REGIONAL MARKET REVIEW 2025
Business Lexington and Smiley Pete
Publishing are thrilled to announce the inaugural Business Lexington Regional Market Review—a premier annual publication covering the economic landscape of Central Kentucky.
Introducing Business Lexington’s Regional Market Review For
Launching in October 2025, this glossy, table-top edition will provide in-depth insights into the region’s economic developments, challenges, and successes.
The NEW Regional Market Review will spotlight key market trends and analysis across Fayette, Franklin, Clark, Scott, Bourbon, Woodford, Madison, Montgomery, and Jessamine counties, delivering essential information for business leaders, investors, and policymakers.
Stay ahead with expert reporting, datadriven insights, and a comprehensive look at Central Kentucky’s evolving market.
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BusinessLexington
PVAStatistics
The latest statistics on local residential properties PAGE 6
EconomicAnalysis
A monthly look at economic indicators compiled by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Kentucky PAGE 7
WriteStu Productivity for self-employed workers PAGE 7
CraveWorthy AZUR Returns: Longtime Lexington restaurant relaunches with new chef and updated menu PAGE 9
IndependentBusiness
Roast of the Town: 4th Level Roasters turns personal hardships into purpose and craft PAGE 10
BizLists
Residential real estate firms PAGE 15
SMILEY PETE PUBLISHING
Commercial property
companies PAGE 16
Construction companies PAGE 18
Who’sWho
Employment updates and notable achievements from around the Bluegrass PAGE 20
CraveWorthy Ford’s Garage Pulling into Lexington PAGE 8
Reviving a FederalEra Landmark: Lexington’s historic Pope Villa to undergo a $3.4 million restoration PAGE 11
Influencing Kentucky: How content creators are teaming up with brands to boost tourism and local business PAGE 12
Investing in Turbulent Times: Financial planners advise a measured approach amid market volatility
PAGE 14
Q&A with Amy Gregory: Keeneland’s communications director on preserving tradition while shaping racing’s future PAGE 22
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BizBriefs
Lexington Clinic Opens Orthopedic and Neuroscience Center
Lexington Clinic has o cially opened its new Orthopedic and Neuroscience Center, a four-story facility at 1207 South Broadway that brings together several high-demand specialties under one roof. The ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month marked a major milestone for the healthcare provider and was attended by community leaders, patients, and clinical sta .
“This is more than a building — it’s a promise kept to our patients and our community,” said Stephen J. Behnke, MD, CEO of Lexington Clinic. “By integrating key services and specialties, we’ve created a space where care is not only more advanced, but also more accessible and coordinated.”
The new center consolidates a range of services, including orthopedics, neurology, neurosurgery, physical therapy, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and interventional pain management. According to representatives, this multidisciplinary approach is designed to streamline treatment for patients with complex conditions.
The facility is also home to OrthoGo,
Lexington Clinic’s walk-in orthopedic clinic, which o ers same-day care without appointments.
Clinic o cials say the centralized model is already making a di erence. “Patients are telling us how much easier it is to navigate their care, and our providers are energized by the ability to collaborate more closely than ever,” Behnke said.
One of the center’s key features is a team of nurse navigators who assist patients throughout their care journey. These navigators help with scheduling, coordinating referrals, and ensure that patients stay informed and supported throughout their treatment.
The clinic’s leadership says the new facility addresses a long-standing need in Central Kentucky, where access to coordinated specialty care has often required multiple visits across di erent locations or travel out of the region.
“This center reflects who we are as an organization — forward-thinking, patientfocused, and deeply committed to improving lives,” said Behnke. “We’re proud to continue our legacy of excellence in a way that truly meets the needs of today’s patients.”
Lexington Clinic’s new Orthopedic and Neuroscience Center on South Broadway brings together several specialties in a state-of-the-art facility.
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BizBriefs
RD1 Spirits Opens Distillery at The Commons
RD1 Spirits has opened its new RD1 Distillery at The Commons. The $5 million, 10,215-square-foot facility is now one of the newest stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and is projected to attract up to 30,000 visitors a year, bolstering both local tourism and economic development, according to representatives.
Designed as a research-and-development distillery, the facility features a 240-barrel rickhouse visible from inside and outside, a 50-gallon fermenter, a custom hybrid pot still with a column, and an 800-gallon pot still for larger runs. Under the direction of R&D Master Distiller Jarrad Gollihue, RD1 will conduct numerous unique woodfinishing experiments and offer guests hands-on barrel-sampling opportunities.
“Congratulations to RD1 Spirits on today’s grand opening,” Governor Andy Beshear said during remarks at a May ribboncutting ceremony. “This is more than just a distillery. It’s a prime example of the type of opportunity bourbon tourism can offer communities across the commonwealth. This is a tremendous addition to Lexington and our state’s bourbon industry.”
“We listened to our fans and their fascination with wood finishing,” said Mike Tetterton, CEO of RD1 Spirits. “By reimagining our original plans, we’ve created an experience unlike any other on the Bourbon Trail.
Unique features include the “RD1 Forest,” an indoor experiential zone where guests walk among the trees while learning about forestry science, wood chemistry, and the unique woods used in RD1’s barrel-finishing experiments.
“Bourbon’s ties to wood are undeniable,” said Mark Stoops, RD1 investor and advisor. “But, RD1 is taking nature’s force to another level with barrel finishing that leaves guests with eyes wide open to what else is out there.”
Upstairs, guests can taste bourbon straight from select barrels, which will rotate every few months, giving repeat guests new opportunities to taste and or bottle a sample to take home. Guests can also reserve a lab appointment with Gollihue to dissect and “proof down” their barrel sample and fill a mini barrel for additional aging at home.
For private groups, an upstairs speakeasy offers an intimate lounge and large screens perfect for game day, celebrations, presentations, and tastings. BL
RD1 Spirits’ new $5 million distillery at The Commons includes a 240barrel rickhouse, an immersive “RD1 Forest” experience, tasting room, and a speakeasy lounge.
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PVAStatistics
These statistics on local residential and commercial property are compiled by the o ce of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator. The data reflect the most up-to-date information available at the time of printing for this publication, but monthly figures may be revised as additional public records of property transactions are submitted and become available.
Top Commercial Transactions for April 2025
DATE ADDRESS
4/30/25 333 E. Main St. Unit 115 $4,500,018 Farmers National Bank Of Danville
4/30/25 781 Enterprise Drive $3,000,000 Rice Beans And Potatoes LLC
4/4/25 2333 Alexandria Drive $2,650,000 2333 Alexandria Drive LLC
4/10/25 385 S. Limestone
$2,500,000 Limestone 385 LLC 4/17/25 794-810 Manchester St. $2,260,000 Gatton Park Conservancy Inc.
4/18/25 341 S. Limestone $1,325,000 South Limestone LLC
4/3/25 317 E. High St. $910,000* High Street Land Holdings LLC
4/3/25 315 E. High St. $910,000* High Street Land Holdings LLC 4/3/25 309 E. High St. $910,000* High Street Land Holdings LLC
4/3/25 321 E. High St. $910,000* High Street Land Holdings LLC
4/30/25 1595 Winchester Road $811,010 Emmick Bulk Plants LLC
ENTITY *Sale Price Based on a Multiple-Parcel Transaction ** Parcel includes multiple improvements, see property record for details
4/4/25 305 Sycamore Road $775,000 Vaughan Winfield Stoll & Elizabeth 4/11/25 210 Arlington Ave. $675,000 Ashland Capital Group LLC
4/4/25 326 E High St. $650,000 Morel, Curran Brigitte TTEE 4/30/25 943 Manchester St. $598,510 Emmick Bulk Plants LLC 4/30/25 108 Trade St. $598,018 Emmick Bulk Plants LLC 4/18/25 444 Glen Arvin Ave. $537,000 Fm Healing Center LLC 4/3/25 257 Regency Circle $350,000 Martha Mansour M & Jasmin 4/2/25 420 N. Broadway $335,000 Estes Richard 4/2/25 131 Prosperous Pl. Unit
Residential Sales Data for April 2025
EconomicAnalysis
A monthly look at economic indicators compiled by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Kentucky. For more on CBER, visit www.cber.uky.edu.
