Guest Speakers

Dr. Joseph A. (Jay) Morgan has served as the fourteenth president of Morehead State University (MSU) since July 1, 2017. His focus at MSU has been on student success, performance outcomes, academic excellence, as well as university rankings and responsiveness to the state. Prior to service at MSU, Dr. Morgan served as the vice president for academic affairs and student success for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, which coordinates higher education in Kentucky. Before state-wide service at the Council, Dr. Morgan served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Murray State University, as well as associate provost, university faculty regent, leadership program ...

Rear Adm. Charles M. “Mike” Brown is a native of Montgomery, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tulane University (1989) and a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University (1991). He completed Joint Professional Military Education at the Naval War College and Joint Forces Staff College. In 1995, he joined the Navy as a Direct Commission Reserve Intelligence Officer. He mobilized in 2001 to Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot in Washington, D.C., to reconstitute intelligence operations after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. He mobilized in 2015 as officer in charge of the ...

Kentucky Derby Day is rapidly approaching and what better time for Rotarians to hear from Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron! Chris was an instant sensation in the irons, winning the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 1974. That year, he set a record with 546 wins, which stood until surpassed by fellow Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux in 1989. Chris led all North American riders in wins again in 1975 and 1980 and topped the standings in earnings in 1980, 1981, 1984, and 1991. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 1980. His mounts throughout his career ...

Being the informed citizens that Rotarian tend to be, it is likely no surprise to our membership that America has an affordable housing crisis. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), there is a national shortage of over seven million affordable homes for more than 10.8 million extremely low-income families. Why does this matter? Again according to the NLIHC, housing is “the key to reducing intergenerational poverty and increasing economic mobility.” Today’s presenter, Ed Holmes, will make it clear that Lexington/Fayette County is not immune from this crisis. As you will hear, we have a housing gap of over 22,549 units!  He will dig into ...

Today Rotarians will hear from fellow Rotarian Robert Mucci about Lexington business legend Garvice Kincaid. In 2025 Mucci authored Ahead of the Pack, Garvice Kincaid and his Empire: A Southern Legacy. Anyone who has spent much time with Robert Mucci understands quickly how much he loves Kentucky. Robert was raised in Paris, Kentucky, just a few miles from the home of Secretariate. He grew up living over the family’s hardware store on Main Street and readily admits that his smalltown roots and early experiences working in the family hardware store instilled a strong work ethic in him, along with an appreciation ...

Tina N. Nance, J.D., is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Aerospace Education Center (KAEC). A native of Madisonville in western Kentucky, Tina earned her B.A. in Psychology from Transylvania University and her J.D. from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. Prior to leading KAEC, Tina held key roles at the Governor’s Scholars Program and at Transylvania University, where she developed and led initiatives supporting student engagement and academic excellence, while also taking a leading role in fundraising and donor relations. The Kentucky Aerospace Education Center (KAEC), home of the Aviation Museum of Kentucky and the Commonwealth’s official home ...

Since December 2004, Darlene Thomas has served as the Founder and Executive Director of GreenHouse17, an advocacy organization working to end intimate partner abuse across seventeen central Kentucky counties. With more than thirty-six years of experience in the movement to end power-based violence, Darlene has led efforts in direct service, comprehensive program development, and community engagement for lasting social change. Her leadership includes guiding statewide and national collaborations, offering expert testimony in legal cases, facilitating trainings at local, state, national, and international forums, and consulting with organizations seeking to reimagine their services through innovative, trauma-informed approaches. Under her direction, GreenHouse17 has ...

When we think of archaeology, we often conjure the image of Indiana Jones in a jungle temple or desert tomb. What if, instead, we see a man at a computer in a lab using high technology to recover the secrets of the past? That is exactly what Dr. Brent Seales does. He has recovered artifacts and information thought last forever. Imagine reading a 1700 year old bible or a 2000 year old scroll or seeing carvings on monoliths hundreds of years old. Brent has and is sharing these treasures with the world. Dr. Seales has been teaching and mentoring students in ...

Join us for a fun meeting with Country Boy Brewing! We'll hear how they started and about their community outreach. And, we'll have a tasting! Daniel “DH” Harrison was born and raised in Scott County, Kentucky. Having attended Georgetown College, DH fell in love with Craft Beer in Japan while teaching English on an exchange program.  Upon returning to the U.S., he partnered with three other native Kentuckians to begin the first taproom model brewery in Lexington in 2012, Country Boy Brewing. DH has been a champion for Craft Beer in Kentucky. Serving on the board of the Kentucky Guild of ...

Since being tabbed Kentucky’s head coach in December 2004, Craig Skinner has rejuvenated the Kentucky volleyball program into national prominence and is the program’s all-time winningest head coach. He will enter his 22nd season in 2026 with an all-time record of 497-157. He reached the pinnacle of the sport in April of 2021, winning the 2020 NCAA National Championship at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, becoming coach of the first volleyball team in Southeastern Conference history to win a national championship. He was named the AVCA’s National Coach of the Year in 2020-21. Skinner has directed the Wildcats to ...