Sandra Frazier starts each day thinking about how she can contribute something that will make a difference. Frazier is a public relations specialist and is the founder of Tandem Public Relations. Before Tandem, Frazier worked at Doe Anderson where she managed public relations efforts for several high-profile clients, including Louisville Slugger/Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Community Health Systems/CHS, and Fifth Third Bank. Before joining Doe Anderson, she worked for Boston-based State Street C...
Jun 23, 2017•29 min
Barbara Day draws her inspiration from being told as a little girl that she wouldn’t amount to much. Day is a nationally recognized health specialist and certified nutritionist. She is the publisher of Kentuckiana Health Fitness magazine with a monthly distribution of 47,000 and reaches thousands as the host of a successful weekly radio show. Day served as sports nutrition consultant to the United States Navy SEALs and University of Louisville Athletic Department. She worked as a program reviewe...
Jun 23, 2017•26 min
Cynthia Knapek has a tremendous amount of civic pride in her hometown of Louisville and loves doing work that will impact and improve her community. Knapek is executive director of Brightside, an innovative public-private partnership that works to build civic pride in the community and keep Louisville clean and green. In 2004, Knapek led the community-wide public art project “Gallopalooza” raising over $800 thousand for Brightside and other causes. Previously, Knapek was the director of educatio...
Jun 23, 2017•25 min
For Chuck Denny, continuous self-improvement is a driving force that motivates him every day. Denny is the president of National City Bank’s Kentucky and Tennessee division where he is responsible for a team of 1,600 employees. Before becoming president, Denny managed the banking services for the middle and large corporate markets and the investor-owned health care specialties. Denny loves working with a team that is united in pursuing the same goals. Under his leadership, National City has cont...
Jun 23, 2017•26 min
Deepak Tiwari lives by the motto: wish, will, and determination is the law of success. Tiwari is a living example of the potential of the American dream. He left India in 1989 and landed in Louisville with his wife, two sons, and a $10 bill in his pocket. Desperate to provide for his family and speaking little English, Tiwari began working multiple jobs and worked 20 hour days for two years. Tiwari now owns and operates eleven Subway franchises and has won awards from Subway for opening stores a...
Jun 23, 2017•27 min
Omar Ayyash sees himself as an ambassador and is passionate about helping people understand that the world is a global village. Ayyash is a true global citizen. He was born in Jordan, raised in Austria, and educated in the United States. He is the director of Office of International Affairs (OIA) for Louisville Metro Government where he is the mayor’s point person on international matters. As director of OIA, Ayyash managed, marketed, and developed the city’s international program into an award-...
Jun 23, 2017•28 min
Tyler Allen began life with a great foundation and believes that he has a responsibility to give back to the community. Allen comes from an entrepreneurial family and is the owner of USA Image Technologies, Inc., which specializes in large-scale digital graphics. Allen also is a co-founder of 8664, an organization that advocates for the revitalization of Louisville through the removal of Interstate 64 (I-64) along the riverfront. 8664’s vision is the adoption of a transportation plan that will p...
Jun 23, 2017•29 min
Steve Higdon orients his life and career around his family, striving to be the best husband and father he can be. Higdon was president and CEO of Greater Louisville, Inc. (GLI) from 1997 – 2005, leading that organization to the number one ranking chamber of commerce in the United States. During Higdon’s tenure, GLI provided leadership on some of Louisville’s largest initiatives including the city/county merger, a $1.2 billion expansion of the UPS air hub, and Every 1 Reads which aimed to have ev...
Jun 23, 2017•28 min
Bill Weyland loves finding creative ways to solve big challenges. A Louisville native, Weyland is an architect and developer and is managing director of City Properties. He is responsible for over $50 million in development projects in Louisville’s urban core. Notable projects include the Louisville Slugger Museum, Glassworks, and the YWCA/Henry Clay Hotel. He studied urban planning in Rome, Italy and has a B.A. in architecture and urban planning from Notre Dame University. His philosophy is to ...
Jun 23, 2017•30 min
Bill Samuels, Jr., is wired to achieve and seeks opportunities that have a beginning, end, and outcome. Samuels is the president and CEO of Maker’s Mark bourbon in Loretto, Ky. Samuels comes from a long line of whiskey makers tracing his distilling heritage to Robert Samuels who came to Kentucky in 1784. Samuels never intended to work for the family business. After earning a law degree at Vanderbilt University, he agreed to spend a year helping out at the company and never left. Samuels began hi...
