BRIGHT Bears

Leadership Kentucky’s inaugural BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2019 included 50 of the brightest minds in Appalachia. Among those bright minds were UPIKE’s own alumni and staff. Whitney Hogg ’09, Chandra Hunley ’18, Jeffery Justice ’15, Ruth Caldwell and Larry Epling joined BRIGHT Kentucky for five three-day sessions to focus on fully understanding the local economic context and building robust skill sets in communication, collaboration, consensus building, visioning and community engagement.

The program encompassed various team-building exercises and took participants across Eastern Kentucky: Natural Bridge Region in July, Big Sandy Region and Cumberland Region in September, the Daniel Boone Region in October and the Gateway Region in November.

“Going out of my comfort zone and applying to be accepted into BRIGHT was the best decision I have made in my business career,” said Epling. “I left the program with a new group of colleagues and friends that share the same vision as I do, a Brighter future for East Kentucky, one where we tell our own narrative built on the hard work of Appalachians.”

BRIGHT Kentucky is designed to build the capacity of next-generation leaders in the Appalachian region of Kentucky to innovate, collaborate and advance community and economic development. The curriculum is intended to inspire and energize participants who live and work in Eastern Kentucky to stay in Eastern Kentucky and make a difference in their home communities.