Recent Data May 2025
Payroll emp. MSA****
Manufacturing Employment Durable Goods (KY) ****
Manufacturing: Lexington-Fayette MSA Total Employees**** Unemployment Rate MSA****
Payroll Employment, US
Manufacturing Payroll Employment US Unemployment Rate, US
Consumer Price Index, Southern Region Consumer Price Index, US Producer Price Index, US
Index of Leading Indicators**
Fed’s Index of Industrial Production**
3-Month Treasury Yield*** 10-Year Treasury Yield***
Real GDP (millions $)
Note: In some cases 1 mo. And 1 yr. changes are based on revised data from previous mo./yr/
* Source: The Conference Board Research Group; http://www.conference-board.org/
** Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release, http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/G17/
*** Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release; https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/
**** Source: St. Louis Federal Reserve; https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/
***** GDP is reported as Real Gross Domestic Product, Chained Dollars [Millions of chained (2012) dollars] Seasonally adjusted at annual rates (Updated numbers as of Jan. 27, 2023); https://apps.bea.gov/histdata/histChildLevels.cfm?HMI=7
WriteStu
By Jonathan Hall
Productivity for Self-Employed Workers
Whether it’s feelings of being ignored for promotions, harangued for being a few minutes late, or just plain mistreated, the idea of ‘being your own boss’ sounds like a dream come true. And it can be! Here are a few tips for making the most of your time as a self-employed professional.
Prioritize tasks over time
One unfortunate habit that new selfemployed individuals make is treating their workday exactly as their previous life as an hourly or salaried worker. Remember, your work is now about productivity and not just about time spent. Task-based productivity means focusing on jobs. There’s no boss to tell you what to prioritize. Tip: At the start of each day, create a list of tasks to complete, and when you are done, end your day. You’ve earned it!
On the clock
Task-based planning is important, and racing to finish the day early can be motivating, but distractions happen.
How do you stay focused, without someone watching and judging your productivity?
Even though you
don’t have to clock in and out anymore, you may want to put yourself on the clock. Tip: Purchase a chess timer. Place it on your desk and click it every time you pick up your phone, scroll away, or otherwise get o task. This helps track both hours worked and hours o — and can be a powerful motivator.
Putting it all together
The key to self-employment is motivation, routine, and self-discipline. This is your opportunity to be the boss you have always wanted to be. Sometimes we can be our own worst critic, so don’t fall into that sole management trap. Celebrate as much as you criticize. Be your biggest cheerleader. Take time to celebrate your accomplishments and share your successes. If you don’t, who will? Being self-employed is rewarding but challenging, so recognize when you are crushing it. BL
Jonathan Hall is Youth Programs and Volunteer Director with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, a nonprofit educational center o ering seasonal writing, publishing, and language classes, among other community programming. For more information, visit CarnegieCenterLex.org.
QuickBites
Black Type Brewing Opens,
Owned by a father-daughter duo, the Mt. Sterling-based microbrewery Black Type Brewing has opened a Lexington taproom on Virginia Avenue.
plain or filled with Bavarian cream, strawberry lemonade, coconut cream, and other flavors. The venture is operated by JD Lyons and Genevieve Banks.
Biscuit Daddies has opened at 373 Virginia Ave. The restaurant offers breakfast and lunch biscuit-centric dishes like country ham biscuits, biscuits and gravy, Mississippi pot roast over a buttermilk biscuit, and a Kentucky hot brown biscuit, along with a rotating sweet biscuit menu.
Teppan Japanese Kitchen is opening at 1873 Alexandria Dr., with a grand opening planned for July.
Frankfort Italian-fusion bistro Serafini is opening a second location in downtown Lawrenceburg.
Café Patachou will open at The Summit at Fritz Farm this fall, according to its Instagram page. Founded in 1989 by six-time James Beard Foundation semi finalist Martha Hoover, Café Patachou’s breakfast menu includes omelets, waffles, crepes, and deluxe topped toasts. Lunch items include assorted sandwiches, soups, and salads.
Ford’s Garage Pulling into Lexington
BY SHANNON CLINTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Black Type Brewing opened in midMay at 373 Virginia Ave. Human Resource Manager Sofia Amburgey said the venture stems from “a longheld dream and a deep-rooted passion for craft beer.”
About 14 years ago, when she was in high school, Amburgey began helping her father with his homebrewing as a way to spend time together. Friends and family who sampled the beer deemed it worthy of selling, so in 2021 they opened a small taproom in Mount Sterling.
“As the community’s enthusiasm for our beer grew, so did our vision, leading us to pursue a new goal — opening a second location in Lexington,” she said.
After tapping longtime family friend and equine therapy veterinarian Dr. Victor Torres to help make the dream a reality, it’s fitting that Black Type Brewing bears a name referencing the equine industry.
“Black Type was born out of a love of racehorses,” Amburgey said. “When a horse has particularly outstanding breeding, it’s listed in black type on sale pages, hence the name Black Type Brewing for exceptional beer.”
Black Type beers on tap include IPAs, Kölsch, sours and stouts, alongside offerings from other local craft breweries. Guests can enjoy wood-fired pizzas, calzones, pretzels, and garlic knots, as well as craft cocktails.
“At Black Type Brewing, we believe great beer is best enjoyed in great company,” Amburgey said. “Our brewery is a warm, family friendly gathering place where everyone feels welcome — from craft beer enthusiasts to casual sippers, even little ones tagging along.”
In other local food and beverage industry news:
Ford’s Garage, a Fort Myers, Floridabased, Ford Motor Company-themed restaurant, will open in the former Logan’s Roadhouse on Rojay Drive near Fayette Mall later this year. A representative said Lexington stood out as an ideal second Kentucky location after a Ford’s Garage opened in Florence
in 2022. “The city’s dynamic culinary scene, rich history, love for bourbon, classic cars, and all-American traditions like horse racing made it a natural fit,” she said.
Surrounded by vintage vehicles and car-themed memorabilia, Ford’s Garage will serve Black Angus burgers with all-natural aged cheeses, fresh toppings, and flavorful sauces on artisan buns branded with the logo. A vegetarian burger option will also be available. “Diners can switch gears from
burgers to classics like homemade meatloaf, chicken wings and tenders, onion rings, and macaroni & cheese,” she added, along with salads, grilled chicken, or seafood. Desserts will include milkshakes and sundaes.
Old School Coffee at Lansdowne Center has opened at 3373 Tates Creek, in addition to its two other locations at Fayette Mall and Dudley Square.
Wikilicious Hawaiian Donuts has opened, serving Hawaiian-style donuts either
The second Lexington Publix will open June 4 at 3855 Fountain Blue Lane at Palomar. Floating Lotus Kitchen is coming to South Elkhorn Village in June with fast-casual fare, officials announced on social media.
Thea’s Bass & Biddy Kitchen has left Greyline Station and announced a temporary location inside the Julietta Market kitchen.
Several establishments have closed: CoreLife Eatery on Finn Way announced its permanent closure in April; after seven years in business at 3449 Buckhorn Dr., Josanne’s Homestyle Kitchen has closed; and Bandido Taqueria Mexicana has closed at 535 S. Upper St. BL
Have a food and beverage-related update to share? Please email info@smileypete.com.
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CraveWorthy
AZUR’s Khan Khan Pork Chop showcases Puerto Rican-style fried pork chops atop tasso ham risotto, with braised cipollini onions and sautéed asparagus.
AZUR Returns
Longtime Lexington restaurant relaunches with new chef and updated menu
BY SHANNON CLINTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
AZUR Restaurant and Patio opened on New Year’s Eve two decades ago, then announced in late December last year that New Year’s Eve would be its last dinner service. But the beloved spot — famed for its manicured patio and signature dishes like bourbon-fried chicken and woven shrimp — has reopened.
