Holland founded cineBLAST! which the Hollywood Reporter in 1999 and 2000 called one of the top ten production companies in New York City. He was an editor[4]before he sold cineBLAST! in 2000 at the height of the tech boom.[2] Before that he worked for three years at the French Film Office / Unifrance after a brief stint at October Films.[5]

Holland is also the founder of sonaBLAST! Records, an independent record label featuring Ben Sollee, Nerves Junior, Kyle James Hauser, The Pass, Cheyenne Marie Mize,[6] The Old Ceremony,[7] and Irish singer-songwriter Mark Geary, whose 2004 release Ghosts featuring backing vocals by Josh Ritter and Glen Hansard is nearing gold status and received critical acclaim in Ireland and the USA. The company moved with Holland to Louisville in 2007.[7]

Together with his wife, Augusta Brown Holland, Gill Holland developed The Green Building.[8][9] This renovation of a historic building opened in the Fall of 2008 in the area that he dubbed NuLu[9][10][11] (a.k.a. the East Market District), the heart of Louisville's arts district. It provides offices for SonaBLAST! Records, Holland Brown Books and The Group Entertainment. They then went on to landmark and develop almost a block of neighboring historic buildings. He is the author of two fund-raising art books for children, "Louisville Counts" and "L is for Louisville."[6][12] Louisville Magazine named Gill its 2009 Person of the Year.

He has been dubbed the "Mayor of NuLu", by a Louisville magazine NFocus, after all of his efforts towards the East Market Disctrict.[13] In 2013, he turned his attention to the Portland neighborhood in Louisville's West End and is opening the Compassion Building and working on rehabilitating 100 historic shotgun houses. Board and commission service includes Actors Theatre of Louisville, Louisville Film Society, Fund for the Arts, Speed Art Museum, Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Louisville Public Media, Kentucky Film Commission, KY Governor's School for the Arts Advisory Council, International Bluegrass Music Museum.

Kent Oyler is the President and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc. He joined Greater Louisville Inc. in June 2014. He leads GLI, the metro chamber of commerce, in retaining and growing existing businesses, including supporting the entrepreneurial and start-up community; attracting and preparing a skilled and talented workforce to support local businesses and; and driving advocacy efforts aimed at creating a more business-friendly environment. Prior to GLI served as managing partner of OPM Services, Inc., a financial-services and investment firm. 

After earning business and MBA degrees from the University of Louisville, Kent Oyler worked for a predecessor to PNC bank and later joined a large private manufacturing company where he rose to become its CFO. In 1992 he founded OPM Services and began a career as a serial entrepreneur, launching 19 new ventures in a variety of industries. In 1997 he co-founded broadband internet provider High Speed Access Corp. which went public in a 1999 offering that still ranks as Kentucky’s largest IPO.

Throughout his career Kent has also been very active in the philanthropic and civic worlds. He has served on the board for Leadership Louisville, Junior Achievement,Kentucky Science Center, Metro YMCA, University of Louisville, Venture Connectors, Tocqueville Society, and the Metro Police Foundation, amongst others. Kent served on GLI’s board for a total of 8 years and has chaired GLI’s EnterpriseCorp twice. From 2000-2008 he served as the Mayor’s Liaison for Entrepreneurship. Kent has been recognized as Cashflow magazine’s Treasurer of the Year, E&Y Master Entrepreneur and Business First Small Business Leader of The Year. 

Keith Reese is the the General Manager of Valhalla Golf Club. He oversees the facility's operations, memberships and staff, as Valhalla prepares to host the 96th PGA Championship in 2014.

Reese, the 2008 Kentucky PGA Section Golf Professional of the Year and the Section's PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Private Facilities in 1999, 2000 and 2001, has served Valhalla for nearly 25 years as PGA head professional and originally as PGA first assistant professional. He will manage all aspects of the club, including its activities and relations with its members, guests, employees, community, government and industry.

Regularly ranked as one of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" by Golf Digest, Valhalla Golf Club is owned and operated by The PGA of America. Valhalla has hosted the 1996 and 2000 PGA Championship, 2008 Ryder Cup, 2004 and 2011 Senior PGA Championship and the 2002 PGA Professional National Championship. The 96th PGA Championship will be held at Valhalla Golf Club, Aug. 4-10, 2014.

"Keith Reese is a highly respected PGA Professional at Valhalla Golf Club," said PGA Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua. "He has served The PGA of America and Valhalla members for nearly a quarter-century, while leading the golf staff in staging some of the most compelling events in PGA history. We are thrilled that Keith will oversee the management of Valhalla, in order to provide the highest quality golf experience for its members and guests, while furthering the Club's standing as one of the world's premier private facilities."

A 1987 graduate of Augusta (Ga.) College, Reese was elected to PGA membership in 1992. He has obtained advanced education in the PGA Certified Professional Program, with certifications in Executive Management, General Management and Golf Operations.

