Connectors project hopes to expand leadership networks in 10 Central Kentucky counties
The Bluegrass Community Connectors project named 138 “connectors” Tuesday in an effort to create new networks of local activists, and to better link traditional and grassroots leadership in the region.
The connectors were chosen from among 5,000 nominations received from the public in online balloting since last August. Most of the 138 connectors met for a morning session and lunch at the Marriott Griffin Gate hotel to get to know each other and discuss regional issues.
Counties included in the project were: Anderson, Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Montgomery, Scott and Woodford. The project was led by the United Way of the Bluegrass. (See a list of the connectors below.)
At least half of the connectors who emerged from the balloting were well-known, traditional leaders — mayors, city council members, business leaders and heads of non-profit organizations in the 10-county Lexington metro area.
“But about half of them are not the usual suspects, and that’s the big takeaway,” said Karen Stephenson, a cultural anthropologist who has taught at Harvard and UCLA and donated her time to organize this project and previous ones in four other cities.
The main purpose of the project was to identify grassroots leaders who may not know each other or many of the traditional leaders. Introducing them to each other will create new networks of people already active in their communities who can then hook up for future projects.
Stephenson said that if she were a traditional leader, she would look at this list and say, “Who do I not know, and why? Then I would make a beeline to them and figure out what they’re doing and how I can get them connected to some of the more well-known connectors.”
Stephenson said she was impressed that the most-nominated people represented a range of ages and races. Fayette County had the most connectors, and the most connections among them, based on a follow-up survey the connectors completed.
That was to be expected, she said, given Fayette County’s dominant role in the region.
Interestingly, the three counties with the least connected relationships were Anderson, Clark and Bourbon. What that pointed out, Stephenson said, was an opportunity to integrate those counties more into regional discussions.
How the connectors make use of this new visibility will be up to them.
Deborah Knittel, a community activist in Versailles, said the session gave her fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm for tackling some issues in her community.
“This does not need to stop here,” said Kent Lewis, a young technology executive who has organized the TEDxLex idea-sharing conference in Lexington for the past two years. “I can send anyone an email and say I am a connector, too, do you have a minute or time for a coffee to discuss something? They question of credibility is not there, because this project did that already.”
Bluegrass Community Connectors
Denise Adams
Lisa Adkins
Karen Anderson
E. Joy Arnold
Steve Austin
Angela Baldridge
Robbi Barber
Teresa Barton
Cathy Boone
Ron Borkowski
Ed Burtner
Maria F. Bush
Bonnie Clark
Nancy Calix
Sandra Noble Canon
Chief David Charles
Opal Clark
Beverly Clemons
Carmen Combs
Jack Conner
David Coomer
John Cooper
Kip Cornett
David Cozart
Judy Crowe
Marilyn Daniel
Ms. Terry Davidson
Kenny Davis Jr.
Luther Deaton
Jessica Dodgen
Diana Wells Doggett
Richard Eads
Jim Embry
Bill Farmer
James Ferrell
Tommy Floyd
Eric Geary
Marion Gibson
Yvonne Giles
Lisa Gilliam
Emanuel Gilpin
Linda Gorton
Jim Gray
Lauren Greathouse Burlile
Dean C. Hammond Jr.
Lyle S. Hanna
Tom Harris
Debra A. Hensley
Christy Hiler
Lynn Hisle
Mike Hockensmith
Liza Holland
Janet Holloway
Phil Holoubek
Grant Horner
Jim Host
Lori Rowland Houlihan
Erin Michelle Howard
Andrea James
Mark Johnson
Carol Jones
Steve Kay
Kris Kimel
David Kitchen
Deborah Moore Knittel
Jodie Koch
Greg Lakes
Bud Lane
Cay Lane
Gina Lang
Bill Lear
Kent S. Lewis
Pearse Lyons
Sherry Maddock
Bruce T. Manley
Tom Martin
Ronda May
Jay McChord
Everett McCorvey
Kim Menke
Griffin Van Meter
David Montgomery
Dianna Moore
Ms. Robbie Morgan
Aaron Mosley
Knox Van Nagell
Laura Nagle
Jim Newberry
LaFleesha Patton
Tracy Pearce
Rebecca Peck
PG Peeples
Van Meter Pettit
Graham Pohl
Becky Priest
Brian Privett
Ryan Quarles
Bob Quick, CCE
Ginny Ramsey
JoEllen Reed
John Rennels
Pam Rice
Harry Richart
Rona Roberts
Warren Rogers
Dan Roller
Robert Ryan
Ben Self
Pauline Shackleford
Stu Silberman
Austin Simms
Mike Sparks
David Sperow
Alan Stein
Nancy Stone
Kim Sweazy
Harold Tate
Fran Taylor
Isabel Gereda Taylor
Pam Thomas
Randy Thomas
Lee Todd
Tanya Torp
Darby Turner
Tim Turner
Rev. Dr. Keith Tyler
Gabe Uebel
Brian Walton
Theodore Ware, Jr.
Therese Warrick
Kevin Weaver
Dudley Webb
Woodford Webb
Jon Weece
Dan Wills
Anthony Wright
Lu Young
Jacqueline L. Zeller
