Walter A. Baker is an attorney in Glasgow, Kentucky. He graduated from Harvard College (A.B. Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and from Harvard Law School (LL.B.). Baker served as a state representative from Kentucky’s 23rd House District from 1968-1971 and as a state senator from the 9th Senatorial District from 1972-1981 and from 1989-1996. He was the Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs, Office of Secretary of Defense in the Department of Defense from 1981-1983 and a Justice in the Kentucky Supreme Court in 1996. Baker served as Judge Advocate with the rank of Lt. Colonel for the USAFR, Kentucky Air National Guard, from 1961-1981. He received the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency Outstanding Service Award (1975), Dept. of Defense Outstanding Public Service Award (1983), the Louisville-Jefferson County Crime Commission Legislator of the Year Award (1990 and 1992), the Barren River ADD William H. Natcher Award for Outstanding Public Service (1995), and the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce “Ernie Award” (1996). He is a Life Member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, serves on the Council for Postsecondary Education, and is First Vice President of the Kentucky Historical Society.

Betty Winston Bayé is an editorial writer and columnist for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. The Brooklyn, New York, native earned a bachelor’s degree at Hunter College, City University of New York, and earned a master’s degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. In the 1960s, Bayé was a community organizer for the New York Office of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating, and performed with Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theater in Harlem. For many years, Bayé was a secretary or administrative assistant for The Presbyterian Church U.S.A., the Episcopal Church’s General Convention Special Program, Metromedia, The National Committee of Black Churchmen, the Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC) of New York, the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), and the National Council of Churches’ Office of Church and Society. Bayé’s first job in journalism was as a reporter covering politics, housing and community development for The Daily Argus newspaper in Mount Vernon, NY. In 1984, she joined The Courier-Journal in Louisville as a general assignment reporter, and has been with The Courier-Journal since in various capacities, including assistant city editor and Neighborhoods editor. Bayé spent the academic year 1990-91 at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow. Upon her return to Louisville, she joined The Courier-Journal’s editorial board, and soon thereafter launched a weekly op-ed column, which now is syndicated nationally by the Gannett News Service. Betty Bayé’s novel, The Africans, was published in 1983. In the early 1980s, she was an adjunct lecturer in Hunter College’s Communications Department. In recent years, Bayé has been featured in or has contributed to the following books: Children of the Dream: the Psychology of Black Success; The History of the National Association of Black Journalists; Work Sister Work; Thinking Black: Some of the Nation’s Best Black Columnists Speak Their Mind; and Kentucky Women: Two Centuries of Indomitable Spirit and Vision. Her memberships include the Black Alumni Network of Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism; the National Association of Black Journalists; the Louisville Association of Black Communicators; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.; Louisville Chums Inc.; and St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville.

John M. Berry, Jr. is a member of the law firm of Berry & Floyd, P.S.C., in New Castle, Kentucky. He was elected to the Senate from the 26th Senatorial District of Kentucky in 1973 and re-elected in 1977. Berry was selected by the Kentucky Press Association in the 1974, 1976, and 1978 sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly as the Outstanding Legislator in the Public Interest and in 1976 as the Outstanding Legislator and the Outstanding Consumer Legislator. In the 1980 session, Berry was elected Majority Floor Leader of the Senate, once again selected by the Kentucky Press Association as the Outstanding Legislator as well as the Most Effective Legislator for his Party. Berry was formerly Chairman of the Governor’s Solid Waste Commission, Chairman of the Governor’s Hazardous Waste Commission, and President of the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association. He serves as General Counsel for the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, Chairman of the Board of United Citizens Bank and Trust Company, and as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Family Farms. He accomplished his undergraduate education at the University of Kentucky and Stetson University and received his law degree from the University of Louisville School of Law. Berry and his wife Carol have five children.

John Y. Brown III is presently Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He is a graduate of the Kentucky public school system; Bellarmine College, B.A. (magna cum laude); and the University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D. (with distinction). Prior to his election, Secretary of State Brown served as the Director of Franchising for Roasters Corporation and worked with entrepreneurs who started franchises in 37 states and several foreign countries. He was responsible for over $9 million in company profits derived from franchise fees. He had also worked as a Summer Associate at Brown, Todd, and Heyburn and Stoll, Keenon, and Park. Brown won his first election in 1995 in a statewide race for Secretary of State by a 14 percent margin, garnering over 500,000 votes. His father, John Y. Brown Jr., was governor of Kentucky from 1979-83. His grandfather, John Y. Brown Sr., was a member of the U.S. Congress from 1932-34 and was a five-term Kentucky state representative with one term as Speaker of the House. Brown and his wife Rebecca J. Brown have two children, John Y. Brown IV and Margaret Sarah Brown.

Paul W. Chellgren is currently Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Ashland Inc. He joined Ashland in 1974 as Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. In 1977 he was named Administrative Vice President of Ashland Chemical Company in Columbus, Ohio, and became a Group Vice President of that division the following year. He was named Senior Vice President and Group Operating Officer of Ashland Inc. in 1980 with responsibility for Ashland Chemical Company, Ashland Coal, Inc. and Ashland Development. In January 1988 he was elected Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Four years later in January 1992 he was elected President and Chief Operating Officer and a member of the board of directors of Ashland Inc. He is also a director of Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE) and former Chairman of the Board. Chellgren is currently a director or trustee of PNC Bank Corp., Medtronic, Inc., the University of Kentucky, Centre College, and the American Petroleum Institute. He is a member of the Business Roundtable (Policy Committee), National Petroleum Refiners Association, and Society of the Chemical Industry. He is also a member of the University of Kentucky Fellows; a director of both the Marshall University Foundation and Foundation for the Tri-State Community; trustee of both the Cincinnati Museum of Art and the Taft Museum in Cincinnati; vice chairman of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts; and Director and Secretary/Treasurer of American Friends of University College, Oxford, Inc. Chellgren earned a B.S. from the University of Kentucky, an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a D.D.E. from Oxford University, Oxford, England. Prior to joining Ashland, Chellgren was an associate with McKinsey and Company in London, England, and Washington, D.C.; served as an operations analyst in the Office of Secretary of Defense in Washington, D.C.; was an administrative assistant for Boise Cascade in Boise, Idaho, and division general manager in Los Angeles; and was general manager of Universal Capital Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. Chellgren was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He and his wife, Sheila, currently reside in Villa Hills, Kentucky, and have three children.