Djorn Buchholz is the President of Louisville City Football Club. Buchholz possesses a 13-year history of professional soccer management and fan engagement in the sport. He has served management roles with USL, NASL (North American Soccer League) and MLS (Major League Soccer) clubs from Indiana, Minnesota, Texas and Kansas. His extensive involvement in front office operations from Director, General Manager, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer has prepared Buchholz to lead LCFC in continuing the championship tradition of the franchise, executing a highly community engaged program, and growing the LCFC fan base. “I’m extremely excited to arrive in Louisville and start this new role,” said Buchholz. “I want to thank the Louisville City FC ownership group for recognizing the soccer possibilities in Louisville and giving me this opportunity. As a team, and as a front office, we will be dedicated to making Louisville City FC an integral part of the community and to continuing the winning tradition of this franchise. I can’t want to meet The Coopers and all of the fans that will help us create a model franchise for USL Pro.”

Buchholz has been with the 2013 MLS Champions, Sporting Kansas City, since May of 2013 as Director of Fan Experience, a role he will resign from on July 23rd in order to join LCFC on August 4. His role with SKC involved management of all aspects of the fan experience for this MLS Championship club that is widely known for having the best fan experience in the league.

Buchholz began his soccer career in 2001 as Director of Operations and Media Relations for the Indiana Blast of the USL A-League. After two years at the Blast, Buchholz was hired as sales and marketing manager of the Minnesota Thunder of the A-League in November of 2003. Buchholz was elevated to General Manager of the club in March of 2005 where he remained until November of 2009.

In mid-November of 2009, Buchholz was hired as CEO of the Austin Aztex where he spent the 2010 season focusing on improving the business side of the organization and putting a winning team on the field. Following the 2010 season, the Aztex franchise moved to Orlando and Buchholz was hired by the NASL to return to Minnesota as CEO of the NSC Minnesota Stars, a team that was league owned at the time. Buchholz was tasked with improving the franchise both on and off the field in an effort to attract a local ownership group.

In Buchholz’s first season back in Minnesota, the fan base increased threefold and the Stars won the 2011 NASL Soccer Bowl. In the 2012 season, the Stars made it once again to the NASL Soccer Bowl, where they lost in penalty kicks to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In January of 2013, it was announced that a new ownership group had purchased the Minnesota Stars and would take control of the franchise for the long term as Minnesota United FC, of which Buchholz was Vice President of Soccer Operations before his departure for Sporting KC. Minnesota United FC recently won the 2014 Spring NASL Championship.

Buchholz holds a Bachelors of Arts with a double major in Marketing and International Studies from Hastings College. Buchholz can be followed on Twitter at @djorn21

Mark Hogg is the Founder and CEO of WaterStep, a non-profit organization that works to save lives around the world with safe water. Since its humble beginnings in 1995 as a small mission-based group of (just me) employees, Mark has lead the organization through a series of transitions and growth resulting in WaterStep becoming a major player in the international fight against waterborne disease. Under Mark’s leadership, WaterStep has successfully implemented safe water projects in more than 30 countries and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Mark is an experienced motivational speaker, drawing on his background as an ordained minister and over 30 years of international travel. His extensive time in the field has uniquely positioned Mark to be an inspirational advocate for global water, sanitation, health and hygiene issues and “the power of one” to make a difference in the world.

Mark’s personal honors include receiving the 2012 Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Ernst & Young and the 2013 Kentucky Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Muhammad Ali Center. Mark has a BBA in Business Management from Belmont University in Nashville, TN and an MDiv from Southern Seminary in 1990 in Louisville, KY. He also founded and owned Hogg Contracting, a remodeling company, from 1986 to 1991. Mark lives in Louisville, KY, where he enjoys time with the three women in his life: his wife, Marcia, his daughter, Ariquonicaa, and his granddaughter, Isabella. Carpentry, walks with Jaz (his Tree Walker Coonhound), and a good book are savored luxuries for him.

Chris Morris is Master Distiller for Brown-Forman Corporation, the seventh since the company began in 1870. A Louisville native, Morris has spent his working life in the bourbon industry.  He is responsible for maintaining the award-winning taste of the Woodford Reserve Family of Brands.  Additionally, he serves as brand ambassador for Brown-Forman at numerous trade and consumer functions.

Morris has grown up around bourbon his entire life, and he is one of three generations of his family to work at Brown-Forman. His career with Brown-Forman began in 1976 as a trainee in the central lab working for the Master Distiller. In 1988, he transitioned to Glenmore Distilleries Company and joined United Distillers through its acquisition of Glenmore in 1991.  In 1997, Morris returned to Brown-Forman and was chosen to begin training as Brown-Forman Master Distiller.  He has served on the Kentucky Distillers Association and Kentucky Bourbon Festival’s boards and as Co-Chair of the DISCUS Master Distillers Committee.  He is a judge at the International Wine and Spirits Competition and International Spirits Challenge.

Josh Schneider is running for Jefferson County District Judge. Read more about his campaign at http://www.votejschneider.com/


MY CAMPAIGN

It is a privilege and an honor to announce my candidacy for Jefferson County District Judge. I am fortunate enough to have literally grown up in and around the courthouse with my father, Judge Daniel Schneider. During that time I was able to see first-hand how great a courthouse could be. I look forward to bringing that determination and passion to the District Court Bench.