Jun 23, 2017•29 min
Ed Manassah is motivated to succeed when he encounters a challenging issue. Manassah is a retired publisher of the Louisville Courier-Journal (1993 – 2006). He served in leadership positions from city editor to publisher at six Gannett Co. Inc. newspapers since 1972 and received honors as the top editor/publisher eight times. He was the founding editor of USA Today in 1982. Manassah has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Youngstown State University and a Master of Arts ...
Jun 23, 2017•21 min
For Denny Crum, competition is a way of life that influences everything he does. Crum was head basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 – 2001 compiling a 675–295 record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships (1980, 1986) and six Final Fours. He is considered one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. In 1993, Crum became the second fastest coach to reach 500 wins and in 1994 he entered into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Crum played ...
Jun 23, 2017•29 min
Allan Cowen takes the long view of life and believes that life is as great as you choose it to be. Cowen is president and CEO of Fund for the Arts, the united art fund of Louisville, KY. He began his career with Fund for the Arts in 1976 as executive director, becoming president and CEO in 1982. Cowen spent time in arts management in Akron and Columbus and three years as associate director of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem. He is a graduate of Kent State University in Ohio and the Harvard Uni...
Jun 21, 2017•26 min
Heather French Henry is inspired by hard work and dedication and believes that everyone can choose to make a difference with the time they have. French Henry graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning with a master’s degree in design and illustration. She is the winner of the 2000 Miss America pageant and used her platform to advocate for homeless veterans. French Henry has traveled the country to raise awareness for veteran’s issues and receiv...
Jun 21, 2017•28 min
Paul Hornung is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of football. He played running back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1966, winning four NFL titles and the first Super Bowl. Hornung graduated from Notre Dame in 1957 and was the winner of the 1956 Heisman Trophy. He was the number one selection in the 1957 NFL draft by Green Bay. Hornung was the league’s most valuable player in 1961 and was chosen as an All-Pro twice and named to the Pr...
Jun 21, 2017•29 min
Jim Host loves Kentucky and he believes it has more potential than any other state in the country. Host is the founder and chairman of Host Communications, a sports marketing and production company specializing in collegiate athletics. He has an extensive background in public service. Host was the youngest member of Governor Louis Nunn’s administration as commissioner of the Department of Public Information. He also served as the commissioner of the Department of Parks where he helped launch the...
Jun 21, 2017•27 min
Dr. Whitney Jones understands the preciousness of time and the need to take action on the things that are most important in life. Dr. Jones is passionate about preventing colon cancer. After diagnosing several patients with colon cancer within one week and knowing the cancer is preventable with appropriate screening, he set out to make a change. In 2004 Dr. Jones founded the Colon Cancer Prevention Project, a non-profit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable colon cancer death an...
Jun 21, 2017•29 min
Francene Cucinello loves to get people talking and challenge them to think. She is the host of the popular “Francene Show” on Louisville’s WHAS radio station. Cucinello is one of only 25 women with a lead talk show program in the country. Cucinello got her start after calling in to answer a trivia question in college at West Virginia University; she was offered a job on the spot. Along with her radio success, Cucinello has previously worked as a reporter at WBAL-TV in Baltimore and WSMV-TV in Na...
Jun 21, 2017•27 min
Growing up in Kansas, Steve Sexton learned a lot about the importance of a strong work ethic and goal setting. Sexton is one of the thoroughbred industry’s most successful leaders. He began his career in 1983 at Santa Anita Park and has spent time at Golden Gate Fields and Lonestar Park. Sexton joined Arlington Park in 2002 and led successful hosting of the 2002 Breeder’s Cup. With only nine months to prepare Sexton’s team was able to add an extra 40,000 seats and all the necessary support infra...
Jun 21, 2017•24 min
Rowan Claypool is a social entrepreneur who believes that young knowledge economy workers are the future of prosperous communities. He is the founder of two organizations that have had a transformative effect on the city of Louisville and Commonwealth of Kentucky. In 1999, Claypool founded Bulldogs in the Bluegrass. a program that provides summer internships in Louisville, Kentucky for Yale undergraduates. Since it began, Bulldogs in the Bluegrass has brought over 570 Yalies to experience Louisv...