Owners Sylvia and Bernie Lovely (both attorneys) and a silent partner quietly closed in late December amid lease negotiations at The North Shoppes (3070 Lakecrest Cir., #550). Now that those details are settled, AZUR reopened in late May with a refreshed vision and chef Nathan Vazquez aboard.
Despite having no hospitality background, the Lovelys fell in love with creating a neighborhood gathering place centered around a beautiful outdoor space. Sylvia, who also teaches “Writing the Stories of Your Life” at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, says she always knew AZUR’s story wasn’t finished.
Chef Jeremy Ashby, who had been at
AZUR’s helm until its closure, is part of the Azur Restaurant Group — alongside the Lovelys — which includes Dupree Catering + Events and the event space The Mane on Main. He’s now focusing his culinary efforts on those ventures.
Vazquez hails from Puerto Rico, where he learned to cook from his mother and grandmother. His professional culinary career began at age 16, working at Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and he opened his own crepe food truck at 19. He then honed his skills at the Escuela Hotelera de San Juan, graduating from both the International Culinary Arts and International Bakery & Pastry programs, before moving to Lexington to serve as executive chef at Jean Farris Winery and Bistro and as sous chef at Heirloom Restaurant in Midway.
Lovely describes Vazquez’s style as an upscale Southern–Puerto Rican fusion, emphasizing locally sourced ingredients from nearby farms and markets.
“He’s so excited about picking up and moving on with AZUR 2.0,” she said. Several familiar faces have returned, too: including sous chef Darren “Otter” Pirozzi, General Manager Taylor Huston, and other longtime staff. Lovely says their return underscores the family atmosphere the restaurant has cultivated—not just for its guests, but behind the scenes as well.
“It’s just a fine time, and a fine cast of people,” she said. BL
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VAZQUEZ
IndependentBusiness
Roast of the Town
4th Level Roasters turns personal hardships into purpose and craft
BY AMANDA CORBIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In the face of one adversity after another, Chris Herman has managed to turn a passion into a career with the Lexingtonbased coffee roasting venture 4th Level Roasters.
Herman first began roasting coffee beans in the winter of 2020, as a hobby and distraction from the cancer treatments he was undergoing at the time. The following summer, he was still working full-time as a pharmaceutical sales rep when he set up a booth at the Berea Farmers Market to sell his coffee for the first time.
“We sold out on the first day,” he said. In 2022, after unexpectedly losing his job after 20 years in the industry, Herman and his wife, Stacie Wallas, decided they’d “do this for real,” and he began roasting coffee full time. Celebrating the third anniversary of going full-time this past April, Herman and Wallas haven’t looked back since.
So, what does “4th Level” mean? When Wallas was diagnosed with cancer, and then Herman the next year, they were looking for answers — life lessons — and Wallas coined the phrase.
“4th Level is a vantage point,” Herman explained. “A higher viewpoint.”
After their diagnoses, Herman understandably had a different perspective on life.
“Everything I’d ever wanted to do — I wanted to try it,” he said.
A longtime coffee lover, Herman was first introduced to the idea of roasting his own
beans by a neighbor about 20 years ago — it was something that had always stuck in his head that he wanted to try. He dove into the research on where to get beans and different methods of roasting them, moving from hobbyist into side hustle in about six months. Herman describes the experience of acquiring beans from different parts of the world as akin to being an escape — an opportunity to experience flavors from all over the world. Roasting the beans himself has been a way to expand upon the experience.
4th Level is located in a Palumbo Drive storefront that it shares with the artisan cheese company Boone Creek Creamery. The front room is a retail center, and Herman roasts beans behind the store with a gas grill and a stainless-steel rotisserie drum produced by RK Drums. While Herman says the process of “putting heat to bean” is not overly complicated, it is a lot of work and requires close attention.
However, if you’re passionate about it, he added, it’s all fun — even though he jokes that he smells “like burnt popcorn, all the time.” Herman learned his roasting method from the manufacturer of the drum. He recently traveled to Guatemala and visited coffee farms to see the whole process. Herman says it was a full-circle moment, because both his first 150-pound bag of coffee beans and his first roast were from Guatemala. He describes Guatemalan coffee as “a good learning bean,” because it tastes good at every roast level.
Blends — a combination of beans from different sources — are trial-and-error, he said, but he gets to mix flavors like a chef would, creating his own unique variations. He has developed unique special blends for his mother’s business, Cleo’s Bakery in Newburgh, Indiana, as well as for the local bakery Wild Lab, located on National Avenue.
When it comes to roast levels, flavor profiles, and blends, there is much to learn — but Herman readily divulges his near-encyclopedic knowledge of coffee and even has some green coffee beans on hand to show customers.
4th Level Roasters carries over a dozen varieties of coffee and is open to the public
and available for private events. Their coffee is also sold through their website, and the business offers a fundraising program for local organizations.
4th Level sets up booths at the Lexington Farmers’ Market and the Chevy Chase Farmers’ Market and hosts its own public events on occasion.
The company also makes its own cold brew, which won first place for Best Cold Brew in a blind taste test at Lexington’s 2024 Cold Brew Coffee Festival. They recently began selling kegs of cold brew and concentrate to use in cocktails to local bars.
People have asked Herman for advice when it comes to taking the leap to starting your own business, and one suggestion he
makes is to get a mentor if you don’t consider yourself business-minded. He met Stu Utgaard from Stuarto’s Olive Oil Company through the Lexington Farmers’ Market and was grateful for his practical tips about running a business.
But ultimately, he said, you just have to do it — there is no substitute for experience. “The more you do something you’re afraid to do, the easier it gets,” he said.
University of Kentucky student Karsten VanMeter created a poignant short film that illustrates the mindset shift alongside footage of Herman at work on the coffee roaster. It was awarded best documentary at the University of Kentucky Film Festival. (Find a link to the video at 4thlevelroasters.com.) BL
PHOTO BY MICK JEFFRIES
Chris Herman recently celebrated the third anniversary of going full-time with his coffee roasting business, 4th Level Roasters.
PHOTO BY MICK JEFFRIES
Reviving a Federal-Era Landmark
Lexington’s historic Pope Villa to undergo a $3.4 million restoration
BY DAN DICKSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The long awaited restoration of one of Lexington’s oldest and most historic properties will soon begin. The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation has announced a $3.4 million phased rehabilitation plan for Pope Villa, to be undertaken by Mitchell Park Companies, a Washington, D.C.–based historic property development firm.
The home, completed in 1813 for U.S. Senator John Pope and his wife, Eliza, stands on what is now Grosvenor Avenue off Rose Street in the central downtown neighborhood. It is one of only three surviving residences designed by renowned architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe who, in addition to design efforts in Kentucky, is best known for his work on the White House and the U.S. Capitol porticos.
The announcement came at a news conference held in the front yard of Pope Villa, attended by local officials and supporters of the Trust. “The rehabilitation will largely follow the Pope Villa Master Plan, which was adopted by the Blue Grass Trust in 2018,” said Jonathan Coleman, executive director of the Trust. Latrobe was awarded eight commissions in Kentucky between 1802 and 1817, six of them in Lexington. Five were built here, but Pope Villa is the only one still standing.
Financing for the three-year restoration is a mix of private investments, donations, and public funds — among them a $478,000 Save America’s Treasures grant administered by the National Park Service. “This is the culmination of a dream four decades in the making and made possible by scores of dedicated and passionate preservationists who have the foresight and vision to step up and ensure that preservation,” Coleman told the crowd.
Coleman’s “four decades” reference dates to 1988, when the Trust purchased Pope Villa a year after a fire caused serious damage. At that time, the villa had been partitioned into ten apartments, primarily occupied by University of Kentucky students. The Trust discovered, however, that much of the original structure remained intact behind later walls and addi-
tions, offering hope for full restoration.