For the past five years I have prosecuted thousands of cases as a Deputy Division Chief and prosecutor at the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office. My passion to serve and protect this community is evident in the numerous narcotic, murder, rape, arson, and theft cases that I vigorously prosecuted over the years. I look forward to further serving this great community as District Court judge.

MY LIFE SO FAR

I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. I graduated from Northland College, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in English, the University of Vermont, where I received a master's in education, and the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. I have spent the last five years prosecuting some of the most dangerous and notorious criminals in Jefferson County as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney.

I am proudly married to Liza Marret, who is also a lifelong Louisvillian. She is a special education teacher at the Olmsted Academy South. Together we are raising two boys, Harlan and Murdoch.

I spent most of my twenties traveling all over the planet. I taught English as a second language to high school students in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Then I taught middle and high school English to Inupiaq Eskimos in Kiana, Alaska. I spent a year with my brother, Jed, backpacking in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. My future wife, Liza, and I travelled for a year and held numerous jobs throughout New Zealand.

MY EXERIENCE AS A PROSECUTOR

Deputy Division Chief of Narcotics

Prosecuted thousands of cases during my five years in the Commonwealth Attorney’s office

Created the Animal Abuse division, one of the first in Kentucky, to address the growing problem of mistreatment and abuse of animals in Jefferson County

Worked with W.A.G.S (Wonderful Animals Giving Support) group to start the Witness/ Victim Dog therapy program in the office

Prosecuted some of the most high profile cases in the last five years:

• Commonwealth v. Susan Lukjan
• Commonwealth v. Joseph Banis
• Commonwealth v. Jeffrey Mundt
• Commonwealth v. Cody File

See how Josh is willing to help his coworkers.

Ghislain d’Humières  is the director of the Speed Art Museum. He is formerly the Director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. During his six-year tenure at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, d’Humières has doubled attendance, led a successful $15 million capital campaign and spearheaded the development and management of the Museum’s new 20,000 square-foot Stuart wing, which doubled the Museum’s exhibition space. D’Humières also created a privately funded program to implement new educational and outreach initiatives which included underprivileged visitors. He supervised more than 40 exhibitions and oversaw the production of numerous exhibition catalogs and museum publications while also expanding the Museum’s educational programs and collaborations with other museums, communities and national and international organizations.

A native of France, d’Humières holds a DEA in History and License of Art History from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne, and a Master of History from the University of Paris X Nanterre. D’Humières speaks fluent French, English and Spanish.

Steve Conrad is the Police Chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department.  He began his career in 1980, as a patrol officer with the Louisville Division of Police and worked his way through the ranks before being named Assistant Police Chief in 2003.  Career highlights include managing the merger of the city and county police departments and leading community policing efforts in the late 1990s.  Conrad left the LMPD to become the Police Chief in Glendale, AZ in December 2005.  Significant accomplishments with that department include successfully planning for and managing a number of high profile sporting events including the annual Fiesta Bowl and Super Bowl XLII (42). Chief Conrad received a Bachelor of Science degree in Police Administration and a Master of Science degree in Community Development, both from the University of Louisville. 

Rob Morphonios is CEO of WVB East End Partners, LLC, the consortium of companies charged with the design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of the East End Crossing. The East End Crossing is one of two area bridges under construction as part of the Ohio River Bridges Project. The East End Crossing will connect eastern Jefferson County with an area near Utica, Indiana. As project director for the East End Crossing, Rob is overseeing the work of several hundred team members involved in the designing and building of the crossing – which will include a 2,310-foot cable-stayed bridge across the river and a 1,700-foot tunnel that will take the Gene Snyder Freeway beneath U.S. 42 and under several acres of historic property in Prospect.

Prior to his role with the East End Crossing, Rob was director of business development with Hubbard Construction Company, the largest heavy civil construction company in Florida.

Rob graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science degree in building science.

We are excited to announce that our venue this year for this year's Holiday Party is the Marcus Lindsey. Bristol catering has put together a delicious menu and there will be and open bar. We are planning live musical entertainment as well, so it should be delightful evening for our members and their spouses/dates.

The Marcus Lindsey
801 East Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
http://www.themarcuslindsey.com

The Interface Society's day at Churchill Downs will located at jockey suite (#613) for the afternoon.. Post time for the first race is 12:40PM and there will be an open bar and catering from 12:30 – 4:30PM.

The Interface Society will be traveling to visit and tour the West End School, it's charitable partner for 2012 & 2013.

West End School is a free, private, college preparatory, Pre-K through Eighth school for young men. Admission is open to boys entering Pre-K, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Sixth Grade who are on free or reduced lunch, are capable of doing academic work at grade level or above, and who would benefit from a safe environment and high expectations. West End School strives to address all of the issues boys in our community face by creating for its students an environment of high expectations and personal responsibility. Through the School's rigorous academic and personal standards, we encourage our students to attain the highest possible level of scholarship, character, and intellectual growth.

This year's Interface Golf Outing will be held at Harmony Landing Country Club followed by dinner at the Cast Iron Skillet.

Shane Boyd is currently the starting quarter back for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. He graduated from Henry Clay High School in Lexington, KY and went on to attend the University of Kentucky where he played both football and baseball. On the football field at UK, Boyd played in 36 games and started 16 games amassing over 2400 yards passing w/ 13Td's and 845 yards rushing w/ 13Td's. Boyd has played on numerous NFL teams including Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Houston Texans.

Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe was named President & CEO of the Kentucky State Fair Board, effective January 1, 2013. A native of Oklahoma and a graduate of Oklahoma State University, he began his career in the tourism development business in 1988 as Facilities Director of the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Field Center. In 1995, Rippetoe became General Manager for the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, where he coordinated sales and marketing initiatives for the center’s management company.

Rippetoe was recruited by the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau to serve as its liaison with the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee, assisting with fundraising and sponsor relationships for the upcoming 2002 games. During that time, he also served as Executive Director & CEO of Visitor Information Services of Utah, followed by associate director of community services for Salt Lake County.

In 2004, Rippetoe joined GES Exposition Services – a global exhibition design and management service for convention, tradeshow and corporate business events. He served as Vice President of Exhibit & Design, and Senior Vice President of Facility & Account Relations. In 2008 with GES as a client, Rippetoe launched his own consulting firm, Rippetoe Solutions Group, to focus on creating efficiencies and productivity for public assembly facilities.

In his new role, he is focused on the purpose, promise and core values for the Kentucky State Fair Board. “Advancing Kentucky’s convention, tourism and agriculture industries is our purpose, and our promise is to deliver world class service to our clients and their attendees so that they will return and invest further in our community and our commonwealth.”

Rip is a member of several professional organizations, including the International Association of Exposition Exhibitors, International Association of Venue Managers, National Association of Sports Commissions and the Religious Conference Management Association. Locally, he serves on the board of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Louisville Sports Commission.

Dr. John Gilderbloom is a professor in the Graduate Program in Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Louisville and is also the Director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods(http://sun.louisville.edu/). His areas of research include housing, community development, urban policy in radical cities (Amsterdam / Havana), and green / sustainable urbanism. He has a book forthcoming called "Invisible City: housing, Poverty and New Urbanism" and has co-authored "Promise and Betrayal: Universities and the Battle for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods" and "Community Versus Commodity: Tenants and the American City". You can read a more extensive bio at http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/john_gilderbloom.html.

Dr. Paula Grisanti received her D.M.D. from the University of Louisville in 1980 and her MBA from the University of Louisville in 2005. Following several years in private practice, Dr. Grisanti joined Jewish Hospital Healthcare Services as a member of their management team, developing the Department of Patient Relations and serving as V.P. and startup Administrator for the Heart and Lung Institute, now the Rudd Heart and Lung Center. She is a veteran of several civic and professional boards and has three children.

Preston Van Winkle is the marketing manager for Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery which has a long tradition of making the finest wheat bourbon available. The Van Winkle family’s involvement in the bourbon industry began in the late 1800s with Julian P. "Pappy" Van Winkle, Sr. He was a traveling salesman for the W.L. Weller and Sons wholesale house in Louisville, traveling around the state by horse and buggy. Preston joined the family business in 2001 and is the Van Winkles 4th generation of bourbon distillers.

Chris Cpek is the founder of LVL1 Hackerspace, which is a non-profit organization that provides shared space for collaborative technical and artistic experimentation in the Louisville Area. LVL1 is a hackerspace in Louisville. A hackerspace is an open community lab and workshop democratically operated by it’smembership. We are friendly community of tinkerers, makers, engineers, educators, scientists, artists, hackers and overall geeks.

J. Bruce Miller is the author of "Airball: The Complete and Unvarnished Account of Louisville's 30-year Odyssey to Acquire an NBA Franchise", which in 2005 was nominated in the non-fiction category of the National Book of the Year Category. He is currently Senior Partner and Of Counsel to Conliffe Sandmann & Sullivan J. Bruce Miller Law Group. He is dedicated having served on numerous commissions, counsels and tasks forces and was Jefferson County Attorney serving four terms of four years from 1970-1985. Mr. Miller was born in Louisville, graduated from Atherton High School, and received his BA and LLB from Vanderbilt University.

Jay Davidson is the President and CEO of The Healing Place, a position he has held since August 1991. The Healing Place is both a homeless shelter and a long-term recovery program. With a 65 percent recovery rate and the ability to care for people for only $25 per person per day, it is one of the most effective and efficient recovery programs in existence. The Healing Place is provided at no cost to our clients even though we do not take insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid and only receive very limited government funding.

This year's holiday party will be held at The Marketplace Restaurant at Theatre Square from 7-10PM.

Kevin Flanery was named the 13th president of Churchill Downs Racetrack on July 13, 2009. He also serves as a senior vice president for Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Flanery joined Churchill Downs in December 2005 as vice president of national public affairs and was promoted to senior vice president of national public affairs and communications in March 2008.

During his career, Flanery held important state government posts. He served as secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from January 2001 to December 2002 and as deputy secretary of the Cabinet between June and December of 2000. In that role Flanery served as the Commonwealth’s chief financial and procurement officer and led the Office of Finance Management, which controls the Commonwealth’s debt and investment portfolio. Flanery also had oversight of the Department of Facilities Management, which designs, builds, operates and maintains state facilities. Part of his statutory responsibilities included serving as chairman of the Consensus Forecasting Group, which determines revenues available for appropriation by the governor and legislature of Kentucky.

