Regional Public & Private Sector Leaders Gather for 2025 Regional Summit

2025 Regional Summit photos by Mahan Multimedia

Billie Dollins, Market President, Community Trust Bank

The 2025 Greater LEX Regional Summit presented by Community Trust Bank brought together 320-plus influential business, community and government leaders from across the Greater LEX region.  This year’s Summit was the largest gathering to date, signaling the continued momentum and commitment to regional collaboration.  The annual event provided a valuable opportunity for economic benchmarking and a progress report on the implementation of the Regional Competitiveness Plan action items.  Attendees were also able to connect, share ideas, and explore strategies to make the nine-county region more competitive for jobs and talent.  

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Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton kicked off the Summit on behalf of local government leaders.  Mayor Gorton highlighted key achievements with site development for job creation and the joint regional business park partnerships between LFUCG, Scott County and Madison County and the City of Berea. Watch a promotional video about the project and collaboration ON-LINE HERE.   ​

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton

A key component of the Summit is the annual update from Commerce Lexington on the progress toward achieving the goals and action items outlined in the 2022-2027 Regional Competitiveness Plan.  The updated video highlights key deliverable wins across economic development, public policy and talent attraction for the year.  Increasing awareness of the nine-county region as a place to live and work through digital marketing strategies is a key win across talent attraction and economic development.  

​​Another highlight is the annual “State of the Region” address from Ted Abernathy of Economic Leadership. Ted provided a data driven update on economic trends, benchmarking our region against national and state averages and competitor cities across various indexes. The presentation highlighted our region's job and workforce growth, specifically across target sectors like life sciences, pharma and medical manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, business and professional services, and logistics. In today's economic landscape, leadership foresight and collaboration, readiness in terms of infrastructure, shovel-ready job sites, housing affordability, tax and regulatory policies and enhancing quality of life for retaining talent remain essential for advancing regional competitiveness.  [REVIEW TED ABERNATHY'S SLIDES HERE]

Ted Abernathy, Managing Partner of Economic Leadership LLC

​​Given the influence of federal policy uncertainty on local economies, Commerce Lexington invited U.S. Congressman Andy Barr to provide an update at the event.  Unfortunately, Rep. Barr had to return to Washington to vote to reopen the federal government.  Alternately, Rep. Barr provided a video message with federal updates to attendees.  

​This year’s lunch session spotlighted the role of quality of place in driving economic success. In partnership with VisitLEX, the luncheon keynote features an engaging panel discussion with actor and Lexington native Josh Hopkins, Chef Ouita Michel, Lisa Brin of FilmLex, film and television producer Brady Nasfell, and Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Jeff Noel. Together, they explored how Kentucky’s distinctive culture, creativity, affordability, business incentives and workforce partnerships are fueling growth in the state’s film and entertainment industry - particularly within the Bluegrass Region.  [VIEW FILMLEX SLIDES HERE]

BREAKOUT SESSIONS: 
Building on last year’s momentum, the Summit featured breakout sessions on the three pillars of the Regional Plan: economic development, workforce, and policy.
 
Secretary Jeff Noel, Greyson Evans of the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Industrial Development Authority, and Mercer County Judge-Executive Sarah Steele discussed how Mercer County went from economic stagnation to growth with years of community planning.  The foresight in leadership, community collaboration, commitment to readiness, including the development of a mega site, helped lead to significant economic investments this year.  [VIEW SLIDES FROM E.D. BREAKOUT SESSION HERE]
 
Alex Batchelor of Handshake shared strategies for how businesses can strengthen connections with students through online platforms and education partnerships, offering practical strategies to enhance internships and work-based learning opportunities.
 
State Senator Amanda Bledsoe and State Representative David Meade previewed key state legislative and budget priorities expected during the 2026 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly and discussed how local leaders can effectively advocate for regional projects that advance regional competitiveness.

Commerce Lexington's Gina Greathouse moderated a session on economic development with KY Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Jeff Noel, Greyson Evans of the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Industrial Development Authority, and Mercer County Judge-Executive Sarah Steele.

Alex Batchelor of Handshake shares strategies for how businesses can strengthen connections with students through online platforms and education partnerships.

Commerce Lexington's Anthony Allen moderated a session with State Senator Amanda Bledsoe and State Rep. David Meade.

​To conclude the day, Renee Shaw, KET’s Director of Public Affairs, sat down with Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman for a conversation about the state’s economic momentum, workforce and economic development priorities, talent retention strategies, and the continued importance of collaboration in shaping the Commonwealth’s future.

​The 2025 Regional Summit helped strengthen the collaborative spirit that drives our region forward. We are better together. If you would like to learn more about the Regional Competitiveness Plan, reach out to Andi Johnson, Chief Policy Officer and Director of Regional Engagement.  The Regional Plan is supported financially by $1.6 million in annual investment from business and government leaders.