Boulder trip: Who's who of Lexington

The list of people who will be in Boulder, Colo., over the next three days for Commerce Lexington’s annual leadership visit reads like a who’s who of Lexington.

Mayor Jim Newberry, 13 of the 15 members of the Urban County Council, University of Kentucky President Lee Todd and police Chief Anthany Beatty, are among the more than 200 community leaders going on the trip.

The leadership visit provides community leaders with an opportunity to learn about programs other cities have implemented and to consider whether they would work in Lexington, said Bob Quick, president and CEO of Commerce Lexington.

“They know they can get away and focus on the community and focus on interacting with people they oftentimes don’t often get to see,” Quick said. “It brings such a diverse segment of our community together and have conversation.”

Attorneys, bankers, business executives, developers, and realtors are among the list of leadership trip attendees this year.

Attendees include:

• Steve Austin, president and CEO of Bluegrass Tomorrow
• Jack Ballard, president of CMW
• Larry Bell, general manager of the Hyatt Regency
• Jim Clark, president and CEO of LexArts
• Larry Conner, chairman of the Fayette County Public Schools Board of Education
• Luther Deaton, chairman, president and CEO of Central Bank
• Renee Jackson, executive director of the downtown Lexington Corporation
• David Lord, president of the Lexington Convention and Visitors bureau
• Herb Miller, president of Columbia Gas of Kentucky
• Kathy Plomin, president and chief professional officer of the Unied Way of the Bluegrass
• Nick Rowe, president of Kentucky American Water
• Bruce Simpson, attorney
• Lenny Stoltz, executive director of the Bluegrass Area Development District
• David Switzer, executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association
• Harold Tate, president and executive director of the Downtown Development Authority

In addition to Lexington leaders, attendees also come from other parts of Kentucky.

“On this trip, we’ve got quite a few people who come from other counties,” Quick said. “We took a look at the list and I was really surprised, each year we get more and more (people from outside Fayette County). I think more people in the region are starting to see the value of this.”

Some of the attendees from outside Fayette County include:

• Dave Adkisson, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber in Frankfort
• Scott Campbell, director of the Nicholasville/Jessamine County Parks and Recreation
• Kim Menke, community relations manager with Toyota Motor Manufacturing
• Joe Reagan, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc.

- Michelle Ku