Flanery’s experience in state government extends to Kentucky’s Transportation Cabinet where between October 1996 and May 2000 he served as deputy secretary and legislative liaison. In that post, Flanery managed all administrative functions for the Transportation Cabinet and served as its primary legislative strategist. An attorney, Flanery also served as the Transportation Cabinet’s executive director for the Office of General Counsel between February and September of 1996 where he served as chief administrative and legal officer.

Prior to joining the Churchill Downs team, Flanery served as president and chief operating officer of Hagan Properties.

Flanery holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Bellarmine College and a juris doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

David Karem is president and executive director of Waterfront Development Corporation (WDC). WDC plans, coordinates and implements strategies to revitalize Louisville’s Waterfront.

Louisville's Waterfront Park offers walking trails, picnic spaces and space for concerts and festivals (such as Kentucky Derby Festival and the Fifth Third Waterfront Independence Festival on July 3rd and 4th). In fact, the park hosts crowds of 350,000 for Thunder Over Louisville.

The Park is made up of three phases and totals 85 acres. The last phase, Phase III, is scheduled to be completed in 2011. Phase I was completed in 1999 and includes the Great Lawn, the park's most distinctive open space. Its 14 acres connect the Ohio River to the city, making it accessibile toall of Louisville's citizens.

In its 10-year history, Louisville's Waterfront Park has won a number of awards and was designated one of the Top Ten Urban Parks in the nation by Urban Land Institute in 2006. The state, city and county jointly created the Waterfront Development agency in 1986. David Karem, who was a state senator at the time, became its executive director and president the next year.

Throughout the years the Waterfront Development Corporation's role has evolved into a three-part mission: park planning and construction; park maintenance; and event production and coordination. WDC also manages the Belle of Louisville on behalf of Louisville Metro.

David Karem earned his law degree from the University of Louisville. He has been both a state senator (1976 - 2004) and a state representative (1972 - 1976) for Kentucky; and is very active in the Louisville community. A small listing of his honors include: Outstanding Legislator Award by National Organization for Victim Assistance, Recipient of Kentucky Society of Architects (AIA) Citizens Laureate Award, the 2005 Blanche B. Ottenheimer Award for Distinguished and Unselfish Service to the Community of Louisville by the Jewish Community Center, and the 1999 Presidents Award, American Planning Association – Kentucky Chapter.

This year's golf outing will be at Harmony Landing Country Club followed by dinner at the Cast Iron Skillet.

Donna M. Hargens Ed.D. is the Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, a position he has held since August 2011. Prior to her appointment, she served the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, North Carolina for 22 years in a variety of positions that included Chief Academic Officer, Interim Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Area Superintendent, and principal of two high schools. Among her educational qualifications are graduating summa cum laude with a B.A. from Marquette University (WI), earning an M.Ed. in educational administration and supervision from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and being awarded an Ed.D. in educational leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall University (NJ). A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dr. Hargens began her career as a teacher of Spanish and English. Married, with two adult children, she is a voracious reader and a proponent of physical fitness. As superintendent of JCPS, Dr. Hargens’ focus is on raising student achievement for all children, and she is relentless in expecting staff to collect and analyze data in order to inform their decisions. Her leadership style is grounded in collaboration, and she devotes extensive time to listening to staff, parents, and community to gain their perspectives and insights before making recommendations that will impact the operation of the district and the performance of its students.

Alan H. DeLisle is Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Development Corporation, a position he has held since March 2009.

 Mr. DeLisle was educated in New York where he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication/Journalism in 1982 with a concentration in print and Broadcast Journalism at St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York.  He continued his education, earning his Masters Degree in Political Science in 1985 with a concentration in State and Local government at the State University of New York at Albany.

Mr. DeLisle moved to North Carolina in 2002 to work for the City of Durham as Director of Economic and Workforce Development Department.   He was then promoted to Assistant City Manager for Economic and Workforce Development. 

Mr. DeLisle worked on several Economic Development projects in Durham; including the new Durham Performing Arts Center, Phase III development of American Tobacco, West Village Phase II, Parrish Street and Neighborhood Redevelopment projects.  Mr. DeLisle was also the Director of the Workforce Development Board and led the effort to implement Durham’s first Strategic Workforce Development Plan.

Prior to relocating to Durham and to Louisville, Mr. DeLisle held many positions which included:
- President of Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation – 1998-2002
- Commissioner of Community Development for City of Buffalo, New York – 1996-1998
- Confidential Aid to the Mayor for Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs, City of Buffalo – 1994-1995
- Legislative Director, New York State Senator Anthony M. Masiello, New York State Legislature – 1986-1993
- New York State Senate Fellow – 1985-1986
- Policy Analyst, New York State Legislative Commission on Critical Transportation Choices, Albany, New York – 1985

Mr. DeLisle served on the Downtown Durham, Inc. Board of Directors and is a member of Rotary Club.  He is also a certified Economic Development Professional by the International Economic Development Council.

