Amber Frye

Twenty-five business professionals graduated Tuesday from the 2017 Leadership Bowling Green class. They completed a program that began in April with a retreat and included nine sessions during which they learned about local government, the region’s economy, agriculture, education, health care and the arts.

Leadership Bowling Green is a development program coordinated by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. The program, which started in 1985, allows emerging leaders to learn about the community’s strengths and challenges through lectures, discussions, tours and role-playing activities. The goal is to gain a wide knowledge about Bowling Green through an overview of a variety of community functions.

This year’s class also participated in a service project called “Career Exploration” that is designed to help sophomore students at Warren Central High School prepare for careers.

Amber Frye of Franklin Bank & Trust was announced as winner of this year’s Bart Hagerman Award, the top honor for a graduating member of Leadership Bowling Green. Frye was selected for the award by her classmates.

The Hagerman Award is named for Bart Hagerman, who served as chamber executive from 1983 to 1986. Hagerman initiated the first leadership program for chamber members in Kentucky while he worked as the assistant chamber executive at the Ashland Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to Frye, the members of the 2017 Leadership Bowling Green graduating class are:

Lori Beliles, Hancock Bank and Trust; Meghan Birkenhauer, Bluegrass Oral Health Center; Alicia Carter, Western Kentucky University; Kellie Crawford, Scotty’s Contracting and Stone; Rachel Donnelly, Scott & Ritter; Mark Ford, Fort Knox Credit Union; Melanie Hatfield, Service One Credit Union; Erin Holderman, WKU; Chelsea Houchins, American Bank & Trust; Tyler Jaggers, Leachman Buick-GMC-Cadillac; Chris Kummer, Warren County Parks and Recreation Department; B.J. Malone, Warren County Water District; Andria McGregor, TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital; Rebekah McKinney, Bell, Orr, Ayers & Moore; Rhondell Miller, HOTEL INC; Andrew Morlando, Graham Packaging; Jason Ross, U.S. Bank; Alison Sexton, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities; Brian Summers, Farmers National Bank; Andrew Tolbert, Carr, Riggs & Ingram; Joey Traughber, Traughber Mechanical Services; Nathan Vinson, English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley; Melanie Watts, Bowling Green Police Department; Chad Webb, Crowd South; and Brandy Zackery, Arnold Consulting Engineering Services.

Other members of the 2017 Leadership Bowling Green class who will graduate next year are Allie Bowles, South Central Bank; Chad Carter, BB&T; Christi McGown, Happy Place Travel; Kenzie Jessup, SKY Pediatric Dentistry; Linda Moore, Citizens First Bank; and Scott Holt.