Who's Who – November, 2026

NEW HIRES & PROMOTIONS

Stock Yards Bank & Trust announced that Benjamin Caudill, senior vice president and division manager of business banking, has been named Central and Eastern Kentucky market president.

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce recently promoted Kate Shanks to executive vice president and chief external affairs officer, a newly created position focused on supporting the organization's long-term growth and expanding its impact across Kentucky.

Oak View Group (OVG), in partnership with the Lexington Center Corporation, announced the promotion of Laura Alexander to vice president of Central Bank Center, Rupp Arena, Lexington Opera House and the OVG Concert Series at Gatton Park.

Stites & Harbison, PLLC has welcomed Claire Emiko Wells to its Lexington office in the Torts & Insurance Practice Service Group.

Central Bank has announced the following recent hires: Jeremy Lankster, senior vice president, auditing manager; Lauren Hickey, assistant vice president, personal trust officer; Jonathan Mays, mortgage lending officer; and Kyle Henry, assistant anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism officer.

Central Bank also announced the following recent promotions: Jonathan Parks-Herald to assistant vice president, loan processing supervisor; Jamie Cooper to assistant vice president, loan compliance officer; Patricia Chamness to assistant vice president, retail banking officer; Laurel Locke to assistant vice president, retail administration analyst; Ryan Leigh Chapman to assistant vice president, director of client services; Will Vice to retail banking officer; Andrea Creech to assistant vice president, human resources manager; and Cameron Steiner to commercial lending officer III.

Architectural historian Esosa Osayamwen has joined the Blue Grass Trust team as its first coordinator of African American preservation.

Marcie Backus, DNP, has been named vice president and chief nursing officer at Baptist Health Richmond.

The Lexington Housing Authority board of commissioners has named Andrea Wilson as its executive director. Sean Cooper was also promoted from chief financial officer to deputy director.

CommonSpirit Health in Kentucky announced that Hesham Afify, MD, has joined CommonSpirit Medical Group – Cardiology in Lexington.

McBrayer PLLC announced the addition of six attorneys: Catherine Hayden, Addison Thompson, William Arflack, Grace Garner, William

Haydon and Michele Montgomery. Their arrival strengthens the firm's capabilities in litigation, estate planning, intellectual property, hospitality law, construction law, planning and zoning, economic development, and related areas.

Chris Girdler has joined East Kentucky Power Cooperative as manager of economic development and public policy.

CSI Group, an automation, trading, and staffing company serving the automotive manufacturing industry, today announced that Brian Eggleston has joined the company as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Thad Johnson, who has led CSI Group as CEO, will transition into the newly created role of chief commercial officer.

CLARK Material Handling Company has promoted Bob Martinolli to chief operating officer.

Kismet Marketing announced the hiring of Toni Cannon as operations lead/integrator, and Skye Spann as marketing and account coordinator.

Conner Thomas has been named director of AI and data strategy at Community Ventures.

Traditional Bank's board of directors approved the addition of new directors Pat Hargadon and JC Young.

Respected racing broadcaster and industry professional Scott Hazelton will join the Keeneland team full time in January, expanding his work across the organization's marketing, content and customer engagement initiatives, with a focus on racing and sales.

Commerce Lexington's Betsy Dexter, senior vice president of talent and education strategy, was recently named to Bluegrass Community & Technical College's new College Advisory Council (CAC). In addition to Dexter, four current Commerce Lexington board members were also appointed to the CAC, including Annissa Franklin (Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County), John Mahan (Mahan Farms/Sodworks), Danny Murphy (Central Bank & Trust Co.), and Rob Shear (Komatsu North America).

KUDOS

Wiser Strategies President Nancy Wiser, APR, Fellow PRSA, has been awarded the inaugural Tom L. Preston Lifetime Achievement Award from the Thoroughbred Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

As part of its 2026 Art of Humankindness Initiative, CommonSpirit – Kentucky awarded $20,000 to art teachers at 12 elementary schools in Lexington to fund creative projects that promote kindness, empathy and friendship within classrooms.

Stock Yards Bank & Trust has been recognized by American Banker among the nation's top-performing banks with $2 billion to $10 billion in assets. Stock Yards Bancorp ranked No. 86 in American Banker's 2026 ranking, which evaluates bank performance using 2025 financial data.

For the second year in a row, Republic Bank & Trust Company has been recognized as a Top 25 Publicly Traded Bank in Bank Director's Ranking Banking Report, an annual evaluation of the nation's top-performing publicly traded banking institutions.

Kelsey Hargis, Community Enrichment Officer and Assistant Vice President at Independence Bank, has been named the Kentucky Chamber's 2026 Young Professional of the Year, recognizing her exceptional leadership, innovation, and service in her career and community. The other 2026 finalists were Tyler Burke, Director of Government and Public Affairs for Columbia Gas of Kentucky; Maegan Mansfield, Chief Growth Officer for BFW/Marcum Engineering and Consulting; Aaron Marcus, Louisville Office Managing Partner at Dentons; and Karan Shah, Founding and Managing Partner of Physician Care Coordination Consultants (PC3 Health).

Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 99 of its lawyers are included in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence according to the publication. Additionally, 10 Stites & Harbison attorneys are named as "Lawyer of the Year" and 21 attorneys are recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. The "Lawyer of the Year" honorees from Stites & Harbison's Lexington office include: William T. Gorton III, Natural Resources Law; and Ashley Owens Hopkins, Labor and Employment Law. The Best Lawyers in America® honorees from Lexington include: Robert M. Beck, Jr., W. Bradford Boone, Janet A. Craig, Daniel E. Danford, Brady W. Dunnigan, W. Blaine Early III, Kenneth J. Gish, Jr., William T. Gorton III, Michael S. Hargis, Marshall R. Hixson, Ashley Owens Hopkins, Andrew R. Jacobs, Elizabeth Ann Johnson, Dustyn B. Jones, J. Clarke Keller, David E. Longenecker, Charlotte Turner McCoy, Gregory P. Parsons, Bruce M. Reynolds, Walter S. Robertson, Cassidy R. Rosenthal, Stephen M. Ruschell, Warren D. Schickli, Emily Larish Startsman, Taylor J. Stuckey, Chrisandrea L. Turner, Ashley W. Ward, and Richard M. Wehrle. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America honorees from Lexington include: Gentry C. Collins, Robin E. McGuffin, and Alison M. Zeitlin.

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