U.S. Representative John Yarmuth represents Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. In his third term, Congressman Yarmuth was selected to the Committee on Budget, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Ethics. He served as President of the Freshman Class, as Senior Whip, and was named Legislator of the Year by the Kentucky Reading Association, "Outstanding New Member of Congress" by the Committee for Education Funding, which is the largest non-partisan education organization in the nation, and "Best of Congress" by Working Mother Magazine and Corporate Voices for Working Families both in 2008 and 2010.

Though best known for his work in the media, Yarmuth’s diverse career, prior to entering the political arena, gave him a solid background in policy, business, higher education, and healthcare.

Yarmuth previously worked on Capitol Hill as Legislative Aide for Kentucky Senator Marlow Cook from 1971 to 1974, before moving back to Louisville, to publish Louisville Today Magazine. He went on to work as Associate Vice President of University Relations at the University of Louisville and Vice President of a local healthcare firm.

In 1990, Yarmuth founded LEO Newsweekly, a free publication with approximately 150,000 monthly readers. With Yarmuth as editor, LEO won nearly 100 Metro Louisville Journalism Awards, 16 of which were awarded to Yarmuth for his editorial and column writing. He owned the paper from 1990 to 2003, and continued writing his columns through 2005.

On television he debated local and national politics as co-host and commentator on WAVE 3’s "Yarmuth & Ziegler" in 2003 and “Hot Button” in 2004 and 2005.

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Congressman Yarmuth graduated from Atherton High School where he served as student government president. He went on to earn a degree in American Studies from Yale University. He and his wife Cathy have one son, Aaron, who graduated from Indiana University in 2006 and obtained a Masters Degree from American University in 2010.

Keith Mountain is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography and Geosciences and was recently appointed State Geographer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As a climatologist with a specialty in glaciology and global climate change, Keith Mountain has been part of over 25 international expeditions to study existing glaciers and ice sheets to understand the Earth’s climate history.

His research has taken place in Antarctica, Greenland, China, Tibet, Africa and South America with the ultimate goal of understanding past climate variability, where changes have taken place, and the rate of such changes. His research relates to the details of how glaciers and ice sheets interact with the climate system and what the current global retreat of glaciers tells us about climate change and prospects for the Earth’s future climate.

A believer in the talented people and abundant resources of Louisville, Hal Heiner has worked tirelessly to make this community a better place to raise our children, expand our businesses and open government to its citizens.

Robert Blair, the former Headmaster for Kentucky Country Day, and his wife Debbie, founded the West End School, a boarding school for at-risk 6th through 8th grade boys who can complete grade-level work.

West End School is free, private, college preparatory middle school for at-risk young men. Admission is open to boys entering sixth grade who are on free or reduced lunch, are capable of doing academic work at grade level or above and who would benefit from a safe environment & high expectations.

The school opened its doors in 2005 because of the growing need for alternative forms of education, particularly for the young men in our community. For many of these students, the middle school years are a transitional 'tipping point' both socially and academically. Boys especially are at higher risk for almost every index of failure: academic, achievement, truancy, dropout rates, school suspensions and expulsions, delinquency, and incarceration.

West End School strives to address all of these issues by creating for its students a culture of high expectations not dependent on the culture at large. Through the School's rigorous academic & personal standards, we encourage our students to attain the highest possible level of scholarship, intellectual growth and responsibility & character.

When these standards are in place it is remarkable the progress students make. Our graduates have been offered more than $2 million in scholarships to many of the top high school in the state. There is no charge for room, board or tuition and all expenses are paid through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

Jerry T. Miller was born and raised in Louisville. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Kentucky and then went on to work for 31 years in the private sector, most of which with Humana, as a CPA and executive. In 2004, he joined the Fletcher Administration where he worked with Commerce Cabinet Secretary Jim Host on issues affecting Louisville. Jerry was appointed Commissioner of Kentucky’s State Parks by Governor Ernie Fletcher in spring of 2006. While Parks’ Commissioner, he founded the Kentucky State Parks Foundation.

Since leaving state government, Jerry has volunteered for a variety of not-for-profit organizations. He currently serves on the board of Middletown Christian Church and Christian Care Communities, of which he chairs their development committee. Jerry is the past President of the Middletown Lions Club and his neighborhood Home Owners Association.

Miller was elected in November, 2010 to succeed Hal Heiner as Councilman for Metro Council District 19 and serves the following suburban cities of Anchorage, Blue Ridge Manor, Douglass Hills, Middletown and Woodland Hills, as well as many neighborhoods including Academy Ridge, Berrytown, Beckley Woods, Copperfield, Eastwood, Forest Springs, Lake Forest, Landis Lakes, Locust Creek, Polo Fields and Woodmont.

Jerry is an avid history buff and enjoys bicycling, hiking, and paddle sports. He lives in Eastwood with Laura, his wife of 37 years. They have a daughter, Jessica, son-in-law Matt, and one-year-old granddaughter Kate, who live in Clarksville, TN.

This year's holiday party will be held at The Marketplace Restaurant at Theatre Square from 7-10PM.