“All projects like this are a journey, some even a saga,” said Mark Letenzi, managing member of Mitchell Park Companies and the person who will oversee the project. “But it’s incredible the sheer volume of historical and architectural data (on the Pope house) that is available to us.”
Still, the challenges will be great. “It’s going to be quite difficult, from the pre-development side, financing, the ultimate design and even finding the trades to do some of this work,” Letenzi said. “Maybe only one of them can do special plastering or work on certain trim. We will have to do an exhaustive search to find the right people.”
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton addressed the gathering and lauded the Trust for stepping up and launching the project “for the long game,” she said. “As we celebrate Lexington’s 250th birthday all this year, we reflect on the legacy of a city once known as the ‘Athens of the West.’ That legacy lives on with Pope Villa.”
Gorton called Pope Villa “beautiful… until you walk inside,” to laughter from the crowd.
The interior has been gutted and Letenzi warns the public of the trials that await. “You
obviously cannot build with compromised material alongside new material,” he said. “There are going to be a lot of those judgement calls once we get started. It is sometimes a ‘learn as you go’ process with all hands-on-deck making real-time decisions about how to proceed.”
Letenzi says he has consulted on the development of several history museums, the kind of work most comparable to what he will be doing at Pope Villa.
Lexington architect Haviland Argo, a member of Friends of Pope Villa, is convinced the home is something special. “Not only does Mark recognize the architectural significance of the building and the impact it has had on the city of Lexington and its role in the nation’s history, but he also recognizes its future potential,” Argo told the audience. “Latrobe envisioned this house as a new model for domesticity in the young republic called America. Similarly, Mark sees this building as a new model for preservation.”
Coleman said that upon completion of construction, the secondary rooms of the Villa will be available for lease as light-use office space. The primary rooms will be shared spaces for the tenants, but will also remain accessible to
the public and will offer educational opportunities about the building’s history and its many inhabitants over the decades.
After the 1987 fire, intense architectural and historic research was conducted on the Pope residence. In letters, Latrobe “practically apologized” for what he called a complicated plan that must have “perplexed and bewildered” the Pope family and builders. His design featured a square brick exterior, a secondstory hidden rotunda surrounded by a suite of entertainment rooms — unusual features for frontier-era Kentucky. At the time, some wondered if Lexington, located on the western edge of the new American frontier, was cosmopolitan enough to pull off the construction project, according to Daniel Ackermann, writing in a column for the Decorative Arts Trust. Yet local craftsmen proved capable of turning Latrobe’s vision into reality, and the home was built just two decades after Kentucky’s statehood.
Mayor Gorton summed up the significance of Pope Villa, saying: “It is not just a beautiful home, it is the best surviving example of Latrobe’s residential architecture, and one of the most important structures of the Federal era.” BL
Mayor Linda Gorton joined representatives from the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation to announce a $3.4 million restoration of Lexington’s historic Pope Villa, set to begin this year.
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Influencing Kentucky
How content creators are teaming
up
with brands to boost tourism and local business
BY MATT WICKSTROM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Businesses know a strong online presence is essential for staying in front of potential customers. For decades, this primarily meant coverage and advertising with legacy media outlets. In recent years, however, bloggers and online influencers have emerged as a key conduit between businesses and consumers. This approach, known as influencer marketing, involves collaborations between individuals with strong online followings and businesses seeking to market their products or services.
This trend is visible even in Lexington, where a growing number of local content creators promote everything from restaurants and outdoor getaways to their own curated events. Many of those partnerships are facilitated by Kentucky Creatives, a membershipbased group that acts as an intermediary where local businesses and content creators can come together to collaborate, promote one another, and grow their brands.
According to founder Danielle MeadowsStinnett, Kentucky Creatives launched in 2023 as an offshoot of a Facebook blogging group started by a friend. Since then, membership has grown to nearly 400, helping many creators turn their passion projects “into a more profitable business and not just a hobby,” Meadows-Stinnett said.
Currently, Kentucky Creatives’ most common collaboration methods include social media reels and on-site campaign activations, where a group of creators experiences a brand together. These typically include flat payment fees, though terms can be tailored to meet specific business or influencer needs and are often tied to sales promotions, annual events, or other unique offerings.
“We’re a hub where small businesses and brands can connect with an influencer or digital creator to make content and establish lucrative relationships that benefit everyone,” she said. “It’s more important now than ever to have someone with a personality representing your brand who’s willing to be open about their own journey while also staying loyal to your product.”
One business that has seen a measurable sales boost since partnering with Kentucky Creatives is the fashion boutique Our Eye for Beauty, owned by Ogy Tayo. She says that within just a few months of working with the group, her business’s social media following has tripled, dramatically increasing brand awareness.
“Working with Kentucky Creatives has led me to collaborations with five different influencers who have each been impactful in creating focused content for marketing my brand,” Tayo said. “I am delighted by the caliber of productions and the commitment each one has shown to helping us find and serve our ideal clients.”
Annual memberships to Kentucky Creatives are $60 for influencers or $400 for businesses. Membership includes quarterly meetups, which offer opportunities to network as well as educational elements like speakers and other resources that detail topics such as search engine optimization (SEO) and affiliate marketing.
Marie McLamb, who has published the Backroad Bluegrass Blog since 2017, said joining Kentucky Creatives has helped her grow her audience and stay ahead of online trends.
“It’s been nice having a community to bounce ideas off of to see what tricks they might know that I don’t,” McLamb said.
“[Social media’s] algorithm can be really challenging — random videos can go viral with no explanation as to why.”
McLamb has published over 150 posts highlighting local businesses and events. In 2020, she launched the quarterly Bluegrass Creative Market, which started in the Oleika Shriners’ parking lot on Southland Drive and has since found a permanent home at Lexington Green. The market hosts more than 50 vendors selling paintings, woodwork, baked goods, pottery, and other handmade items.
and host
Arabian and American Saddlebred horses; by 2022, he went full-time as a content creator.
“It’s more important now than ever to have someone with a personality representing your brand who’s willing to be open about their own journey while also staying loyal to your product.”
Beyond her blog and market, McLamb recently opened her own art studio above the Midway Boutique. She plans to use the space for her own work as well as to host other artists, workshops, and community events.
“Things have just spun off from one another,” she said. “From working with artists to being one myself, everything I do revolves around promoting Kentucky and the small businesses and local artists within it.”
Another prominent Kentucky Creatives collaborator is Bradley Marlow, one of Lexington’s most recognizable social media personalities with over 300,000 Instagram followers. Marlow’s influencer career began in 2018 while he was traveling abroad showing
This spring, Marlow was named “Best Influencer in Lexington” in Smiley Pete’s “Best of Lex” awards — an honor he attributes to his ability to adapt to evolving consumer interests and platform algorithms, as well as to his use of location-based tools that let him tailor content to Central Kentucky audiences.
“The hardest challenge is remaining up to date on the changing regulations and rules of each platform,” Marlow said. “I stay focused on remaining relevant and authentic to my audience, which will keep your engagement and algorithm strong. Adding regular weekly content will keep your algorithm active as well.”
For families with young children, Lexington’s Julie Tanner fills a different niche. After moving here in 2020 with her three kids, she noticed a lack of kid-friendly content and soon launched Tiny Tourists KY. Her plat-
form curates accessible adventures — from tucked away hiking trails to interactive museums and family-friendly local businesses — helping parents discover hidden gems around the state.
“What started as documenting our own family outings quickly evolved into something bigger — a growing community of families looking to also connect, discover and enjoy the hidden gems across Kentucky,” she said. “Tiny Tourists KY was born from that desire: To capture our experiences and inspire other families to seek adventure, connect with their communities, and explore Kentucky with their kids in tow.”
Soon, these influencers may gain another powerful partner in VisitLex. According to Director of Communications Martina Barksdale, the local tourism bureau currently works mostly with non-local, macro-influencers, but it is in the early stages of developing a more localized influencer strategy moving forward. BL
PHOTO BY MIDWAY ARTIST STUDIOS
Marie McLamb recently opened an art studio above the Midway Boutique to create, collaborate,
events.