Dr. Stephen Clements is beginning his third year as an Assistant Professor in the University of Kentucky’s Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation. From mid-1999 to late June of 2000, he worked in the Commissioner’s Office, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), as Special Assistant for Teacher Data Issues, and continues to assist KDE in improving its data system. His teaching and research have focused on politics and policymaking in education, especially at the elementary and secondary levels. Prior to his faculty appointment he was on the staff of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. Before coming to central Kentucky, Clements studied school reform as a graduate student at the University of Chicago, where he earned his Ph.D. in political science. He has also served as Associate Director of Vanderbilt University’s Washington, DC-based Educational Excellence Network and as research associate with the United States Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

Dr. Gordon K. Davies is the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. The Council on Postsecondary Education was created by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1997 as part of a higher education reform effort initiated by Governor Paul Patton. Davies joined the Council in 1998 as its first president. He came to Kentucky with extensive experience in state higher education system coordination, having served from 1977 until 1997 as director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Before coming to Kentucky, Davies was a visiting professor in the Department of Organization and Leadership at the Teachers College of Columbia University. Davies’ lengthy tenure in Virginia was marked by substantial enrollment growth in the state-supported colleges and universities, and by innovative program and funding initiatives that helped place Virginia in the forefront of American higher education. He was principal author of “The Case for Change,” the report issued by Virginia’s Commission on the University of the 21st Century (1989). The report drew national and international attention, with presentations to representatives of about one dozen foreign countries and more than half the American states and territories. Davies also has served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, has held marketing positions in the computing industry, was a founding dean of a new public college, and taught Religious Studies at Yale University. He has been a strong advocate for equal educational opportunity for 30 years, having directed the Harvard-Yale-Columbia Intensive Summer Studies Program from 1968 to 1971. The program offered educational enrichment to students from the nation’s historically black colleges and universities, helping them prepare for graduate and professional study. His degrees are from Yale University in English (B.A.) and Philosophy of Religion (M.A. and Ph.D.). He has been awarded six honorary degrees. He has competed in more than two dozen marathons, including five at Boston, and has done rock climbing and mountaineering on four continents.

Representative Jon E. Draud is a member of the Kentucky General Assembly, representing the 63rd House Legislative District. Draud is an educator and obtained his Ed.D. from the University of Cincinnati, and M.A. degrees from both Xavier University and Eastern Kentucky University. He has held positions on the Crestview Hills City Council and the Kenton County School Board, and was Superintendent of Ludlow Public Schools from 1978-1997. Draud has been honored as the A.D. Albright Outstanding Administrator of the year (1993) and the Kenton County Educator of the Year (1992). He has been inducted into the Ludlow High School Athletic Hall of Fame (1993) and the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame (1998). Draud is the founder of Northern Kentucky Business Educator Alliance (1991-1997). He served on the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents Board of Directors (1992-1997), was the baseball coach for the 1963 Holmes High School State Champions, and served as the Northern Kentucky School Boards Association Secretary (1992-1994) and Northern Kentucky Superintendents Association President (1994). The Ludlow Public Schools Administration Building was named the “Dr. Jon E. Draud Administrative Center” in his honor. Draud and his wife Beverly have two sons, Dr. Jon W. Draud and Scott M. Draud, and one daughter, Dr. Kimberly Draud Rohmiller.

Dr. Melissa Evans-Andris received her Ph.D. in 1991 from Indiana University where she specialized in sociology of work and education. She joined the faculty of the University of Louisville in 1989. Evans-Andris teaches Occupations/Organizations, Sociology of Education, and Social Theory and Statistics. Her research interests are innovation in organizations and implementation of computer technology in schools.

Kevin Fields is a native of Louisville. He graduated from Western Kentucky University earning a B.S. in Civil Engineering Technology. He received his Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Louisville in 1993. In 2000, Fields launched the operations of Urban Technologies, Inc. (UTI), an independent consulting firm servicing community planning and development needs for government agencies and community-based, nonprofit organizations. UTI provides “Community Solutions Facilitation ^TM” services to guide and support special strategic management initiatives in the areas of housing, workforce development, education, transportation, and technology. He began his career in heavy municipal engineering and construction as a materials technician, then moved on to work in the engineering division of Louisville’s Regional Airport Authority, supporting the development of various airport expansion projects. Fields worked for 14 years as a senior-management-level administrator at the Housing Authority of Louisville. He spearheaded the development of five (5) on-site computer labs within public housing, enabling resident access to technology and helping to bridge the “digital divide.”

