Laurie Mays joined the Chamber as the Workforce Development Project Manager in September 2018 and works collaboratively across various industries to bridge the skilled workforce gap in Kentucky. With her background in agriculture, her previous roles include serving as Operations Manager and Director of Youth and Community Education at the Kentucky Horse Park, where she played a key role in developing and implementing numerous programs. Before coming to the Chamber, Mays created a nationally recognized program with the United States Pony Clubs at Locust Trace AgriScience Center, a world-renowned high school. Through these industry and educational experiences, Mays excels at working statewide with employers, educators, and other stakeholders to develop a talent pipeline that ensures a consistent, skilled labor pool. Growing up with horses, Mays rode competitively for decades. During that time, she earned a B.S. in Animal Science from Clemson University, an M.S. in Agriculture from West Texas A&M, and an M.A. in Teaching from Eastern Kentucky University. She enjoys hiking, reading, and competing in agility with her two dogs. She and her husband live with their two children on a beef cattle and hair sheep farm in Bourbon Co, KY.

Scott Ebelhar is a partner and chief agronomist at Peterson Farms in Loretto, KY.  Peterson Farms grows non-gmo corn and soybeans, wheat, organic hemp, and organic grains across 8 counties in central Kentucky.  Peterson Farms owns and operates Loretto Grain Company which merchandises grain primarily for the bourbon industry with locations in Loretto and Danville and Kentucky Heritage Hemp Company, a hemp oil processor located near Bardstown, KY.  They also have a custom seed processing business for soybeans and wheat. 

Scott was born and raised on his family’s grain and tobacco farm in Owensboro, KY.  He received a B.S. in Agriculture from Western Kentucky University and a M.S. in Agronomy from Iowa State.  Before joining Peterson Farms in 2014, Scott had an 11 year career in the seed industry with Garst Seed Company (development agronomist) and Beck’s Superior Hybrids (KY Practical Farm Research Director and field agronomist).  Scott is also a Certified Crop Advisor and graduate of TEPAP (The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers – Texas A&M).

Adam Hinton is vice president of Hinton Mills, a group of five retail farm supply stores and feed mills. He also serves as director of Kentucky Welding Institute, a private welding school that trains students from across the U.S. He and his wife Melissa own The Hinton Agency, which specializes in group life and health benefits. He is also the founder and president of A Better Community Foundation, a not-for-profit, grassroots fundraising and advocacy organization for agricultural education in Kentucky. Hinton serves on a wide range of boards, including the Kentucky FFA Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Morehead State University Board of Regents, the State Board of Agriculture, the TENCO Workforce Development Board, the Kentucky Retail Federation Board of Directors, and the Hayswood Foundation Board of Directors. Hinton earned a B.A. in Economics from Centre College in 2000, and he formerly worked as Director of Sports Marketing and Promotions for Embry-Riddle University. He and Melissa have one daughter, Addie, and reside in Flemingsburg. 

Tod Griffin (Moderator) is the President and CEO of the Kentucky Retail Federation and Executive Director of the Agribusiness Association of Kentucky. He serves on many boards, including the Kentucky Agricultural Council and is chairman of the Kentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. 

Dr. Carrie Ballinger currently serves as the Superintendent of Rockcastle County Schools and is the former Director of Student Services for the Rockcastle County school district. Dr. Ballinger previously served as the Elementary Principal of Kingston Elementary in Madison County, Kentucky and the Elementary Director of Model Laboratory School on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University. She received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Ballinger is a National Board Certified Teacher and holds an Ed. S degree in Educational Leadership from Asbury University. Dr. Ballinger received her Ed. D from Murray State University in P-20 and Community Leadership. Dr. Ballinger resides on a cattle farm in rural Rockcastle County with her husband James. They have four adult children; James Clay, Caleb, Cole and Emma Grace. In her free time, Dr. Ballinger enjoys cooking and entertaining her family and friends on their farm.

Dr. Christa Steinkamp currently serves as the Curriculum & Technology Director for Georgia Agricultural Education, a position she has held since July 2013.  In this role, Christa is responsible for overseeing the development of Georgia's agricultural education curriculum framework, which includes agricultural education content for students in kindergarten through 12th grades.  Christa also manages the Georgia Agricultural Education website, which serves as a source of information for all of Georgia Agricultural Education:  Georgia Ag Ed curriculum framework and resources, Georgia FFA Association, Georgia Young Farmers Association, Georgia FFA Alumni, Georgia FFA Foundation, and Georgia's FFA camps. 