MEADOWSSTINNETT
MARLOW
Investing in Turbulent Times
Financial planners advise a measured approach amid market volatility
BY LIZ CAREY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In today’s unpredictable economy, staying on top of your finances can be challenging. And deciding to invest when the market is going up and down like an elevator, with little warning, presents challenges for even the most experienced investor.
Still, financial experts say this could be an ideal time to invest. If you have extra money available, the first step is to determine your personal financial goals and your timeline for needing that money.
Greg Watkins, with Stock Yards Bank, said every investor should make their decisions based on their own goals and needs. While Stock Yards typically works with clients who have at least $500,000 in investable assets, Watkins said that despite market volatility, now is an ideal time to consider investing at any level.
“Volatility is a good thing. These times of volatility are probably some of the greatest opportunities to put money to work for you,” he said. “When people are panicking and all you see on the news is that the market’s down... Those are times when you should be adding to your long-term investments and for most people that is usually an IRA or a 401k.”
The thing investors shouldn’t do, he said, is panic and pull money out of the market.
“The thing you don’t want to do when the market is down is to quit investing or quit putting money in your 401k or taking loans out,” she said. “In general, it’s not time to panic and you should embrace those times of opportunity.”
In times of economic uncertainty, investing can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to mean taking big risks. Financial experts say that by aligning your strategy with your personal risk tolerance and time horizon, it’s possible to grow your money while limiting exposure. Whether you’re decades from retirement or drawing closer to it, today’s market still holds opportunities for smart, measured moves that can pay o in the long run.
“When you’re looking at someone’s
net worth... everything is relative to when the dollars that you’re going to invest are needed,” Watkins said. “If you’re going to need those dollars in two years then you’ll probably want to put those dollars into some sort of a bond investment. If you’re going to need those dollars in 30 years, then you can a ord to take a risk because you have a longer time horizon. However, if you have outstanding debt that is at a high-interest rate, then it’s probably incumbent on you to pay your debts down first.”
For investors nearing retirement age, there are also opportunities to help safeguard their assets and make their money work for them, even amid market volatility.
“If I’m 55 or 60 years old, and I’m going to retire at 65, I’m not going to need all of my retirement dollars on the day that I retire,” he said. “I’m going to take money out at a measured rate over the next 35 years. So, I still need to have equity in my investments. If you have your asset allocation between stocks and bonds allocated appropriately for your bonds to take care of your short-term cash needs, these short-term swings in the market are totally irrelevant to the disruption of your short-term cash needs.”
“When people are panicking and all you see on the news is that the market’s down... Those are times when you should be adding to your long-term investments and for most people that is usually an IRA or a 401k.”
GREG WATKINS INVESTMENT ADVISOR, STOCK YARDS BANK
Watkins emphasized that younger investors have more time to take more risks with their money.
“If you’re someone who’s in their 20s, there are opportunities to compound those dollars over a long period of time,” he said.
Watkins also stressed the importance of tailoring investments to individual needs.
“A 60/40 portfolio may work for some but it may not work for others, because di erent people will have drastically di erent financial backgrounds as well as di erent financial needs, incomes and desires for how they want their money to be invested,” he said. “All of that has to be considered.”
He cautioned that there is no guarantee that any investments will perform better than others and that all investing includes risks, including fluctuating prices and loss of principal. Additionally, even bonds are subject to market and interest rate risks if they are sold prior to maturity and values for bonds will decline as interest rates rise.
Overall, Zach Brien, a wealth management advisor with Fifth Third Bank, said what extra money means to the investor matters as well.
“It depends on what the money means to the individual,” Brien said. “If the funds are needed to bolster emergency savings or will be used soon for a specific purpose, an interest-bearing account or CD is a safe way
to protect the funds and still get some yield. If the funds are intended as a long-term investment, a well-diversified portfolio of strong companies and high-quality investments is best, particularly in times of high market volatility, as we have seen recently.”
For some investors, keeping it simple may be the answer, Michael Schachleiter, senior investment advisor with Fifth Third Bank said.
“My answer is that it depends,” he said. “If a person already has a defined long-term investment plan, invest the excess cash in line with that plan. If a person is a new investor, they should invest in index-tracking ETFs (exchange-traded funds). This will keep it simple and cheap but provide diversified exposure.” BL
SCHACHLEITER
BRIEN
Residential Real Estate Firms
Firm
Bluegrass Sotheby’s International Realty
1999 Richmond Road, Ste. 400 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 268-0099 bgsir.com
The Brokerage 505 Wellington Way Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 230-4597 thebrokerageky.com
Keller Williams Commonwealth in Lexington 1908 Bryant Road., Ste. 250 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 721-2121 thecommonwealthteam.kw.com
Christie’s International Real Estate Bluegrass 3609 Walden Dr. Lexington, KY 40517 (859) 245-1179 cirebg.com
Keller Williams Legacy Group 2700 Rosebud Road, Ste. 250 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 533-9427 kwlegacygroup.kw.com
Century 21 Advantage Realty 2121 Nicholasville Road, Ste. 101 Lexington, KY 40503 (855) 730-2649 century21advantage.com
Rector Hayden Realty 1099 Duval St. #250 Lexington, KT 40515 (859) 276-4811 rhr.com
RE/MAX Elite Lexington 203 Ruccio Way Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 245-1165 eliterealtylexington.com
Keller WIlliams Bluegrass Realty 2424 Harrodsburg Road #101 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 321-8999 lexington.kw.com
United Real Estate
424 Lewis Hargett Circle, Ste. 120 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 206-0790 unitedrealestatelexingtonky.com
Lifstyl Real Estate 114 Pasadena Dr. Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 278-7501 lifstyl.com $415,011,287
RE/MAX Creative Realty 2808 Palumbo Dr. Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 422-2000 remax.com
New Home Collective Brokered by eXp Realty 3101 Clays Mill Road Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 721-2200 nhcnow.com
ERA Select Real Estate 444 Lewis Hargett Circle #275 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 296-1525 eraselect.com
Coldwell Banker McMahan 2350 Regency Rd., Ste. D Lexington, KY 40503 (859)266-1800 cbmcmahan.com
The Agency 523 Wellington Way, Ste. 375 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 285-0614 theagencyky.com
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices de Movellan Properties 171 Prosperous Place Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 266-0451 demovellan.com
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Foster Realtors 2629 Lexington Road Richmond, KY 40475 (859) 484-8867 bhhsfoster.com
Team Pannell Real Estate 251 Larue #206 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 800-6823 teampannell.com
Bluegrass Properties Group 120 Prosperous Place, Ste. 205 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 619-8888 bluegrasspropertiesgroup.com
Bluegrass Home Group 2357 Huguenard Dr., Ste. 200 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 209-6292 bluegrasshomegroup.com
Turf Town Properties 124 Kentucky Ave. Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 268-4663 turftown.com
Please
Commercial Real Estate Management Companies
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Webb Companies
205 W. Main St., Ste. 3000 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 253-0000 thewebbsompanies.com
NAI Isaac
771 Corporate Drive, Ste. 500 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 224-2000 naiisaac.com
Anderson Communities 1255 Providence Place Pkwy. Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 231-0099 andersoncommunities.com
SVN Stone Commercial
Real Estate
270 S. Limestone St. Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 264-0888 svnstone.com
Turner Development 2464 Fortune Drive, Ste. 100 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 977-0820
Red Draw 1560 Delaware Ave. Lexington, KY 40505 (859) 225-3680 reddrawdev.com
The Gibson Company 1050 Monarch St., Ste. 200 Lexington, KY 40513 (859) 224-8833 thegibsoncompany.com
CBRE, Inc.