Vicki Fields is the Kenton County Schools District Technology Coordinator. As the coordinator, Fields is responsible for maintaining a network of 3000 workstations, 38 file servers and a 20-building WAN. She is also charged with the districts’ vision of integrating technology into the curriculum. She was previously employed by the A.C. Neilsen Company where she performed statistical analysis of data gathered for major corporations and assisted in automating the analyst department. Fields was appointed by the Governor to the Kentucky Information Technology Advisory Council, and served on the Kentucky Architectural Standards Committee and the Governor’s Task Force for Educational Technology. She is also a member of the Kenton County Facilities Committee, the Community Education Advisory, the Northern Kentucky University Technology Task Force, the Forward Quest Technology Committee, the Kentucky Association of Technology Coordinators’ ISTE-International Society of Technology Educators, the Northern Kentucky Association of Instruction Supervisors, and the Association of Supervisors in Curriculum and Development.

Kristy J. Folkwein is the Director of Information Technology Solutions for Ashland Distribution Company. In this position, Folkwein is responsible for developing and maintaining Ashland Distribution’s information technology strategy, with particular focus on its enterprise resource planning and electronic commerce initiatives. She is based in Dublin, Ohio, and reports to Howard E. Camper, vice president of IT Solutions for Ashland Distribution and Ashland Specialty Chemical companies. Folkwein previously served as the manager of IT Solutions for Ashland Distribution Company. She joined Ashland in 1992 as a senior systems engineer with the Information Technology Department. She also has served as a project manager for this group. Folkwein earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Toledo. Ashland Distribution Company, a division of Ashland Inc., is the largest distributor of chemicals, plastics, and fiber reinforcements in North America, a leading distributor of fine ingredients in North America, and a leading Pan-European distributor of plastics. Ashland Distribution has 100 distribution centers serving North America and Europe.

Dr. Thomas R. Ford is a retired University of Kentucky professor of sociology. Prior to his retirement in 1990, Ford served on the faculty of the University of Kentucky for 34 years, including five years as Chairman of the Departments of Sociology and Rural Sociology. During the latter part of this period, Ford was director of the University’s Center for Developmental Change. A specialist in rural sociology and social demography, Ford conducted research in those fields not only in the United States but also in Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Spain. While on leave from the University of Kentucky, he spent two years in Colombia as Resident Representative of The Population Council, a not-for-profit foundation devoted to population and family planning programs in developing countries. During the mid-1960s Ford served as a member of the President’s National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty, chaired by Governor Edward T. Breathitt. A recipient of the University of Kentucky Alumni Award for Excellence in Research and the Sturgill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Study at the University of Kentucky, Ford was elected by his colleagues on the faculty as Distinguished Professor in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences in 1980. He holds baccalaureate and masters degrees from Louisiana State University and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University. He is a member of a number of professional organizations and is past president of the Rural Sociological Society and the Southern Sociological Society. His publications include several books as well as numerous journal articles and technical reports. Included among the books he has authored or edited are Health and Demography in Kentucky, The Southern Appalachians: A Survey, Rural USA, and Social Demography.

Senator Wendell H. Ford, retired United States Senator, served in the U.S. Senate from December 28th, 1974 to January 3rd, 1999. Ford held the position of Assistant Democratic Leader. First elected to the post in 1990, he was reelected, without opposition, to serve in that capacity until his retirement. Ford’s career spans over a quarter of a century in elective office. He began as a Kentucky State Senator in 1965 and was elected Lt. Governor in 1967. Four years later, he became the Commonwealth’s 49th Governor. He was first elected to the United States Senate in 1974. He was reelected by overwhelming margins in 1980 and 1986. In 1992, he made Kentucky history when he received the largest number of votes ever recorded by a candidate for elected office in the Commonwealth. On March 14th, 1998, Ford became Kentucky’s longest serving United States Senator breaking the mark held by Alben Barkley. Ford rose to 11th in overall seniority and ranked 6th among Democrats in the 105th Congress. Over the years, Ford became known as a staunch supporter of the economic interest of Kentucky farmers and a national leader on energy, aviation, federal election reform and other issues. He shaped major legislation in these areas, including the National Voter Registration Act, The Family and Medical Leave Act and a number of national energy and aviation bills. After retiring from the U.S. Senate, Ford joined the firm of Dickstein, Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky as a Senior Legislative Advisor. He is teaching three days a month at the University of Kentucky’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration. He has been actively involved in the development of the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center at the Owensboro Area Museum. The mission of the new center is to encourage students to take an interest in government at all levels and to study and develop issues important to their futures. Born on September 8th, 1924, Ford is a native of Owensboro and a graduate of Daviess County High School. He attended the University of Kentucky and served in the U.S. Army during WWII. After WWII he joined the Kentucky Army National Guard and served 13 years. He is married to the former Jean Neel of Owensboro. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Myk Garn is the Chief Academic Officer of the Kentucky Virtual University. He is responsible for establishing strategic and operational curriculum priorities and plans and managing courseware vendors. He also creates and maintains liaisons with provider institutions and faculty; works with chief academic officers of provider institutions to establish curricula, policies, and procedures; and maintains communications with institutional coordinators to address and manage day-to-day academic operations.

James P. Gray II currently serves in his family’s business enterprise as Managing Director of Gray Capital, an investment vehicle affiliated with the James N. Gray Company. That role includes making investments in early to late-stage private companies, companies involved principally in emerging technologies such as internet infrastructure, business-to-business e-commerce, broadband and wireless. Gray isn’t new to the entrepreneurial world, having been responsible for leading the family’s construction company for more than 20 years in a day-to-day strategic and operating role. Starting early in 1972, following his father’s untimely death, Gray worked in an unusual team with his mother and brothers to grow the fledgling small-town based company into one of the nation’s largest and most respected design/build firms. The James N. Gray Company itself experienced many of the ups and downs we see today among start-ups, giving Jim an unusual perspective on today’s events and the challenges start-up companies encounter. It was just eight years after their father’s death, in 1980, that the family and Gray Construction faced insolvency. By changing their focus from low-margin institutional accounts to private industry, the company recovered and grew significantly. One of Jim Gray’s particular roles in the Gray Company was to build the firm’s national reputation for marketing to international clients, especially to Japanese transplants in the United States. Over time, the Gray Company became recognized for building more Japanese plants in the United States than any other domestic construction firm. Jim Gray is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University in 1996-97. He is a trustee of Berea College and Kentucky Education Television. He is also an advisory board member to iVisionary, a venture fund focused on the build-out of today’s knowledge-driven, Internet-based economy.

