Laurie Mays has served as the Senior Workforce Development Project Manager (WFDPM) at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation for six years.

Grace enjoys that her career allows her to experience something new every day. She was intrigued by a career field in agriculture, as it presented her with the opportunity to focus on her strengths while also expanding her knowledge on everything she wanted to know.

Finding a place to belong was tough for Jahqethea Johnson as a student. But a chance meeting with the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) team provided her the clarity of sight toward a field of study and career.

Few people share the extreme passion and openness that Nikki Whitaker has displayed in her time with the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association. Going on 18 years with KCA, For 17 years, Nikki served as the Membership Coordinator, where she oversaw all aspects of membership services, including being a liaison between the state office and 99 county chapter affiliates.

“I always loved horses and Thoroughbred racing, so I knew I wanted to do something within this industry. Growing up in Michigan, I wasn't exposed to much of it, so when I graduated, I started at the bottom and figured out what exactly I wanted to do as I went.”

While growing up in the suburbs of Louisville, the closest Matt Hilton ever got to agriculture was at the grocery store shopping for food. That wouldn’t last for long, though, as Matt was hired 11 years ago to be a video coordinator for Kentucky Farm Bureau. These days Matt is “knee deep,” telling agriculture’s story throughout all of Kentucky as Director of KFB Studios.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and for Emily Goins, capturing some of the cattle showman’s best moments is a privilege for her. Emily is a junior at Western Kentucky University, where she is majoring in Recreation Administration, but in her spare time, she is a photographer for The Bullvine magazine at the major dairy shows around the country, including World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

As the social media and graphic coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), Alexis Smith has the pleasure of creating content daily to elevate the importance of Kentucky’s farm families and their impact on our everyday lives. She also helps coordinate KDA’s print and digital graphic design content.

We interviewed Division Director Sharon Spencer of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture about how she began her life and career in agriculture. From humble beginnings in Frankfort County to her promotion as Director of the Direct Farm Marketing Division in 2017. Throughout her years of experience, she imparts some wisdom to all those looking to make their own impact and help move the agricultural industry forward.

After receiving her bachelor's degree in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky and her master's degree in Ruminant Nutrition from Virginia Tech University, she landed herself at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as an International Trade Specialist in Washington, D.C.

Kimberly’s primary job is to coordinate the efforts of National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) field enumerators and territory supervisors, who collect data on behalf of NASS. That may include organizing training workshops and sending out regular communications about why and how data should be collected.

Even though his official job title is futures broker, Boyd Brooks, a Cynthiana native, says he is truly a risk management specialist who helps farmers turn a profit in an industry of financial uncertainty.

Terry Paschall grew up on a small family farm in Murray, Kentucky, where they grew tobacco, soybeans, and corn. His plan growing up was to continue farming for his entire life, as there was no substitute for being able to work daily with parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents and learning the lessons of life.