6060 Dutchman’s Lane, Ste. 100 Louisville, KY 40205 (502) 492-6700 cbre.com
Switzer Development 811 Corporate Drive, Ste. 303 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 223-5353 switzerdev.com
Eden Companies 541 Euclid Avenue Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 229-4991 edencompanies.com
R. Dudley Webb (Chairman), Woodford Webb (President), Ron Tritschler (CEO/Senior Legal Counsel)
Al Isaac (President)
Dennis Anderson
Matt Stone, CCIm, SIOR, MBA
Ron Turner Troy Turner Daren Turner
Craig Turner
Megan Walsen Garyen Denning
Billy Smith Kevin Verhoven
David Hardy (Managing Director)
Ron Switzer
Anthony Humphress, CAM
Grant Owen, Jonathan Smittle, Clay Sizemore, Luke Norris
Megan Walsen
Kevin Verhoven
Bruce Wibbels (Director, Property Management)
Ben Hammack
Anthony Humphress, Bill Eyster
Kelly Mason Connor Evano
BRINGING THE BLUEGRASS REGION
Your business can reach hundreds of thousands of Central Kentuckians with Smiley Pete Publishing. For advertising or event sponsorship information, email advertise@smileypete.com or phone 859.266.6537.
Greer Companies
100 W. Main St., Ste. 600 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 269-1966 greercompanies.com
Haymaker Company, LLC
3120 Wall St., Ste. 200 Lexington, KY 40513 (859) 685-3032 haymakercompany.com
Coleman Group, LLC 710 E. Main St., Ste. 130 Lexington, KT 40507 (859) 255-8855 colemangroup.net
Langley Properties Company
300 W. Vine St., Ste. 2200 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 253-2255 langleyproperty.com
Schrader Commercial Properties
444 E. Main St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 288-5008 schradercommercial.com
BC Wood Properties 321 Henry St. Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 335-9663 bcwoodproperties.com
Silvestri Real Estate
444 E. Main St., Ste. 102 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 263-2300 kensilvestri.com
AreaLex Commercial Real Estate
207 E. Reynolds Road, Ste. 260 Lexington, KY 40503 arealex.com
CMI Properties 1795 Alysheba Way, Ste. 5101 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 273-7389 cmiproperties.com
Lee Greer
Andy Haymaker
Bob Cole (President)
Scott Davidson
Jamie Schrader (President)
Brian Wood (Founder & CEO)
Ken Silvestri (Principal OwnerBroker)
Brandon Cutwright (President)
David Allen (Principal Broker)
Cheryl Moss
Johnston (Principal Broker)
(Property
David Allen
Cheryl Moss
Johnston
Marlene Hollen
Leah Robey
Sydney Momeyer, Michael Johnston
Davidson Jamie Schrader (Property Manager) Lee Cowden
Manager) Ken Silvestri
GrASSROOTS BLACK LEADERSHIP AWARDS CONGRATULATIONS TO
THE 2025 HONOREES!
Strong communities start with strong leaders. That’s why the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative, a community-advised committee of Blue Grass Community Foundation, is proud to celebrate the 2025 class of Grassroots Black Leadership Awards honorees.
These dedicated leaders are creating brighter futures and bringing people together to build a stronger, more connected Lexington. From youth empowerment to food access to neighborhood engagement, their work is making a lasting difference for communities across our city.
Learn more about their inspiring leadership at bgcf.org/GBLA.
Tanya Clark
Dora Hudson
Christine Smith
Rebecca Webb
Please
Construction Companies
Local residential, commercial, and remodeling companies listed alphabetically May 2025
Company Name
Abel Construction 362 South Broadway Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 410-7600 abelconstruct.com
Amteck 1387 E. New Circle Road, Ste. 130 Lexington, KY 40505 (859) 255-9546 amteck.com
Anderson & Rodgers Commercial 170 Prosperous Place Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 636-1394 andersonrodgers.com
Brett Construction Co.
354 Waller Ave. Lexington, KY 40504 (859) 255-7901 brettcon.com
Calhoun Construction 1708 Jaggie Fox Way Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 618-3482 calhounconstructs.com
Churchill McGee, LLC 1315 W. Main St., Ste. C Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 389-6976 churchillmcgee.com
Codell Construction Management 4475 Rockwell Road Winchester, KY 40391 (859) 744-2222 codellconstruction.com
Congleton-Hacker Co. 872 Floyd Dr. Lexington, KY 40505 (859) 254-6481 congleton-hacker.com
DB General Contracting, LLC 212 Industry Pkwy., Unit 4 Nicholasville, KY 40356 (859) 536-4352 dbgencontracting.com
Dean Builds, Inc. 109 Mercer Court Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 269-1385 deanbuilds.com
General contracting, design/ build services, construction management, facilities management, real estate development and sale/lease-back services, preconstruction/ estimating, electric vehicles and battery manufacturing plants, sustainability and green building
Electrical design and build services, engineering, virtual design and construction, prefabrication services, infrastructure cabling and other technology services, life safety systems
Commercial/residential design/build new construction; remodeling and additions; outdoor spaces; restoration
Full-service contracting for industrial, institutional, office, retail, manufacturing, and commercial companies; design/build construction projects; structural steel capabilities; pre-engineered buildings
Construction management; facility maintenance; pre-construction services; self-perform services; trade contracting; design/build services; renewable energy
Institution/commercial design/build services; concrete projects; interior projects; construction management; general contracting
Construction management; design/build services; general contractor; resident observer; construction monitor
Institution/commercial project management; budgeting; constructability review; value engineering; MEP coordination; self-performed work
Institution/commercial building, specialized industrial construction
Institution/commercial design/build services; construction management; general contracting
Bill Abel (Owner/CEO)/ Amy Abel (Chairwoman)
Daren Turner (CEO)/ Corey Bard (President)
Teddy Rodgers (Owner and President)/ Brent Anderson (Owner and CFO)/ Bruce McGaughey (Owner and VP)
Brett Setzer (CEO)/ Banks Hudson (CFO)/ Seth Smith (VP)
John Hinshaw (President)
J. Patrick McGee (Owner)
Jim Codell (President/CEO)
Jim Hacker (President and CEO)
Dave Bush (Owner)
David Dean (Founder and President)/ Jeff England (VP of Operations)
Company
Denham-Blythe Co., Inc. 100 Trade St. Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 608-3950 denhamblythe.com
Elaine Allen, LLC 1591 Winchester Road, Ste. 203 Lexington, KY 40505 (859) 368-7790 elaineallenllc.com
Hargett Construction 1409 N. Forbes Road Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 421-6021 hargettconstruction.com
Koller Warner Construction 801 Winchester Road, Ste. 100 Lexington, KY 40505 (859) 263-1500 kollerwarner.com
Long Construction Management 200 Big Run Road Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 523-9407 longconstructionmgt.com
Marrillia Design & Construction 794 Manchester St. Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 685-0414 marrillia.com
Messer Construction Co. 854 W. Main St. Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 231-8199 messer.com
Prajna Design & Construction 775 Pauls Mill Road Versailles, KY 40383 (859) 873-6477 prajnadesign.com
Turner Construction Company 510 Race St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 721-4224 turnerconstruction.com
Wehr Constructors, Inc. 868 Nandino Blvd. Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 899-9408 wehrconstructors.com
Institution/commercial design/ build services; 3D scanning services
Institution/commercial design/ build services; construction management; general contracting
Institution/commercial new construction, renovation, and remodeling; design/build services; construction management
Commercial/residential new construction and renovation; equine facilities
Institution/commercial design/ build services; construction management; general contracting; architectural design services; pre-engineered structural, roof, and wall systems
Institution/commercial design/ build services; construction management; general contracting ; self-performed work
Institution/commercial largescale construction projects; building systems/MEP; cost planning and estimating; self-performed work; equipment rental; preconstruction services; prefabrication; risk management; virtual design and construction
Commercial/residential design/ build new construction; remodeling and additions; garden and farm structures
Institution/commercial preconstruction and construction management services in aviation and transportation, biotech and pharmaceutidal, healthcare, sports, advanced manufacturing, and global critical facilities
Institution/commercial construction; preconstruction planning; constructability review; value engineering; project phasing; critical path scheduling
Casey Dunn (CEO)/ Vance Hohn (President)/ Michael Patterson (President, Lexington Office)
Bishop E. Carter, IV (Owner)
Darrin Croucher (Principal/CEO)/ Jeff Garrison (Principal/COO)/ Jonathan Hale (Principal/Executive VP)
DeWayne Koller (President, Koller Construction)/ Chris Warner (VP, Warner Companies)
Linden Long (Owner)
Josh Marrillia (President)
Mark Hill (VP, Lexington Region Leader); Messer Construction is a 100% employee-owned ESOP
David Wittmer (Partner)/ Garry Murphy (Partner)
Brian Mooney (Senior VP, Regional General Manager)/ Erin Mignano (VP, General Manager)/ Timothy Allison (VP, Operations Manager)
Dale Berry, Sr. (Owner)
Brandon Berry (CEO)
Dale Berry, Jr. (COO)
Who’sWho
New Hires & Promotions
The Kentucky Fire Commission Board has selected Bruce Roberts, a retired firefighter and longtime advocate for fire safety training, as the new executive director of the Kentucky Fire Commission.
