2027, with a deadline of Friday, May 15.
Each year, approximately 60 leaders are selected through a competitive process to participate in the ten-month program, which begins in July and runs through May. Ideal candidates are established leaders who are ready to deepen their civic understanding, expand their network, and contribute to the region’s continued growth and success.
Learn more about Leadership Louisville program and application details
Meet the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026 Graduates
We are proud to recognize the 63 leaders who completed this year’s program:
- Marshall Anderson, Lead Consulting Engineer, Netgain Technology
- Derek Bell, Chief Financial Officer, Physician Care Coordination Consultants | PC3
- Aneeta Bhatia, President Elect GLMS, Greater Louisville Medical Society | GLMS
- Tyler Bliss, Executive Director, Caesars Foundation of Floyd County
- Jenniffer Breitenstein, CMO/COO, OnPoint Warranty Solutions
- Max Bridges, Partner, Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP
- Charles Burton, Director of Operations, Park DuValle Community Health Center
- Liz Byron, Executive Director of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, Bellarmine University
- Alma Conner, Senior Director, ERP, Atria Senior Living
- Tonya Cook, Senior Vice President, Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana
- Kyle Cox, Senior Vice President, Manager of Tax Credit Underwriting, PNC Bank
- SiDonna Cox, Project Manager, Schmidt Associates
- Julie Dials, Sr. Associate VP, University of Louisville
- Joe Ellison, Assistant Superintendent of High Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools | JCPS
- Alex Finn, Business Representative, IBEW Local Union #369
- Jennifer Foreman, Associate Director, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work
- Andrew Glibbery, Owner, Louisville Silent Disco
- Rob Gruss, Senior Manager, Audit, KPMG LLP
- Chad Hester, Director of Field Sales & Marketing, CenterWell Senior Primary Care
- Shannon Jenkins, Partner, Business Advisory, Cerity Partners
- Kathy Keadle, SVP, Director of Public Relations, Doe-Anderson
- Devan King, DOO, St. John Center
- Kevin Klingensmith, Senior Director, After-Market Parts Supply Chain, GE Appliances, a Haier company
- Carl Lammers, Partner, FBT Gibbons
- Stephanie Lanham, System Vice President, Surgical Services, Norton Healthcare
- Robin Lester, Dean of Students, Simmons College of Kentucky
- Robert Link, VP Employee Benefits, Collier
- Amber Lovvorn, Senior Operations Manager, Amazon
- Ann Marie Maldini, Commercial Banker, JPMorgan Chase
- Lori Mangum, Vice President of Community Engagement, Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana
- Priscilla McIntosh, CEO, The Morton Center
- Eric McKendrick, Site Leader, Amazon
- Chad McTighe, Attorney, Stites & Harbison PLLC
- Megan Metcalf, Director of Public Policy, Metro United Way
- Jean Michalak, Trade and Partner Manager, Heaven Hill Brands
- Amy Miles, Partner, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC
- Laura Monroe, Senior Finance Director, Bacardi Limited
- Saravanan Murugan, Director of Automation, AI Health Cloud, BrightSpring Health Services
- Catie Nelson, Director of Events, Waterfront Park
- Dave Pankotai, President & CEO, Seven Counties Services Inc.
- Trey Perkins, Sr. Manager, Global Inclusion, Brown-Forman Corporation
- Nick Porter, Director, DMLO CPAs
- Marcus Poyntz, Chief Operating Officer, Blueprint502 formerly YouthBuild Louisville
- Joe Quinn, Vice President, Legal, Churchill Downs Incorporated | CDI
- Travis Ragsdale, Senior Account Manager, Tandem Public Relations
- Derek Rahn, Manager of Business and Economic Development, LG&E and KU Energy
- Chris Redd, Head of Talent Acquisition Americas, Software Mind
- Diane Scardino, Chief Administrative Officer, Norton Children’s Hospital, Norton Healthcare
- Amelia Sebastian, Tax Director, Dean Dorton
- Maddie Shepard, President, Jefferson County Teachers Association
- Jason Sojka, Vice President, Convention Development, Louisville Tourism
- Heather Stewart, Executive Director, Kentucky Harvest, Inc
- Megan Thoben, VP of Operations & Customer Engagement, Louisville Regional Airport Authority
- Tish Thomas-Frederick, Founder, B.A.Y.A. (Beautiful as You Are) Corporation
- Tony Thompson, Senior Vice President, Middle Market Team Lead, Fifth Third Bank
- 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 / Partner, Weber Group
- Gretchen White, Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, Baptist Health La Grange
- Afton Yaeger, Senior Wealth Advisor, Mariner Wealth Advisors
- Matthew Ziglar, State Deputy Director of Army Instruction, Kentucky Department of Education | KDE
- Terry Zink, Founder | Architect, On Broadway
Now Accepting Applications for the Leadership Louisville Class of 2027
As we celebrate this graduating class, we are also looking ahead to the next group of leaders ready to deepen their civic understanding, expand their network, and contribute to the future of our region.
Applications are now open for the Leadership Louisville Class of 2027, with a deadline of Friday, May 15.
Each year, approximately 60 leaders are selected through a competitive process to participate in the ten-month program, which begins in July and runs through May. Ideal candidates are established leaders who are ready to better understand the systems shaping Louisville and use their influence for the greater good.
Congratulations to the Leadership Louisville Class of 2026. Your leadership will continue to ripple outward across organizations, sectors, neighborhoods, and the future of our city.
Know Someone Who Should Be in the Next Class?
While the application deadline is near, we always want to know who we should include in a future class.
If you know someone who would benefit from this experience, we invite you to nominate them or encourage them to express interest for a future class.
Leadership Louisville is designed for established leaders who are ready to broaden their perspective, build meaningful connections across sectors, and play a more active role in shaping the future of our community.
Have someone in mind? Let us know, and our team will follow up with more information.