Georgia Agricultural Education includes 631 teachers: 58 elementary school teachers, 165 middle school teachers, 353 high school teachers, and 55 young farmer teachers.  Georgia was the first state in the nation to formally include state-approved agricultural education courses for elementary school students (K-5).  Georgia had over 32,000 students enrolled in Elementary Agricultural Education, over 48,000 in Middle School Agricultural Education, and over 40,000 in High School Agricultural Education in the 2023-2024 school year.

Following the passage of the 2018 Georgia Senate Bill 330, which introduced Elementary Agricultural Education to Georgia's public schools, Christa played an active role in developing the Elementary Agricultural Education curriculum courses and framework.  Christa worked closely with agricultural and educational stakeholders and the Georgia Department of Education to create stand-alone elementary agricultural education courses for each grade in kindergarten through Fifth grades.

Christa is a graduate of Murray State University, earning her Master's, Specialist, and Educational Doctorate degrees in Agricultural Education.  Christa is also a graduate of the University of Georgia and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Jamie Guffey is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Poultry Federation (KPF). This non-profit federation fosters, promotes, and encourages the improvement of production and marketing of all types of poultry, poultry products, eggs, and egg products in Kentucky. Guffey’s interest in agriculture began when he worked on his grandfather’s dairy farm. While he said a needed change of scenery encouraged him to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, he decided to study agriculture and business administration once he completed his service. He went on to earn a Master’s in organizational leadership from Western Kentucky University.  Upon graduation, he worked for different agricultural companies and even ran a landscaping business. He eventually ended up at Keystone Foods, working as a broiler tech, and he quickly moved up the company ladder, giving him a diverse view of a poultry operation. His involvement in Kentucky Farm Bureau’s LEAD program and was a part of the Kentucky Agricultural Leadership Program Class 11, where he gained a passion for advocacy and agriculture education, paved the way for earning the position with KPF.  

Jennifer Elwell (Moderator) is the executive director of the Kentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom, a position she has held since 2014. Under her leadership, TeachKyAg has significantly increased K-12 student exposure to agriculture through classroom lessons and resources, teacher and educator workshops, and direct-to-student programming. Elwell is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she earned a BS in Animal Sciences and Agriculture Communications with a strong focus on publication/website design and public relations. She served as the communications director for the Kentucky Corn Growers and Kentucky Small Grain Growers from 1998 to 2014 and has provided communications and graphic design services to a number of agricultural and organizational clients throughout her career. Upon earning a National Agri-Marketing Association award for her virtual field trip series, Kentucky Farms Feed Me, and graduating from the Kentucky Agricultural Leadership Program, Elwell believed she had more to offer Kentucky agriculture. Farm Scholar, LLC was created to provide educational resource and program management, which includes the Kentucky Agriculture Literacy Network.  

Elaisy and Alvio Lapinet are the passionate duo behind Cured Restaurant and Salumeria in the NULU area of Louisville, Kentucky. Alvio has been dedicated to the art of making deli meats for over 18 years, a craft he honed as a means of livelihood in Cuba. Back in Cuba, he ran a fruitful business making ham, but upon arriving in the US, he faced the hardships that many new immigrants encounter. He took on various jobs, from carwash cleaning to working in different factories, all while nurturing his passion for meat craftsmanship. Today, Alvio is a meat artisan with a great passion for smoked and cured meats. He now produces over 14 different products, ranging from smoked chicken and ribs to chorizo and deli ham. Elaisy has a Master’s Degree in industrial psychology and handles all the business needs. She is also from Cuba, and her family moved to Kentucky in 2001 after her parents won the visa lottery. She says her focus was always on academics and attending college, but meeting Alvio inspired her entrepreneurial spirit. Together, they created a business that not only reflects their skills and passions but also serves their community. Their product line includes a variety of smoked and cured meats such as smoked chicken, smoked ribs, bacon, smoked pork shank, deli ham, chorizo, Spanish chorizo, smoked pork chops, and hot dogs. "What sets us apart is our commitment to quality and authenticity. We are proud to be a Kentucky Proud facility, ensuring that our entire process, from farm to table, remains within the state."

Ryan Burnette is a certified organic farmer that grows a wide variety of produce and proteins at Hickory Grove Farm in Shelby County, Kentucky.  He participates on several agricultural boards around the state and is the current president of Community Farm Alliance's board.  He has a passion for creating sustainable farms and local food systems and is recognized for this work at the state and national level.