Commerce Lexington Inc. announced that Caitlyn Maynard recently joined its team as leadership program and event coordinator.
Asbury University’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences welcomed Daniel Strait in his new role as the school’s dean.
RE/MAX Elite Realty has welcomed agent Erica Embree
Valvoline Inc. recently welcomed new leader Will Fite, vice president, M&A Integrations. Cassie Bernardi was also named director, franchise marketing.
Saint Joseph Medical Group - Orthopedics has welcomed specialized hand surgeons Margaret Napolitano, MD, and Wesley Lykins, DMSc, PA-C, to its Lexington team.
Central Bank has promoted Kelsey Whitaker to commercial lines CSR supervisor, officer.
Opportunity for Work & Learning (OWL) announced the appointments of Randy Perry as new chief executive officer, and Chad Usherwood to its board of directors.
SUN Behavioral Lexington outpatient center announced the hiring of three new adolescent therapists: Chelsea Blackman, LPCA; Shawn Gray, CSW; and Ashton Stamper LPCA.
South Central Bank has promoted Camden Skidmore to Lexington market president. Skidmore will also join the South Central Bank board of directors.
Lockaby PLLC has welcomed Abigail Wearden to its practice as an associate.
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College has named Andrea ‘Lee’ Harrison as its new president.
Award-winning leader in custom contract Kentucky whiskey, Lofted Spirits, has elevated Dan Callaway to the role of master blender.
McBrayer member Jon A. Woodall has been elected to the board of directors of Meritas, a global alliance of independent law firms that serves the legal needs of companies across major jurisdictions and global markets.
Emily Sacca PT, DP, has been named director of Rehabilitation Services at Baptist Health Lexington.
Ryan Linville, BSN, RN-ONC, has been named as nursing director of the OrthopedicNeuro-Spine / Surgical-Telemetry unit at Baptist Health Lexington.
Ashland Terrace Senior Living Community announced that Lauren Seaman has joined their team as its new assistant director.
Lexington Clinic announced the appointment of Chris Walters, MBA, as its new chief information officer.
Bank of the Bluegrass & Trust Co. recently announced the following promotions: Chris Boaz to senior vice president of consumer lending; Chris French to senior vice president, commercial lending; Matthew Robertson to assistant vice president, commercial lender, business development officer and treasury management specialist; and Nathan Hamblin to vice president, chief credit officer. Julie Driskell also joined the bank as assistant vice president, consumer mortgage lender; Logan Swiger has joined as a universal banker; and Rob Fridley has been hired in the position of bookkeeper.
Shayla Lynch, 2nd District Councilmember, has been appointed to the National League of Cities 2025 Race Equity And Leadership Council.
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced that Marcus Osborne has been selected to serve as the chair of FNU’s board of directors.
Kudos
The Postal Service has honored Lexington Bluegrass Station letter carrier Visar Hasani as a Postmaster General Hero for his actions in aiding a customer.
Dan Cummins Auto Group has been presented with the 2025 Governor’s Business Service Award Wednesday. The company earned the state’s highest award for businesses supporting volunteer efforts in their communities thanks to its ongoing support of CASA of Lexington.
Montgomery County circuit court clerk Tanya P. Terry has been chosen by her colleagues to lead the Kentucky Association of Circuit Court Clerks for 2025-26.
Bob Swisher, Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance’s director of claims-legal and former commissioner of the Kentucky department of workers’ claims, has been inducted into the Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Hall of Fame. The prestigious honor recognizes Swisher’s outstanding contributions to the workers’ compensation field and his dedication to serving Kentucky’s workforce.
The U.S. Small Business Administration Kentucky District Office named the following Lexingtonians as recipients of its 2025 Small Busi-
ness Awards: WBC Excellence and Innovation Center Award (national award) – Devanny King, executive director, Women’s Business Center of Kentucky; Small Business Person of the Year (state district award) – Crinda Francke, president and CEO, ExecuTrain; and Financial Services Advocate of the Year (state district award) – Dale Morgan, president and CEO, Foundation47.
City National Bank proudly announced that Shawn Tower, assistant vice president and manager of the Tates Creek branch, has been honored with the City Cares Award given to employees who go above and beyond in demonstrating a strong commitment to community involvement and service.
Saint Joseph Health has been honored as one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems according to an independent analysis based on a scorecard provided by PINC AI, the technology and services brand of Premier, Inc., and reported by Fortune.
Saint Joseph Health and the More in Common Alliance are once again partnering with the Morehouse School of Medicine and Kentucky State University to offer a summer program focused on STEM and health careers to middle school, high school and college students. The More in Common STEM and Health Careers Summer Academy will be offered July 21-Aug. 1 at Kentucky State University.
Saint Joseph Health has recognized outstanding medical staff and leaders with
MAYNARD EMBREE ROBERTS FITE NAPOLITANO LYKINS BERNARDI WHITAKER
USHERWOOD BLACKMAN PERRY
STAMPER SKIDMORE GRAY WEARDEN CALLAWAY WOODALL HARRISON
SACCA SEAMAN WALTERS LINVILLE
FRENCH ROBERTSON BOAZ HAMBLIN SWIGER FRIDLEY DRISKELL LYNCH HASANI TERRY OSBORNE
SWISHER KING MORGAN TOWER FRANCKE
Who’sWho
the following awards: Saint Joseph East: Physician of the Year – Edgar Emerick, MD, Vieques, Puerto Rico; APP of the Year for Saint Joseph East and overall APP of the Year for Saint Joseph Health – Katie Cranfill, PA, Lexington; Employee of the Year – Pueblo Rico, Lexington; and Leader of the Year – April Jennings, Lexington. Saint Joseph Hospital: Physician of the Year –Samy Elayi, MD, Lexington; APP of the Year – Micah Short, PA-C, Lexington; Employee of the Year – Chelcie Scifres, Lexington; and Leader of the Year – Heather Raygoza, Lexington. Continuing Care Hospital: Physician of the Year – Eliseo Colon, MD, Lexington; APP of the Year – Sara Staab, NP, Nicholasville; Employee of the Year –Nautica Beasley, Lexington; and Leader of the Year – Terri Caldwell, Winchester. Saint Joseph Jessamine: Employee of the Year –Carly Smits, Nicholasville.
Kentucky Blood Center announced its new partnership with Georgetown/Scott County Emergency Medical Services, Jessamine County Emergency Medical Services, Lexington Fire and Emergency Services, and Madison County Emergency Medical Services, which will strengthen emergency response capabilities in Central Kentucky.
The Lexington Fire Department is also partnering with the Kentucky Blood Center and surrounding EMS agencies in a significant step forward for emergency medical care. Lexington medical units will begin carrying whole blood, joining Jessamine County EMS, Georgetown-Scott County EMS, and Madison County EMS in this lifesaving initiative.
