HENDERSON, Ky. — The latest group of emerging community leaders from the 15th class of the Henderson Leadership Initiative presented four community improvement initiatives at a commencement ceremony on Thursday evening.
Presented to HLI Fellows, community leaders, friends and family at the commencement were the following initiatives:
- Virtual Citizens Academy: This initiative is partnering with the Henderson City and County Governments to better educate the citizens of Henderson County on the workings of those entities. The class members are continuing to create eight to ten videos that will focus on various departments and their respective roles in our local government. These videos will be available to the public by October of 2025 and will be virtually accessible. Citizens will be notified of completion via social media platforms.
Presenting this project were HLI class members Travis Girten, Holly Gold, Erin Spence, and David Wright.
- Women’s Honor Court: This initiative will bring fresh attention to and make the Women’s Honor Court, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this past year, an even more attractive and special destination for Hendersonians and guests. Originally created as a focal point to celebrate and honor women, now the Court will boast lighted signage for its visitors, making it easily visible and even more inviting. This group of class members worked with local businesses and experts to create a powder-coated, backlit sign which was installed in the Court this week.
Presenters included Tiffany Darnell, Logan Hazelwood, Dillon Herdegen, , Levi Johnston, and Warner Mattingly.
- Life Launch Conference: This initiative was formed from data suggesting that many young adults are lacking in financial literacy knowledge. In order to fill those gaps, The Life Launch Conference, which is free to participants, will be hosted on April 3, 2025. The conference, led by local community experts, will cover topics such as banking, budgeting, loans, taxes, insurance, and other topics. It will be held at the Henderson Community College Cyber Cafe from 10:00 – 2:00 and is open to any community member. All attendees receive a goodie bag but space is limited. Be sure to register by March 14, 2025 if interested.
Presenters included Hattie Hancock, Molli Johnson, Mallory Kramer, and Rohdene Rollins.
- MYKY7: This initiative has collaborated with Family Scholar House to bring the MyKY.info kiosks to Henderson. These kiosks have a web-based app that will allow users in need of free local resources and services to easily access information with the click of a button. Kiosks will be located at the Henderson County Public Library, the Housing Authority of Henderson, and the Henderson Community College. There will be a ribbon-cutting and demonstration ofthe kiosks at the Henderson County Public Library on January 21, 2025 at 11:00 A.M.
Presenters included Kate Baker, Sarah Bryant, Shanda Dixon, Emily Hurt, Kate Pride, Lindsay Thompson, and Alyssa Vandiver.
“The brainstorming of community projects has been a hallmark of HLI since the program launched in 2007,” Scott Davis, an HLI co-founder who chairs the organization’s board, said. “The initiatives are intended to benefit Henderson as well as provide practical experience in community leadership to class members.”
With Thursday’s commencement, Henderson Leadership Initiative has graduated more than 280 HLI Fellows for community service.
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