Oct. 23 – Bob Quick, President, Commerce Lexington and Ashli Watts, President, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Few topics are of more interest to Rotarians than the economic health and vitality of our community and Commonwealth. And who better to address those issues with us than the leadership of two of Kentucky’s pre-eminent economic development entities: Commerce Lexington (CL) and the Kentucky Chamber. Bob Quick, Chief Executive Officer of CL, along with Ashli Watts, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kentucky Chamber will address all things economic in a panel format, with Andi Johnson, Chief Policy Officer of Regional Engagement for CL serving as Moderator.

Bob Quick has more than thirty-six years of experience in the Chamber profession. Bob has led CL to receive many awards and recognitions. In 2018, 2020, and 2021, CL was named a Top 20 Mac Conway Economic Development Agency by Site Selection Magazine. In 2016 it was named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and in 2014 and 2015, CL was recognized among the Top three chambers of commerce by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). In 2022, the organization was presented with the Unity Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have carried out the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 2023, the Greater Lexington Region was named a top place for business and industry, according to Site Selection Magazine’s annual rankings of the top metros based on economic development activity. The region achieved a significant move up the rankings in both total projects (10th) and projects per capita (7th), jumping into the Top 10 nationally for Tier 2 Metros with a population between 200,000 and one million. Bob serves on numerous boards and is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Lexington.

Bob is a 1985 graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He is also a cancer survivor. In his spare time, he enjoys participating in outside sports and reading political memoirs. He is married to Julie Quick and has three adult children: Kierstin, Andrew, and Morgan, and two granddaughters. They reside in Lexington.

Ashli Watts was named the President and CEO for the Kentucky Chamber, the state’s largest business association, in November 2019. Ashli joined the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in November of 2012, and during her tenure as Senior Vice President of PublicAffairs at the Chamber, she has led efforts in passing significant pieces of legislation such as felony expungement, right to work legislation, workers ’compensation reform, unemployment insurance reform, and tax reform. Prior to joining the Chamber, she worked at the Kentucky Bar Association and the Legislative Research Commission. Ashli graduated from Campbellsville University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History in 2004 and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Louisville. Ashli is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, currently serves on numerous boards. She serves on the Kentucky Energy Planning and Inventory Commission, where she was also elected Chair in 2025. She currently resides in Frankfort with her husband Ryan and two children, Emma and Carter.

Moderator Andi Johnson is CL’s full-time lobbyist, representing the concerns of its 1700 members at the local, state, and federal level.