Jun 21, 2017•29 min
Billy Reed believes in the power of the written word and its ability to influence people and events. Reed is a native of Mt. Sterling, Ky., a graduate of Transylvania University and a veteran of the US Army Reserves. He is a nationally renowned sports writer and journalist and is the author of twelve books. He has worked for some of the top news organizations in the country. Reed was writer and sports editor for the Louisville Courier-Journal from 1966-1986, sports columnist for the Lexington He...
Jun 21, 2017•17 min
Joe Regan is motivated by seeing lives changed through improved education and expanded employment opportunities. Regan is president and CEO of Greater Louisville, Inc. (GLI), the metro chamber of commerce. He began his tenure at GLI in 1998 as chief operating officer after a term as executive vice president with the Rockford, IL chamber of commerce. Before his career in economic development, Regan owned a marketing and publishing company and spent twelve years in radio broadcasting management, s...
Jun 21, 2017•11 min
Kimberly Bunton is a strategic thinker and planner driven by the pursuit of excellence and personal best. She is the director of Louisville Metro Government’s Policy & Strategic Planning Department and also the interim director of Louisville Metro Government’s Community Action Partnership. Previously Bunton was an attorney with Frost Brown Todd, LLC in their business litigation department. She received a B.A. in Journalism and English and J.D. both from the University of Kentucky. In 2003, L...
Jun 21, 2017•11 min
Jonathan Blue loves finding new opportunities and growing them into successful enterprises. Blue is chairman and managing director of Blue Equity, LLC. As chairman, he oversees the acquisition and management of all Blue Equity businesses and was responsible for the development and sale of the nation’s largest Spanish directory publications to Telmex International. In 2005, Blue formed BEST (Blue Entertainment Sports Television), a full-service sports and entertainment marketing, management and p...
Jun 21, 2017•12 min
Joan Riehm has dedicated her life to making Louisville a better place to live and work. She has spent most of her career in the public sector, first with the city of Louisville, then for the state of Kentucky and currently with Louisville Metro government as deputy mayor. Riehm is also vice chair of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship. Riehm assisted in several of Louisville’s largest government transitions including the merger of city/county school systems and desegregation in 1975 and later ...
Jun 21, 2017•15 min
Making a difference is what drives Jack Guthrie. He began his career with Phillip Morris in public relations and became director of communications in their New York City office. Guthrie returned home to Louisville and served as president of Kentucky Derby Festival from 1971–1977. Under his leadership, the Kentucky Derby Festival grew ten-fold becoming the nation’s largest civic celebration. Guthrie graduated from University of Kentucky in 1963 and has since held various leadership positions. He ...
Jun 21, 2017•13 min
Craig Greenberg has a passion for making Louisville a better community. He is an attorney with Frost Brown Todd, LLC and directs the firm’s ancillary business initiatives. He oversees tax credit investment programs that have invested over $100 million into low-income communities in Kentucky and across the country. Greenberg graduated from University of Michigan in 1995 and received his J.D. from Harvard law school in 1998 with cum laude honors. In 2000, Greenburg co-founded and served as COO/cou...
Jun 21, 2017•15 min
Raoul Cunningham has always been passionate about equality and making our system work. Cunningham is currently president of Louisville’s NAACP chapter, the same organization where he started his civil rights career at age 14 in the mid-1950s. Cunningham went from helping with voter registration to taking part in the nonviolent direct action, picketing a Louisville theater on behalf of black students who wanted to see “Porgy & Bess.” He later recruited other young activists, and together they...
Jun 21, 2017•15 min
J. Bruce Miller pursues excellence in everything he does. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. and J.D. receiving cum laude honors. In 1965, Miller founded the J. Bruce Miller Law Group which specializes in corporate litigation. He has also served four terms as Jefferson County attorney with responsibility to represent the local government in all civil matters. Miller is also known for his attempts to attract a professional basketball franchise to Louisville. Miller wrote the 2004...
Jun 21, 2017•16 min
Rebecca Jackson was the first woman ever elected Jefferson County, Ky. judge-executive, the county’s highest-ranking elected official. Before that election, Jackson had been active in international relations. She served on a delegation fostering relationships with local governments in China and with the International Republican Institute, observing Russian parliamentary elections and the selection of a Bulgarian presidential candidate. Jackson is a graduate of the University of Louisville where ...
Jun 21, 2017•11 min