Craig Greenberg is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of iVisionary Ventures, a business dedicated to the development of privately held technology companies. The iVisionary team is managed by successful entrepreneurs with recent experience building and operating public and private technology companies. They currently operate two businesses: iVisionary Services and iVisionary Fund Management. iVisionary Services is a strategic services firm that helps technology company executives plan and execute their business development and financial strategies to grow rapidly and increase the value of their companies. iVisionary Fund Management manages a venture capital fund that primarily invests in revenue-generating technology companies. Prior to joining iVisionary, Greenberg was an attorney at Brown, Todd & Heyburn PLLC, one of the largest law firms in the Midwest. At Brown, Todd & Heyburn, Greenberg was a founder and co-chair of the firm’s eLaw Group. Greenberg’s practice focused on advising companies on the legal and business issues which affect their e-commerce strategies, particularly with respect to venture capital financing, corporate structures, securities, and intellectual property. Greenberg graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Journal of Law and Technology, and he is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. While at the University of Michigan, Greenberg was President of the Student Government. Greenberg is currently a Director of the Kentucky eLearning Foundation.

Michael B. Gritton has served as the Director of the City of Louisville’s Office of Strategic Planning for Mayor Dave Armstrong since January 2000. Prior to that, he served for five years as the co-founder and Policy Director of MassINC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit state-level think tank in Massachusetts focused on expanding the size and growth of the middle class in that state (www.massinc.org). He served as the Communications Director for Mark Roosevelt’s Democratic campaign for governor of Massachusetts in 1993-94 and as a press secretary for the Clinton/Gore campaign’s victorious effort in Delaware in 1992. His legal experience includes stints as a law clerk on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, a litigation associate at Rogers & Wells in New York City, and an associate counsel to the President’s Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism in Washington, D.C. He has a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. He’s also a proud graduate of Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Louisville.

Daniel Hall is the Vice President of University Relations, University of Louisville. In that capacity he oversees governmental and public relations for the University of Louisville. Hall is an attorney with experience in private practice specializing in corporate law and has seven years of legislative and political experience working in Washington as the top assistant to former Congressman Ron Mazzoli. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Kentucky Center for Public Issues and the Public Radio Partnership, as well as his position as current Chair of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. Hall has a keen interest in the areas of education, law and civil rights. He is an alumnus of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School.

Johnathan M. Holifield currently serves as Vice President, New Economy Enterprise, for the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. Formerly, Mr. Holifield was an attorney with the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office and Manley, Burke & Lipton, and a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. He received his B.A. in Political Science from West Virginia University, where he was elected to the Board of Governors, won three letters for football and was elected Captain of the team. Johnathan holds both a J.D. and M.Ed. from the University of Cincinnati. Currently, he is Vice President of the NAACP and a board member of American Dream Accounts Program; ArtWorks, Inc.; Downtown Cincinnati Inc.; and YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. Additionally, Johnathan is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and a founder of Build Cincinnati. He was named one of 21 to Watch in the 21st Century by The Cincinnati Enquirer and received The Cincinnati Business Courier Forty Under 40 award for business and civic leadership. Johnathan and his wife Toni live in Cincinnati.

Dr. Larry Jones is an Extension Professor at the University of Kentucky with expertise in macroeconomics, leadership development, and the economic impact of agriculture. His extension/research projects include the Philip Morris Agricultural Leadership Development Program, Distance Learning of Economic Principles, and Impact (I/O) Analyses. Dr. Jones received his B.S. degree from Ohio State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University. He has been published extensively. His articles include “Overview of the Kentucky Agricultural Economy,” The Kentucky Agricultural Outlook for 1998, Department of Agricultural Economics, February 1998; “Contribution of Agricultural Production and Processing to the Kentucky Economy,” Economic Issues Facing Kentucky Agriculture—Fall 1997, Department of Agricultural Economics, October 1997; and “Application of Computer Graphics to Undergraduate Instruction in Agricultural Economics,” American Journal of Agricultural Economics.

Reverend Nancy Jo Kemper became the Executive Director of the Kentucky Council of Churches in June 1991. Since coming to the Kentucky Council of Churches, Kemper has brought the KCC’s public policy to the forefront of media attention. She is frequently cited for work on such issues as gun control, church-state separation, the role and place of religion in public education, death penalty abolition, justice for the poor and gambling expansion. She currently serves as moderator of CAGE, Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, a broad-based coalition of individuals, organizations, and church groups. Kemper has appeared on “CBS This Morning,” “The Today Show,” and is a regular panelist on “Kentucky Tonight” (KET). A native of Lexington, Kentucky, she was educated at Transylvania University (B.A., in 1964, with distinction), and Yale Divinity School (Master of Divinity, 1967). The author of numerous articles, she participated in the Marshall Lectures on Social Change at Transylvania in 1978, and presented the Halford Luccock Lectures (on the work of parish ministry) at the Yale Divinity School in that same year. Ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), she has served congregations of the United Church of Christ denomination during her 30+-year ministry. Her first churches were in New Haven, Connecticut, and Richmond, Virginia. Her pastorates include: Pilgrim Congregational Church, Oak Park, Illinois; Senior Minister of Calvary United Church of Christ in St. Louis, Missouri; and Senior Minister of Park Congregational Church in Toledo, Ohio. Kemper became the Executive Director of the Kentucky Council of Churches in 1991. Since 1996 she has also served as pastor of New Union Christian Church in Woodford County, Kentucky. Kemper is the mother of two daughters. The Kentucky Council of Churches represents eleven member communions, with nearly 2,800 churches and 800,000 members. Its purposes include work on the visible unity of the church and serving as the churches’ advocate on public policy.

