Landon Borders is the Sr. Executive Director of R&D Partnerships, Product Management and Technology Development for UK Innovate. He leads efforts to support industry partnerships and economic development objectives for research and innovation at UK, including in alignment with Kentucky’s priority industries as well as UK’s Research Priority areas. Additionally, he and his team support new technology, process and product development initiatives for UK HealthCare. Landon is also the founding Director of the Estate Whiskey Alliance, a global consortium dedicated to discovering, advancing and promoting the virtues of estate-produced whiskey and Chief Ecosystem Officer of GAME Change, which is building America’s first regional innovation hub for circular manufacturing and supply chain resilience.

For over twenty years, Landon has been a leading innovator of new products and technologies that have made a lasting impact on Kentucky industries. Previously, he was the Director of Product Development at Bullard with responsibility for global patent portfolio, technology development and new product introductions leading multi-discipline design and engineering teams across the globe. Prior to Bullard, Landon worked at Big Ass Fans and Lexmark International where he developed and commercialized internet-connected devices, software solutions and imaging systems in various roles. Landon has served on the Advisory Board for Launch Blue, as Board Director for Thread Group, The Connected Lighting Alliance and JSRDF and is a proud UK graduate with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering.

Dr. Amanda Gumbert is an Extension Specialist for Water Quality in the Forestry & Natural Resources Department at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment (M-G CAFE). She leads a team of extension professionals who provide technical assistance, education, and outreach programs on agricultural water quality issues, conservation practices, and backyard stream stewardship. Amanda attributes her passion for agriculture, conservation, and the natural world to inspirational teachers and growing up on a farm in Robertson County, Kentucky.

Colette is the MS4 Program Manager at Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) working in their Development and Stormwater Services Department. Colette has been an active Innovation Team Member at MSD since its initiation and is passionate about education and outreach both internally and with the public. She is a graduate of Washington State University and has worked in both consulting and state government before coming to work at MSD. Colette is currently the WEF Stormwater Community Second Vice Chair, ASCE Region 4 Governor and the 2026 Infrastructure Report Card Chair.

Brooke Shireman is an Environmental Compliance Manager within the Water Resources Department at Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky (SD1).  In this position she oversees the implementation of SD1’s MS4 permit.  Prior to her work at SD1, Brooke worked at the Kentucky Division of Water for almost 10 years as an environmental scientist for Kentucky’s Nonpoint Source Pollution program.

Pete Fingerson is passionate about all things Kentucky, especially the Red River Gorge. He and his wife, Aubrey, moved out to a 42-acre piece of heaven near the Red River Gorge back in 2020. He has served as the Executive Director for the Powell County Tourism Commission since 2023 and also operates the Red River Gorge Visitor Center at Slade. Since his time with the commission, he has made it his personal mission to implement sustainability initiatives wherever possible. He has a deep love for the outdoors and the Red River Gorge in particular, so trying to preserve the integrity and culture of the area is of utmost importance. One of his major accomplishments was getting a 22.5KW solar panel system (and 2 level 2 EV chargers) installed, making Powell County Tourism Commission the only tourism organization in the entire commonwealth to become net zero in terms of energy consumption. He loves hiking, being outside as much as possible, spending time with his wife and cats, playing board games, and Lord of the Rings.

Mark received a B.S. in Anthropology at Northern Kentucky University and his A.A.S. in Recreational & Wildlife Management at Hocking Technical College. With his excellent conservation background, Mark used to work at the Wilds in southeastern Ohio, where he worked on captive breeding and conservation programs from Africa, Asia, and North America! In 2001, he returned to NKY and founded non-profit Wildlife Conservation Kentucky, Inc. and established Split Rock Conservation Park. Mark has worked at the Boone County Conservation District since 2003.

Keionna Spalding is a sustainability S.T.E.M. honors: chancellors’ student at Purdue Global University. Involved in college leadership roles, being in two clubs and on the executive board of both while also being her Phi Theta Kappa chapter’s college project coordinator on the executive board as well. Mrs. Spalding currently serves as an Environmental Educator through AmeriCorps in her city’s Metro Waste Management department. With plans to continue her education, she goes forth in aims to ‘mitigate human behavior in favor of the planet.’

Logan Sowell is a development executive with the national non-profit Human-I-T, where he partners with companies to transform retired technology into opportunity. Based in the Louisville region, Logan works with enterprise and mid-market organizations to securely repurpose retired IT assets, helping shrink the digital divide for low-income families, students, veterans, disaster survivors, and the elderly. With a background in sales and bourbon production, he focuses on building strategic partnerships that align sustainability, strict data security, and measurable community impact. Logan is passionate about creating solutions that make it easy for organizations to do good.

Noel Osborn (she/her) is the Director of Development for CivicLex. Holding a degree in Political Science from the University of Kentucky, she has spent most of her career in outreach for political and non-profit organizations. She is deeply interested in protecting the health of our democratic process and enjoys uplifting young leaders. Noel is a graduate of Leadership Lexington and currently serves on the board of the Lexington DiverCity Festival, Keep Lexington Beautiful, and WUKY’s Community Advisory Board. She is a proud alumna of New Leaders Council (NLC) and is an immediate past Co-Director of NLC Kentucky. In her spare time, she enjoys advocating for the Rebel Alliance, spending Delta SkyMiles, and making statements like “Stevie Nicks is a better songwriter than Bob Dylan.”

Coming Soon!

Chloe Brantley’s professional experience includes water policy and regulation, water resources management, water/wastewater infrastructure, and project interface between federal, state, regional, and local agencies. Chloe has held various roles for URS Corporation in the Western United States, Kentucky Division of Water, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District. She is currently serving as a source water specialist for Kentucky Rural Water Association and her background is Ecology & Sustainability and Environmental Studies.

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Valerie Friedmann (she/her), AICP, is Associate Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Trust for Public Land where she leads local policy research and field-building efforts to close the park equity gap. She develops policy frameworks and practical guidance that help local governments align land use, development policy, public investment, and community-centered decision-making to expand access to high-quality parks and the health, climate, and civic benefits they make possible.

Previously, Valerie served as senior long-range planner and green space planner for the City of Lexington and taught landscape architecture at Auburn University. She holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Tennessee and lives in Lexington, Kentucky.