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Measures and Milestones 2006:
Trends Affecting Kentucky’s Future
 
The 13th Annual Conference of the

November 14, 2006

Lexington Convention Center
Lexington, Kentucky


Because we live in an era of unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the need to anticipate and prepare for what lies ahead has become central to the work and mission of government. In light of the many trends affecting the state, attendees at the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center's November 14th conference, Measures and Milestones 2006: Trends Affecting Kentucky's Future, were asked to submit a "Big Idea for Kentucky" for seizing future opportunities or avoiding costly mistakes.  The list of those submitted by attendees is unedited and unreviewed. If you are interested in viewing the list, please click here to send a request and it will be sent to you via an attachment in a separate e-mail. However, reference to any specific ideas, comments, or suggestions does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, its Board of Directors, or its staff.
Multiple aspects of Kentucky's future will be explored and discussed at this conference:

Leadership & Civic Engagement — How can Kentucky’s communities marshal the civic energy required to shape a more prosperous future?  Sylvia Lovely, Executive Director/CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities and President of the NewCities Institute, Tom Prather, Executive Vice President, NewCities Institute, Dr. Gloria S. McCall, Vice-Chancellor for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and Mac Wall, Executive Director, KET, will discuss strategies for cultivating much-needed civic leadership and engagement in solving the problems and seizing the opportunities Kentucky’s communities face.

The following eight concurrent sessions will be held:
 

Economy — What sectors should Kentucky focus on to help build and sustain prosperity? Kris Kimel, President, Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, and Dr. Kenneth R. Troske, Director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and William B. Sturgill Professor of Economics at UK, will present research on what it will take to catapult Kentucky’s economy forward.
 

Health — What health issues present the greatest challenge to the Commonwealth’s future? Dr. Susan Zepeda, Executive Director, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, with UK professors Dr. Michael Samuels and Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield, who will discuss their respective work on rural health status and health needs and a statewide public deliberation project on health issues.
 

Aging Population, Fraying Benefits  — How will Kentucky accommodate the needs of its growing population of elders, particularly in light of the declining benefits? Dr. Graham Rowles, Graduate Center for Gerontology at the University of Kentucky, will present findings from the Kentucky Elder Readiness Initiative, and Michal Smith-Mello, Senior Policy Analyst, Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, will discuss the changing landscape of retirement benefits.
 

Broadband & Technology — How can broadband and technology-based development help Kentucky remain a place where people will choose to live, work, or raise a family? Brian Mefford, President and Chief Executive Officer, ConnectKentucky, and Doug Robinson, Executive Director, National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), will discuss how this nationally acclaimed initiative can move our communities toward a brighter economic future.
 

Education — What challenges remain for Kentucky in its quest for educational excellence? Dr. Robert Sexton, Executive Director, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Dr. Jim Applegate, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, and Dr. William Turner, Vice President for University Engagement and Associate Provost for Multicultural and Academic Affairs at UK, will discuss the basics of educational advancement in Kentucky.
 

Environment & Energy — What do these inextricably linked issues portend for the future?  Jo Hargis, Executive Director, Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission (EQC), along with Dr. Talina Mathews, the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy, and Scott R. Smith, former chief of staff and executive director of Regulatory Affairs for the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, will discuss environmental and energy trends and their implications for the economy, public health, and other issues.
 

Immigration & Demographics — How will Kentucky’s demographic profile change in the years to come and what do these changes portend for the state’s future? Ron Crouch, Director, Kentucky State Data Center, University of Louisville, and Mark Schirmer, Research Assistant, Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, will share projections on the immigrant population and discuss their implications for the state’s future.
 

Agriculture — What forces are shaping the future of farming in Kentucky and how will rural Kentucky fare? Keith Rogers, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, and Dr. David Freshwater, Professor in UK’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Martin School of Public Policy, will present the results of 13 public meetings being held across Kentucky to discuss the future of the Agricultural Development Fund and what it suggests about Kentucky’s long-term plan for agricultural, community, and rural development.
Registration is available at the door.

The Board of Directors of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center will again present the Vic Hellard, Jr. Award for service in the interest of Kentucky’s future at the Center’s annual conference. For award criteria, please visit the Hellard Award page.