Dr. Edward “Skip” Kifer joined the faculty in 1972, coming to Lexington from the University of Chicago and the Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (MESA) specialization. At Chicago he was a Resource Colleague with a Ford Foundation Teacher Training Program, a member of the College Administration staff, and a statistical consultant to the Department of Education. While associated with the University of Kentucky, he has been a Spencer Foundation Fellow at the University of Stockholm and a visiting professor at both SUNY Buffalo and UCLA. Last year he was the AERA Senior Research Fellow at the National Center for Education Statistics. Kifer teaches courses in the quantitative sequence and an introductory evaluation course. His research interests are testing and evaluation broadly construed. He has written test reviews for the Buros Mental Measurement Yearbook, chapters on attitude measurement and construction of attitude measures, and played a major role in designing, implementing, and reporting the results of the Second International Mathematics Study. He was also one of five persons who planned the Commonwealth’s assessment system and serves both on its national technical committee and a technical committee that oversees international evaluation studies.

Kris W. Kimel is a founder and President of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC). During this time, KSTC has been responsible for the development and implementation of a variety of innovative projects in entrepreneurship, manufacturing modernization, R&D and education. KSTC also has two subsidiary companies: Intelligent Change Initiatives, Inc., a nonprofit enterprise, and E¹⁰, Inc., a for-profit firm focusing on helping entrepreneurs start and grow innovative companies. Prior to coming to KSTC, Kimel spent time as a private consultant, serving both public and private sector clients. He also spent twelve years in government, eight as Executive Assistant to Kentucky’s Attorney General and four as the Chief Administrative Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor, where he concentrated on science/technology policy and economic development. Kimel holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky and is the 1974 male recipient of the school’s Sullivan Medallion.

Dr. James C. Klotter received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Kentucky, and has honorary degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and Union College. A native Kentuckian, Klotter is the author, co-author, or editor of a dozen books including A New History of Kentucky; Kentucky: Decades of Discord, 1865-1900; Kentucky: Portrait in Paradox, 1900-1950; William Goeble: The Politics of Wrath; The Breckinridges of Kentucky; Our Kentucky: A Study of the Bluegrass State; and History Mysteries. Klotter was also an associate editor of the Kentucky Encyclopedia and was Executive Director of the Kentucky Historical Society for many years, until his retirement. He is the State Historian and Professor of History at Georgetown College, and he and his wife Freda live in Lexington.

Joanne Lang has been vice president at the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC) since 1996. She directs several initiatives under KSTC’s mission to enhance the capacity of people, firms and organizations to use science and technology to compete successfully in the world marketplace. Currently, she is involved in several key initiatives such as entreSchools™, ideaFestival™, Kentucky’s Science and Technology Strategy, Gorilla Group for Student Entrepreneurs, and the Partnership for Initiatives in Science and Mathematics (PRISM). Prior to joining the KSTC team, Lang spent over 17 years at the Kentucky Council on Higher Education (now known as the Council on Postsecondary Education). Most of that time she served as Deputy Executive Director for Planning. Lang developed three different five-year, statewide strategic plans for higher education, implemented the first-ever system of annual higher education accountability reports, and oversaw Kentucky’s only competition for centers of excellence. Lang established the initial federal Eisenhower higher education math/science program and the on-going network of school-college partnerships throughout eastern Kentucky originally known as Destination Graduation. She also led the creation of the Kentucky Community Service Commission in order for Kentucky to qualify for funding under the national AmeriCorps program. Lang has participated in Leadership Kentucky and the Kentucky Women’s Leadership Network. She also was selected from among national applicants for the Top State Managers Program at Duke University and the Toll Fellowship Program sponsored by the Council of State Governments. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Buffalo State College and a Master of Science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Sylvia L. Lovely has served as the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) Executive Director/CEO since 1990. Prior to that, Lovely served as Director of Intergovernmental Services, staff attorney, and lobbyist for the KLC for two years. With 353 member cities, Lovely advocates on behalf of local leaders, both elected and nonelected. She oversees the activities of 50 staff members who perform a variety of services designed to improve the quality of life and governance in Kentucky’s growing communities. Among the services offered are insurance for cities in liability, property, unemployment, workers’ compensation and health; bond and investment pools; information services; legal assistance; training and education and many other services. In her capacity as KLC Executive Director/CEO, Lovely serves on a variety of boards and commissions in an effort to enhance and maintain the leadership role of Kentucky cities. She also makes numerous appearances throughout the state on behalf of cities speaking on a variety of topics including civic involvement and entrepreneurship in cities. Lovely was recently appointed by Governor Paul Patton to the Morehead State University Board of Regents. She is a member and past chair of the Kentucky Center for Public Issues, a nonprofit group established to foster public discussion on a variety of vital topics; and served on the Kentucky Tax Policy Commission formed by former Governor Brereton Jones, established to review and recommend change to Kentucky tax policy. She is excited about a new program to revitalize Kentucky downtowns called Renaissance Kentucky, that Governor Paul Patton established as a joint venture with Kentucky League of Cities, Kentucky Housing Corporation, and the Kentucky Heritage Council. She also serves as a member of the Board of the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, Southern Municipal Conference, National League of Cities Advisory Board, Bluegrass Area Development District, and the Downtown Lexington Corporation. Lovely also serves on the Executive Committee of Partners for Family Farms, as well as Treasurer of Kentuckians for Better Transportation. On June 24, 1999, Lovely was honored as the Appalachian Woman of the Year by Morehead State University. Lovely is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law and is licensed to practice in Florida and Kentucky. She resides in Lexington with her husband Bernie and two sons, Ross and David.