Dr. Daniel H. Jones is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, 21st Century Parks Inc. which serves as stewards entrusted to create and preserve unexcelled parklands that reflect the needs and values of our whole community. The goal of The Parklands of Floyds Fork is to build a world- class, systemic addition to Louisville’s park system; if done right, the outcome is the creation of the finest urban edge in the country.

Mark Jurich, a former All-America outfielder for the Cardinals, is an Associate Athletic Director for Development. Jurich joined the Cardinals athletic staff in 2008, serving as Associate Director of Development. He had played professional baseball with the Atlanta Braves organization for five seasons after twice earning All-American honors as an outfielder for the Cardinals. He was two-time First Team All-Conference USA selection and was named to the Conference USA All-Decade Team spanning 1995 to 2005. He was also a freshman All-America selection in 2002. Jurich, who still ranks in the Cardinals' career Top 10 in doubles, triples, home runs and RBI, was the first Louisville player to compete for the USA National Team, which won a silver medal at the 2002 FISU World University Baseball Championship and capturing the 2002 Haarlem Baseball Week Championship. Following his collegiate career at Louisville, Jurich played professionally in the Atlanta Braves organization from 2004-08 after being selected in the 13th Round of the MLB Draft.

Dr. Steven T. Hester was promoted to senior vice president & chief medical officer in September 2008 after serving as vice president, Medical Affairs, since December 2006. He joined Norton Healthcare in January 2005 as chief medical information officer. Prior to that Dr. Hester practiced Emergency Medicine full time, serving as regional medical director for Kentuckiana Emergency Physicians, with more than 110,000 patient visits per year. During his tenure there he worked to improve quality and volume with significant success, while redefining multiple processes within the organization. He has served Norton Healthcare in multiple medical staff positions, including president of the medical staff for a Norton Healthcare facility and representative on the System Medical Executive Committee.

Dr. Hester holds bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Louisville and is board certified by both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Bellarmine University. Dr. Hester is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Chosen for Louisville's Business First "40 under 40" designation in 2005, Dr. Hester serves on the board of directors of the Louisville Chapter of the American Heart Association and Kentucky Harvest. He is a member of the American College of Physician Executives, American Medical Association, Kentucky Medical Association and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

Jerry Edwin Abramson (born September 12, 1946) grew up working in his father's three-aisle grocery store on South Preston Street in Louisville. There, he learned the importance of hard work, selfless service and community pride while stocking shelves and delivering groceries to his neighbors. These values continue to influence his career in public service.

Visionary Mayor of Louisville

In twenty-one years as Louisville's mayor, Jerry helped turn a struggling river city into a vibrant economic center. He understands that by working together and partnering with business, good paying jobs for Kentuckians will be created and retained. His unbounded enthusiasm for economic development became his calling card when recruiting companies and jobs.

Jerry served three terms as leader of the City of Louisville in the 1980's and 1990's, and then led the successful effort to unify city and county governments into a single, more efficient government. He was elected the first Mayor of Louisville Metro in November 2002 with nearly 74 percent of the vote, and represented its 700,000 citizens for two full terms.

Those eight years were marked by dramatic progress that helped Louisville earn the notable designation, "Most Livable Large City in America" from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Record of Creating Jobs

Jerry's record on job creation is unparalleled as Mayor. He led a $700 million expansion of the Louisville International Airport, which enabled the city to attract the package-sorting hub that supplies 23,000 jobs for the region and has transformed Louisville's airport into the nation's third busiest cargo port.

Over the last three years, Jerry has worked with Governor Beshear to continue to bring jobs and investment to Louisville and Kentucky. This includes working with Governor Beshear to create and retain jobs at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant and Louisville Assembly Plant, as well as at General Electric's Appliance Park. Thousands of employees have good-paying jobs thanks to their efforts.

Improving Life for Kentuckians

Jerry has worked to improve various aspects of life in Louisville throughout his years of public service. He reduced the size of government by nearly twenty percent while improving the delivery of basic services; made citizens safer by connecting police, fire, EMS and other emergency responders in the region; transformed downtown into a vibrant, economic and tourism attraction; invested in parks and trails to help keep Louisvillians healthy; and rehabilitated multiple neighborhoods so citizens could have quality, affordable housing.

As lieutenant governor, Jerry would bring this same energy, passion and vision to the Capitol to help create a brighter future for all Kentuckians.

Jerry is currently an executive in residence at Bellarmine University and lives with his wife Madeline in Louisville. They have a son, Sidney.

Mike Thomas is the head pro at Harmony Landing and will discuss his involvement with the upcoming Sr. PGA Championship. His son, Justin, is one of the top Jr. golfers in the country and recently signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Alabama. Justin is currently a Sr. at St. X high school and played in his first PGA tour event at the age of 16!

David Williams has been a reformer and a tireless fighter for conservative values in Frankfort. In 2011, he will bring his passion for public service to the Governor's office.

As Senate President, David has held the line against higher taxes and more debt. In 2010, David helped block more than $1 billion in new debt in the state budget and he prevented Gov. Beshear from adding $300 million in new taxes on small businesses. Under David's leadership Senate Republicans have stopped $1 billion in higher taxes since 2000, and they cut income, property, and business taxes along the way.