The Lexington Hospitality Awards recently honored front-line sta and volunteers in the tourism industry who have demonstrated exceptional service to Lexington. Those Service Excellence Award recipients are as follows: Delaney Battle, The Campbell House, Curio Collection by Hilton; Wayne Basconi, Camp Nelson National Monument; Tessa Blanton, Homewood Suites by Hilton Lexington Fayette Mall; Josh Campbell, Lexington City Center Marriott; Franco Enmanuel Cerda Obregon, Mexico
Mi Amor Mexican Restaurant; Kathy Gross, Bella Café & Grille; Rose Hill, Red Mile, Inc., LeAnna Hollon, Homewood Suites Lexington-Hamburg; Matthew Lerza, Castle & Key Distillery; Sonia Martinez Amador Bella Cafe & Grille; Susan V. Miller, Waveland State Historic Site; Joy Moore, Keeneland Race Course; Dean Morton, Delaware North LEX; Kelli Nowlin, Embassy Suites Lexington Green; Curtis Ocelotl-Aca, Residence Inn Lexington City Center; Kaylee Payton, Barrel House Distilling Co.; Lo Perez, The Crossroads Cafe, Hilton Lexington Downtown; Annie Quinn, Bu alo Trace Distillery; Craig Richardson, Delaware North LEX; Nora Rivera, Smashing Tomato Fayette Mall; Jorge Luis Romero-Ruiz Staybridge Lexington South; Selena Silva, Bespoken Spirits Inc.; Sean Sines, OBC Kitchen; Tasha Spires, DV8 Kitchen Vocational Training Foundation; Martha Taylor Nicholas County Tourism; Mercer Vandenburg, Bluegrass Distillers; and Robert Williams, KRM Wagering, LLC.
Kentucky REALTORS has allocated an additional $125,000 to support individuals and families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by severe weather last month. Including this most recent grant, the Kentucky REALTORS Relief Foundation has made $400,000 available for Kentuckians since the declared a State of Emergency on Feb. 14.
The Lexington Tool Library announced it is re-opening at a new site. Tools can now be found at artfarm located at 1123 Winchester Road. Beginning June 1 the ToolMobile will hit the road bringing tools directly to parks, parking lots, and community spaces across Lexington.
God’s Pantry Food Bank announced the grand opening of its new Lexington warehouse and administrative o ces located at 2201 Innovation Drive, a transformational step in the organization’s mission to reduce hunger across Central and Eastern Kentucky. The opening also marks the public launch of a transformative $40 million “Building the Future, Nourishing Communities” capacity campaign for Kentucky’s future. BL
BizLexQ&A
Amy Gregory
Keeneland’s communications director on preserving tradition while shaping racing’s future
BY TOM WILMES BUSINESS LEXINGTON
During Keeneland’s spring and fall racing meets, tens of thousands of fans flock to the track for its worldclass racing and hospitality. Beyond the finish line and outside of the pageantry, however, what many don’t see is the immense behind-the-scenes coordination to keep both the Thoroughbred industry and these equine athletes in peak racing condition: A calendar of annual horse sales (Keeneland is the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house and the only racetrack with on-site sales); a network of national and international owners, breeders, and trainers; and rigorous safety measures to protect both horses and riders.
Helping to coordinate and facilitate all of this is Amy Gregory, Keeneland’s communications director, who announced that she is retiring from the role in June after a nearly two-decade tenure. Gregory joined Keeneland in 2006 as media relations manager and was promoted to director of communications in 2013. In that time, she has overseen press operations for spring and fall racing meets, managed communications for three Breeders’ Cup World Championships held at Keeneland (2015, 2020, 2022), and was instrumental in the launch of the Keeneland Championship Sale at the Breeders’ Cup. Keeneland has also increased purse money, hosted more stakes races, and completed major facility upgrades, including a new paddock building set to debut later this fall.
Balancing and effectively communicating all of that progress while honoring Keeneland’s historic legacy is no small feat, but Gregory has artfully managed it throughout her career. “Business Lexington” spoke with Gregory about her path, the evolution of the track and the Thoroughbred industry, and what comes next.
You have a background in journalism, law, and horse racing — how did those areas intersect in your career? It’s been an interesting journey. I earned a journalism degree from the University of Kentucky and began as a feature writer at the “Thoroughbred Record,” a wonderful trade publication that covered racing nationally and internationally. I then moved into the public relations realm [working in communications at Breeders’ Cup Limited and Churchill Downs Incorporated], and later enrolled at the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law. At that time, racing was evolving from a sport or a hobby into big business, and I felt a law degree would give me strategic and analytical skills that would be valuable down the road. Though I never intended to practice law, that background has proven invaluable in everything from crafting messages to navigating regulatory issues.
As the business side of racing has grown and evolved, how do you tailor communications for that audience?
The industry has become more businessoriented largely because of the scale of investments and its increasingly international nature. You’re navigating participation and travel logistics across multiple countries, not to mention various states within the U.S. On top of that, there are complex layers involved in breeding operations, foaling agreements, and stallion contracts — there are many different facets that require strategic coordination and clear communication.
The September yearling sale and the November breeding stock sales are the most important Thoroughbred sales in the world. The September sale, especially, is a barometer of the health of the industry as a whole. Your messaging and how you present the sales and how people read the tea leaves of the sales
results all impacts the Thoroughbred markets globally and how people plan for their investments in breeding and racing stock.
Keeneland has championed many safety initiatives, including the Safety Runs First initiative. Can you elaborate? Keeneland is a leader in many aspects of the Thoroughbred industry, and people look to us for guidance. Our mission is to enhance and better the sport. We reinvest our profits and proceeds into equine research and the safety and welfare of both horse and rider. We’ve strengthened our safety protocols and developed new initiatives to make our racing and sales environments as safe as possible. Our equine safety team, led by Dr. Stuart Brown, works hand in hand with us in educating fans
and raising awareness of the latest technologies and practices that reduce risk.
The racetrack itself is something many people don’t realize involves a great deal of science and technology, not just in its design but in its maintenance. Our track crew is among the best in the industry. They use GPS technology and collaborate with leading experts to ensure the track surface remains consistent and safe for both racing and training.
How do you balance Keeneland’s historic traditions with providing a modern fan experience? We cherish the traditions that people know and love, and at the same time we want people to be able to enjoy the pageantry and to find new ways to showcase the beautiful horses and all the color and traditions of racing. We’ve found creative ways to do outreach to our existing fans, and also to attract new fans, particularly younger fans, and interest them in the sport. Our belief is that if people can connect with the horses — see them up close on race day or maybe even pet one — they become lifelong fans. We’ve seen that happen so many times.
That connection is part of why we’re building the new paddock building, which will offer unique seating and dining venues with incredible views of the paddock and the horses being saddled. We’re also repositioning the paddock within its original footprint to bring fans a closer view of the action. You see generations of families coming out and bringing their kids, and when those kids are grown, they bring their kids or their grandkids. People feel a real sense of ownership in Keeneland and we want to encourage that.
You also helped launch Keeneland’s internship and college ambassador programs. Can you speak to the importance of those? That’s one of the things that I’m most proud of. Securing the future of the Thoroughbred industry means nurturing the next generation. Many young people assume that you have to be a horse person or have some experience riding to work in racing, but careers span communications, finance, hospitality, and beyond. Our year-round internships immerse students in all facets — marketing, sales, racing, operations — while providing professional development like résumé workshops and business etiquette. We also work closely with Amplify Horse Racing, which is a program that provides mentorship and education for young students who are interested in careers in horse racing. These efforts build a pipeline of diverse talent and foster lifelong fans and industry leaders.
What’s next after your official retirement date? Right now, I plan to take a breath — spend time with family and travel. I’ll continue consulting for Keeneland during race meets, sales, and on special projects. I’ve got a bucket list of things I want to do, but for the immediate few months I’m just going to take a moment and enjoy life. BL
PHOTO FURNISHED
Amy Gregory, retiring this June after nearly two decades at Keeneland, has been the guiding force behind Keeneland’s communications through growth and change.