Chuck Martin, a highly regarded online publisher, lecturer, marketer and author, is chairman and CEO of Net Future Institute, a U.S.-based think tank focusing on the future of the Internet and e-commerce. His latest book is titled Net Future: The 7 Cyber Trends That Will Drive Your Business, Create New Wealth and Define Your Future. A pioneering leader in the interactive marketplace, Martin has the far-reaching vision that is essential for success in the new networked economy. In his New York Times bestseller, The Digital Estate, Martin provided a leading strategic guide to operating a business on the Internet. In the book, Martin explains that the Net is a totally new environment, not simply a place to extend your existing business. He outlines 20 key concepts and business themes.

Dr. Sue Hodges Moore has been employed by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education since 1994 and currently serves as its Executive Vice President. Prior to that she served as Vice President for Academic Affairs from 1996 to 2000 and as Director of Finance from 1994 to 1996. Moore is the principal author of the Council’s “2020 Vision: A Strategic Agenda for Kentucky Postsecondary Education.” This report communicates the postsecondary education system’s commitment to making Kentucky a better place to live and work. In addition to her role at the Council, Moore served from February through June of 1998 as Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. She was instrumental in leading the Council’s Commonwealth Virtual University until its Chief Executive Officer was hired in 1999. Beyond her coordinating board work, she has extensive administrative experience in a university setting. In the early 1990s, Moore served as Director of Planning and Institutional Research at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. From 1983-88, she was employed at the University of Louisville as Assistant Director of Planning and Budget. She began her career in the finance and budget area at Northern Kentucky University in 1977. Moore completed her baccalaureate work at Northern Kentucky University and has an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1994, she received her Doctorate in Education Administration from the University of Louisville. A native of Northern Kentucky, Moore now lives in Louisville with her husband Ron Moore, who is the University of Louisville’s Vice President for Information Technology, and their 6 year-old daughter, Aubrey.

Jim Nelson has served as State Librarian and Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives since 1980. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado and the University of Kentucky’s College of Library Science, where he was named Outstanding Alumnus in 1985. He has held positions in the library schools at the Universities of Wisconsin and Kentucky; was a Speechwriter for Governor Wendell Ford; served as the Director of the Hardin County Public Library; and was a volunteer in the U.S. Peace Corps. Nelson has served in advisory roles with the Gates Library Foundation; the W.K. Kellogg Foundation; the U.S. Congress, Office for Technology Assessment; and the U.S. Department of Education. He has held national offices in the American Library Association and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies as well as writing for and editing various national publications in library science and information policy. Nelson also served as Chair of the Kentucky Information Resources Management Commission. In that capacity, he served on the CIO Governance Team established under the new Chief Information Officer Management System and was involved in the major IT transition plan for state government. He also chairs the Steering Committee which is developing a Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual Library as part of the  Council on Postsecondary Education. Nelson chairs the Kentucky Archives and Records Commission and is a permanent member of the Kentucky Library Association Board of Directors.

Corrie Orthober is a graduate student in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. She also teaches a course in the department. She is a former Louisville high school teacher and a former intern with the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. She and her husband John reside in Lexington with their newborn son, Benjamin August “Gus” Orthober.

Douglas Robinson is the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office for Technology’s Office of Policy and Customer Relations for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In that position he is the senior executive responsible for state government information technology (IT) strategic planning, information policy, enterprise architecture and customer relationship management. His responsibilities include advancing the IT architecture of the state, promoting opportunities for electronic government services, emerging technology research and promoting best practices in IT management. As an IT process owner, Robinson has been actively involved in Governor Patton’s EMPOWER Kentucky initiative for reengineering state government. He has 22 years experience in the information technology arena including IT consulting, researching emerging technologies, public policy issues, electronic access and dissemination strategies and technology transfer. He is a member of several national groups and many commissions, boards and committees related to information technology and information resources management. Robinson has also served as Executive Director of the Kentucky Information Resources Management (KIRM) Commission in the Office of the Chief Information Officer for the Commonwealth, Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Geographic Information Systems, Information Resources Consultant in the Commissioner’s Office of the Department of Information Systems, and as Interim Director and Technology Transfer Coordinator for the NASA Technology Applications Center at the University of Kentucky. Robinson earned a B.A. from Maryville College (TN) and an M.P.A. with a concentration in science, technology, and public policy from the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Graham Rowles is a social geographer with an interest in the humanistic tradition who, for the past 20 years, has focused his research on the geography of aging and the aged. A primary emphasis of this work has been exploration of the changing relationship between elderly people and their environment. Rowles has studied elderly people in an urban, inner city environment, in rural Appalachia, and in a variety of residential and institutional settings. He is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Gerontology, and is editor of the Journal of Applied Gerontology. Recent research has included investigation of the impact of elderly migration in Appalachia, a major project investigating family involvement in nursing home decisionmaking (funded by the National Institute on Aging), and research on long-term care of the rural elderly. Reflecting a strong multidisciplinary orientation, he publishes not only in geography and gerontology, but also in fields ranging from environmental and community psychology to occupational therapy. Since 1985 he has served as Associate Director for Social and Behavioral Sciences of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.