David believes Kentucky needs a tax system built around one goal - creating jobs -- and he is the only candidate for governor with a real plan for tax reform. David's tax reform plan is part of the Senate Republican "Agenda for Prosperity," a collection of conservative solutions to some of Kentucky's pressing problems. David's agenda also includes key education reforms, a plan to fix Kentucky's broken public pension system, and transparency legislation that gives citizens more input into how their tax dollars are spent in Frankfort.  The agenda also contains an "informed consent" pro-life bill that continues David's lifelong record of standing up for the unborn.

During the 2011 session David is spearheading legislation calling for a federal Constitutional Convention for the purpose of passing a Balanced Budget Amendment. David welcomes U.S. Sen. Rand Paul to the state Senate on Feb. 22 and together they will make the case for this much needed amendment, part of a national grassroots effort to amend the Constitution.

In politics David is a tireless advocate for conservative candidates. In 2010, David joined Rand Paul's bus tour to make the case for Kentucky's new Senator.  In 2008, David served as the McCain/Palin state campaign chairman and traveled to more than 60 events in October warning against Barack Obama's radical liberal agenda.  David has campaigned for President Ronald Reagan, Senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, Congressmen Ed Whitfield, Brett Guthrie, Geoff Davis and Hal Rogers, and President Bush (41 and 43). He has also campaigned for GOP state senate candidates across Kentucky to ensure conservatives maintain a seat at the table in Frankfort.

David Williams fights for conservative policies, conservative candidates, and a pro-growth agenda that will put Kentucky on a path to create jobs.

David was born on May 28, 1953, and represents the 16th State Senate District. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and a law degree from the University of Louisville. David is the first Republican in state history to hold the position of Senate President. He is married to former District Judge Robyn Williams. Together they are raising Madeline and Andrew. They have three dogs - Sadie, Buddy, and Scruffy.

Matt Jones is the founder of Kentucky Sports Radio, which is an internet new site and blog that bring University of Kentucky Basketball, Football, and Recruiting news to you in the most ridiculous manner possible.

Matt also hosts a Kentucky sports television program called "The Freak Show" at 11:30 pm on the CW. He is also the editor of the CN2 channel's sports Web site, ports.mycn2.com.

John G. Heyburn II is a Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Heyburn served as the Chief Judge of the Court between 2001 and 2008.

Heyburn was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. His father and grandfather were both attorneys. Heyburn graduated from Harvard University with his Bachelor's Degree in 1970 where he also lettered in cross-country and track and completed several Boston Marathons. He earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Kentucky Law School in 1976 and was a member of its National Moot Court Team.

Heyburn spent his entire pre-judicial legal career as a private practice attorney with the Louisville, Kentucky based law firm of Brown, Todd and Heyburn (nowFrost Brown Todd) from 1976 to 1992. His practice focused on civil litigation within the construction industry. He also served as Special Counsel for then -Jefferson County Judge/Executive Mitch McConnell. Also, Heyburn served in the US Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.

On the recommendation of Senator Mitch McConnell, Heyburn was nominated by President George H. W. Bush on March 20, 1992 to a seat vacated by Thomas Ballantine, Jr. as Ballantine went on senior status. Heyburn was confirmed by the US Senate on August 12, 1992 on a Senate vote and received commission on August 17, 1992.

In 1994, Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Judge Heyburn to serve on the Budget Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. In January 1997, Judge Heyburn was appointed Chair of the Budget Committee and served in that capacity until December 2004. In that role Judge Heyburn led the development of the appropriations request for the federal judiciary. He testified many times before various House and Senate committees on budget issues. He consulted with theRepublic of Ireland judiciary during the reform of their justice system.

In June 2007, Chief Justice Roberts appointed Judge Heyburn as Chair of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. The Panel decides whether cases in districts around the nation including overlapping nationwide or statewide class actions, should be centralized in a single judicial district for pretrial purposes.

Judge Heyburn has spoken throughout the country on the congressional budget process, the independent judiciary and the role of the Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in complex litigation.

(Charity: St. Francis in the Fields Church)

Denzil E. "Denny" Crum (born March 2, 1937) is a former American men's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001, compiling a 675–295 record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships (1980, 1986) and six Final Fours. Honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1994, Crum is one of the major figures in the history of sports in Kentucky and in college basketball in general.

As the head coach at U of L, Crum is widely credited with pioneering the now-common strategy of scheduling tough non-conference match-ups early in the season in order to prepare his teams for March's NCAA tournament, where one defeat ends the season. Crum's prolific post-season play and calm demeanor earned him the monikers "Mr. March" and his most well-known nickname, "Cool Hand Luke."

Interface Christmas Party at The Theatre Square Marketplace

In his current position at WHAS Radio, a clear-channel, 50,000-watt station, Paul Rogers anchors morning sportscasts, and is the play-by-play voice of University of Louisville football and basketball and Churchill Downs racing. He has been at WHAS since August of 1973 as a sportscaster for both radio and television. His work at Churchill Downs has included calling the Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup for local TV and radio. 

A native of Louisville, Mr. Rogers attended Eastern High School and the University of Kentucky. Rogers has been voted “Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year” by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association three times, and is a multiple-winner of the Associated Press'  “Best Sportscast in Kentucky.”