I am a farm girl from a small town, Scottsville, where we grew tobacco and raised dairy cattle on our family farm, “Little Brothers Dairy”. The farm is where I learned the meaning of hard work, good morals and values, faith, family and farming – qualities I operate on each day of my life.
I am a proud graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture where I have a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications and a minor in Agriculture Economics. I met my husband, Aaron, of almost twenty years at UK. Together, we run a commercial poultry operation where we raise broilers for Tyson Foods; at any given moment, we could have 80,000 chickens in our barns! We also have a small cow calf herd where we sell boxed beef to customers across Central Kentucky. We love to serve in our community including Generation Bridge with Kentucky Farm Bureau, Hardin County Farm Bureau Board Member, PTA for GC Burkhead Elementary School, and Youth Counselor at Valley Creek Baptist Church. Our careers have taken us throughout the Commonwealth, but today Aaron and I, along with our three children (14, 12 and 8), call Elizabethtown home.
Upon graduation from UK, I became the Executive Director of the Kentucky Poultry Federation for nearly ten years. In that role I gained invaluable experiences as a professional but also my love for 4-H. During my tenure, I worked with youth who were involved in the poultry programs including Egg Demonstration, Poultry Judging and Avian Bowl. I had the privilege of watching youth grow into fabulous public speakers, learn the art of cooking on a grill and create phenomenal presentations while cooking delicious creations.
After a short stint as a stay-at-home mom, I worked
as a marketing contract employee for the Foundation under the former Executive Director, Mr. Keith Rogers. This role began my relationship with and deep appreciation for the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. After much prayer and consideration, I took on the role of Executive Director in March, 2018 and have never looked back. Over the last four years, it has been a pleasure to grow alongside the Foundation.
My routine is different every – single – day. It is my responsibility to manage the financial stability of the Foundation and the Kentucky 4-H accounts that we manage which includes the annual budget, maintaining financial records, preparing and disseminating financial, annual and board reports, executing donor acknowledgement and reporting to the appropriate entities. I am also the lead liaison between the Foundation and 4-H staff, volunteers, donors and 4-H members. On an off chance, you cannot reach me I might be running kids to their afternoon activities or farming.
My passion is planning events so the Emerald Gala is something I look forward to each year and I love to pan our guests’ experience from start to finish – I hope you will join us this year! So, on any given day I could be sitting in front of my computer flipping through excel spreadsheets, talking with agents via Zoom, or making a presentation to a donor about Kentucky 4-H.
I get asked quite often, what is my favorite part of the job? Well, it is simple –the youth!
For me, I love to see the smile on a youth’s face when they have completed a speech, won a gold ribbon, walked across a stage to receive an award, put on that green jacket for the first time or even hang up that jacket for the last time. I love to tell current and new donors about our amazing Kentucky 4-Her’s – because they are our future whether in the fields growing our food, building technology for the next great computer app or social media platform, fashioning the next clothing trend, writing the next great blog or developing the cure for the next pandemic. It excites me to wonder all the places where Kentucky 4-H’ers will lead.
It is my pleasure to serve as the Foundation’s Executive Director. I look forward to continuing to use the lessons and skills I learned growing up on the farm to make Kentucky 4-H and the Kentucky 4-H Foundation’s best, better.