James C. Seiffert is a member in the Louisville, Kentucky, law office of Stites & Harbison where he concentrates his practice on entrepreneurial and venture capital transactions with an emphasis in the tax, partnership and general business areas. Seiffert is a graduate of the University of Iowa, and was awarded his J.D. degree from the University of Louisville School of Law (with high distinctions), and his LL.M. in taxation from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. He served as co-chair of the Kentucky Bar Association committee which drafted the Limited Liability Company Act and registered limited liability partnership legislation as well as amendments thereto. Seiffert is the author of Kentucky Corporation Law, Harrison Company (1993), and is a contributing author for the University of Kentucky Continuing Legal Education’s (CLE) first and second edition monographs, Limited Liability Companies in Kentucky (1994, 1998). He has also served as an author for the 1997 University of Kentucky CLE practice handbook, Kentucky Corporation Law (S Corporations) and as a planning committee member, co-chair and speaker for the University of Kentucky CLE’s Biennial Business Associations Institute (1996 and 1998). An active member of the Louisville, Kentucky, Iowa State, and American Bar Associations, Seiffert is widely published and is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education programs. He has also served as an adjunct Professor of Law (Business Planning) at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.

Dr. Gerald L. Smith is an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky Department of History. He is the Director of African-American Studies and teaches classes in American Urban and African-American history. Smith received his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 1988. He is the author of Black Educator in the Segregated South: The Life and Times of Rufus B. Atwood, 1897-1983 (1993) and several articles and essays in journals including the Journal of Urban History. His current research includes: “Black Protest in the Bluegrass State: Kentucky and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1968” and a book length study of blacks in Memphis from 1860 to 1954 (with Professor Kenneth Goings).

Michal Smith-Mello is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, a post she has held since November 1993. In that capacity, she served as the principal author of the Center’s 1994 inaugural biennial trends report, The Context of Change. Additionally, she has served as a co-author/editor of all subsequent trends reports. She has written, co-authored, and edited reports on a range of topics for the Center, including rural development, workforce development, entrepreneurship, the status of women in Kentucky, and health care. Additionally, she has been a co-author and editor of the Center’s series of Visioning Kentucky’s Future reports which are issued biennially. She created the Center’s quarterly publication, Foresight, and continues as its editor. In addition to writing and editing, Smith-Mello assumes responsibility for the design of most of the Center’s publications. Prior to joining the Center, she had worked as a journalist and held various editorial and research posts. In those capacities, she wrote and edited numerous articles, reports, and publications. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, she holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English. She is married to Scott Mello, a Frankfort attorney, and has two adult stepchildren.

Jane B. Stephenson is the Appalachian Director of the Steele-Reese Foundation and Founder and former Executive Director of the New Opportunity School for Women. Stephenson has served as Executive Director of the Berea Chamber of Commerce, Assistant Professor of Business and Economics at Berea College, Director of the University of Kentucky Human Relations Center, Director of Academic Support Services at the University of Kentucky, and Coordinator of Student Services at the University of Kentucky. She has taught at both the high school (Lee Edwards High School, Asheville, NC) and college (Lees-McRae College) levels and served an academic internship in the Office of Assistant to the Vice President for Continuing Education at the University of Kentucky. Stephenson has served on the Boards of Directors of Berea Hospital, the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), Kentucky Arts and Crafts Foundation, Foster Care Review Board for Madison County, Mountain Maternal Health League, Kentucky National Identification Program for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education Administration, League of Women Voters, and the Encyclopedia of Appalachia. In addition, Stephenson has served as a member of the Eastern Kentucky Women’s Leadership Advisory Board and as Chairperson of the Elderhostel State Advisory Board. She has been a Volunteer Coordinator for the Berea Forum and a member of the Kentucky Women’s Leadership Network, Leadership Madison County, and the American Association of University Women. She has served as Commissioner for both the Kentucky Commission on Women and the Kentucky Appalachian Commission. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Adult Education, as Co-Chair of the Women’s History Committee at Berea College, and as Chairperson for both the Student Services Division, National University Continuing Education Association and the Committee on the Distant Learner, University of Kentucky. Stephenson’s awards and honors include the Woman Advocate for Women Award (1996) presented by the “Women Mean Business Conference,” Lexington, Kentucky; an Honorary Degree from Berea College (1995) for commitment to service and lifelong learning; Alumni Distinguished Service Award (1994) from the Alumni Association, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Athena Award (1991) by the Berea Chamber of Commerce to individuals who attain and personify the highest level of professional excellence; Anderson Medal (1991), the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s highest honor for citizens who enhance the opportunity for equality; Women as Agents of Change Award (1990), AAUW, State of Kentucky Award; Citizen of the Year (1989), Berea Lions Club; Women of Achievement (1988 and 1998), state and local award presented by the business and Professional Women of Kentucky; and the Smith-Breckinridge Distinguished Service Award (1999) by the YWCA of Lexington. Stephenson holds an A.A. from Lees-McRae College, a B.S. in Business Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an M.S. in Business Education from Appalachian State University, and an M.S. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Eugene Steuerle is a native Kentuckian and a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and author of a weekly column, “Economic Perspective,” for Tax Notes Magazine. At the Institute he has conducted extensive research on budget and tax policy, Social Security, charitable sector issues, health care and welfare reform. He also serves as chair of the Technical Panel advising Social Security on its methods and assumptions. Steuerle discusses the future of Social Security and ways state governments and nonprofits may be affected as the federal government finds it increasingly difficult to initiate and sustain a variety of spending programs. He is the author, co-author, or editor of eight books, and more than 125 reports and articles, 500 columns and 45 congressional testimonies or reports.