Anna Haas is Local Food Program Director for What Chefs Want (Creation Gardens) and its internal food hub, Local Food Connection. Anna's 20-year career launched in local food via part-time work at farmers’ markets booths and in specialty crop vegetable production, but now focuses on a strategic leadership role building multi-state food distribution systems. She brings to her work additional leadership experience in non-profit management, professional education, community engagement, and fundraising.

Myrisa Christy (Moderator), Executive Director of Community Farm Alliance, was raised in rural Clark County, KY, and grew up working on her family’s small tobacco farms in Appalachia. She received a Bachelor of Art in Anthropology from the University of Kentucky and has been working with agricultural producers for over a decade. Engaging with these small farms, operated predominantly by limited resource producers, Myrisa gained insight into the challenges and potential solutions for family-scale farms in our agriculture and food system. Prior to joining Community Farm Alliance, Myrisa worked with the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) for over a decade in project management and development, where she provided one-on-one technical assistance to dozens of farm and food businesses focused on business planning, market channel access, resource attainment for operations growth, and connection to USDA programs. She also led strategic planning sessions for increasing local food access for underserved populations through farmers markets, investigated innovative market channels, and developed multiple feasibility studies on shared-use commercial kitchens in rural Kentucky.

Renee Carrico began serving as Commodity Division Director for the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation in February 2023.  In this position, she manages Commodity Division programs, environmental issues, and coordinates work with Kentucky’s agricultural commodity groups, including the Kentucky Farmland Transition Initiative Network. Renee’s Kentucky Farm Bureau experience started in 2014 through a summer internship and continued in 2021 when she was hired to serve as the Livestock and Environmental Field Specialist travelling the state meeting the farmer members in their communities and on their farms. Prior to coming to Kentucky Farm Bureau, Renee served as a Project Manager at the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy working the with Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, and a Territory Manager for Corteva Agrisciences in Northwest Mississippi. Renee is a graduate of the University of Kentucky where she received dual bachelor’s degrees in Animal Sciences and Agricultural Economics. Renee and her husband Payton currently reside on their farm in Washington County where they raise beef cattle and hay.

Ryan Bivens owns and operates Fresh Start Farms with his wife of 23 years, Misty, and sons, Cyrus (16) and Avery (13) in Hodgenville. He is a 2001 graduate of the UK College of Agriculture.  In 2011, he was recognized by Progressive Farmer Magazine as one of America’s best Young Farmers. In 2012, won the Ky Farm Bureau Outstanding Young Farm Family Award and went on to win the American Farm Bureau Achievement Award.  He was recognized in 2023 as the American Soybean Association’s Outstanding State Volunteer Award recipient because of his more than 20 years of service with Ky Soybean Association and Promotion Board. He currently serves on the United Soybean Board as one of three directors from Kentucky.   He has served on many other boards over the years such as the KY State Fair Board, Ky 4-H Foundation, Ky Expo Center Foundation just to name a few. He has been active with his county farm bureau and also serves on his local planning and Zoning board. Ryan’s life has been dedicated to agriculture, with the mission of leaving it better for the next generation!

Michael McCain is from Washington County where he has a law practice and row-crop farming operation.  He grew up on a typical beef cattle and tobacco farm.  After college, he focused his efforts on establishing a row-crop farming operation.  Several years later, he pursued the opportunity to get his law degree. He received both his Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics and his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky.  His farming operation consists of about 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans on both rented and owned land.  His law practice is primarily focused on real estate transactions, contracts and business transactions, 1031 exchanges, estate planning, and personal injury.  He also serves as an adjunct professor in the UK College of Agriculture teaching Agricultural Law.  He resides on one of his farms in Washington County with his wife, Nora, and their four children. 

Jessica Wilkerson (Moderator) is an attorney and published law review author specializing in small business affairs, agricultural law, and estate planning.  She earned her undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky and is also a graduate of the Kentucky Agricultural Leadership Program. Jessica serves as the current President of Kentucky Women in Agriculture.  Together with her husband and three children, she owns a beef cattle farm in central Kentucky.

Jeff Noel, Secretary Kentucky Cabinet of Economic Development	David Beck, President & CEO Kentucky Venues	Michele Payn, Moderator Cause Matters Corp.