Randall S. Stevens is Founder and President of ArchVision, Inc. Founded in 1991, the company has become one of the premier providers of architectural visualization services in the United States. ArchVision’s clients range from small private high schools, colleges, and universities to the world famous Crystal Cathedral ministries in Southern California. ArchVision has recently expanded its impact on the design visualization community by developing innovative software solutions for representing organic objects such as people and trees in computer graphics. ArchVision experienced tremendous growth during 1998 and 2000 and now employs 14 people with backgrounds based in architecture and computer science. As of September 1999, ArchVision’s RPC technology is now being shipped as a standard feature of Autodesk’s 3D Studio VIZ software and is expected to reach 40,000 users over the next 12-month period. Stevens is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Architecture. He has been a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences on topics ranging from applications for visualization technology in professional sports marketing to the use of computer graphics in complex litigation. Stevens currently teaches computer visualization courses as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Kentucky College of Architecture

Craig True of Fort Thomas is the managing partner of the Consumer and Industrial Products Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers. True serves on the board of trustees of Northern Kentucky University Financial Foundation and the Northern Kentucky Chapter of the Kentucky Council for Economic Education. He is a former board member of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Brighton Center in Newport, and United Way-Northern Kentucky. True is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University.

Aldona K. Valicenti was appointed the first Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and a member of the Executive Cabinet by Governor Paul E. Patton in December 1997. During her tenure she has established the CIO position through legislation and has undertaken a transformation of how information technology services are delivered in state government. The Governor’s EMPOWER Kentucky initiative identified information technology as a key enabler. Recently, Valicenti was instrumental in forming the Governor’s Office for Technology, which brought several separate agencies into a cohesive organizational structure. The 2000 General Assembly ratified the Executive Order for the reorganization. Valicenti has BS and MS degrees in scientific disciplines and began her career with the Dow Corning Corporation. In 1976 she joined the Amoco Corporation and for the next 21 years held positions of increasing responsibility, including Manager, System Development and Support; Divisional CIO for the Amoco Chemical Company; and Manager, Customer Solutions, Information Technology Shared Services, a supplier of information technology services to the Amoco Corporation. Valicenti is a member and leader of various state and national organizations: First Vice President, NASIRE, Representing Chief Information Officers of the States; Board of Directors, Women Executives in State Government (WESG); Kentucky Criminal Justice Council; Chair, Unified Criminal Justice Information Systems Committee; Information Technology Task Force, National Governor’s Association; Information Technology Advisory Council; Geographic Information Systems Advisory Council; Telehealth Board; City of Louisville, Mayor’s Information Technology Strategy Council; Industrial Board of Advisors for the Computer Engineering and Computer Science Dept., University of Louisville; Advisory Board Member, Intergovernmental Technology Conference (ITC); Public Safety Wireless Network Executive Committee; Distance Learning Advisory Council; and Postsecondary Education Technology Advisory Committee.

Larry Vignola joined Fidelity and FIRSCo’s Emerging Corporate Market in 1997 as the Regional Sales Manager. Vignola experienced increasing responsibility in managing the Sales organization and was named Senior Vice President/National Sales Manager in January of 2000. In this capacity, he oversees all distribution channels including face-to-face, telesales and the Internet. Prior to joining Fidelity, Vignola spent over 15 years with Aetna Financial Services in a variety of roles including the Regional Sales Director, Production Manager, and the Assistant Vice President of Marketing. Vignola has a BA from Florida Southern College.

Dr. John Watkins can often be found in the Canadian wilderness, a snow cave in Minnesota, a high mountain in the Rockies, or a cavern deep underground. This may sound like the field setting of a physical geographer, and once upon a time, Watkins actually was a physical geographer. Then he discovered people, and since 1982 his research has concentrated on the spatial character and behavior of populations. Trained as a mathematical demographer, but armed with ethnographic skills associated with life history narratives, he applies his craft in studies of population aging and the aged, population growth and redistributional impacts, and “spatialized” life course dynamics and theory. Watkins also spends his time on the faculty of the Ph.D. Program in Gerontology at the University of Kentucky where he is the Director of Graduate Studies.

Amy L. Watts is a Policy Analyst with the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. She received a B.A. in economics from the University of Kentucky in 1994 and an M.A. in economics from the University of New Mexico in 1997. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in economics at the University of New Mexico and plans to complete her Ph.D. requirements by the fall of 2001. She is a native of Lexington and taught economics at Eastern Kentucky University during the last academic year. Watts’ professional interests are in environmental and natural resource economics, econometrics, and applied microeconomics.

William H. Wilson is Deputy Executive Director for Education and Outreach for the Kentucky Authority for Educational Television. He is responsible for the delivery of instructional television services to over 600,000 school children and 35,000 teachers in all 178 school districts in Kentucky. Additionally, Wilson is responsible for the distance learning activities of the network. A native of Lexington, Wilson received his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Kentucky State University in 1967 and master’s in educational psychology and counseling from the University of Kentucky in August 1968. Wilson is active in numerous local, state, and national organizations and has received several honors for his contributions in the field of adult and continuing education. Wilson received the Award for Excellence from the Kentucky Literacy Commission in 1992, and he received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Outreach from the National GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education in 1993. Most recently, Wilson received the Charles W. Anderson, Jr. Award (1997) for achievements in promoting equal employment opportunities and the Lauren K. Weinberg Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice for community service (1998). Wilson enjoys sports (tennis), reading, and music; he is married and is the father of a son.