The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has appointed eight local community leaders to its Lexington Community Advisory Committee.
Lexington’s appointed advisers are: Dr. Eunice A. Beatty, Ph.D., David Cozart, administrator of development, Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County; Debra A. Hensley, CLU, Hensley Agency, State Farm Insurance Companies; Phil Holoubek, president, LRC; David Mohney, director emeritus, University of Kentucky College of Design; Anne E. Nash, executive director, Blue Grass Community Foundation; Mahjabeen Rafiuddin, director of student diversity engagement, University of Kentucky; and Josh Santana, partner, Santana & Fay, PSC. Dr. Beatty has been appointed chair of the advisory committee for 2008.
“This talented and diverse group of community leaders is passionate about Lexington and its future,” said Laura Williams, the foundation’s program director for Lexington. “Their knowledge and ideas will be invaluable as we develop grants with the potential to transform our community.”
Lexington is one of 26 U.S. cities and towns served by Knight Foundation, a $2.5 billion national foundation with local roots where the Knight brothers owned newspapers in their lifetimes.
Community Advisory Committee members are an integral part of Knight Foundation’s grant-making work. Each committee is a small group of creative, connected and strategic advisers who work with Williams and other program directors to discover opportunities that produce maximum impact and lasting change in the communities they serve.
Lexington is a city on the verge of change with major upcoming events, such as the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games, and a strong desire to improve the city for all citizens. Most recently, Knight Foundation funded the Center for Community Legacy Initiatives at the Blue Grass Community Foundation to implement community-endorsed projects in preparation for the World Equestrian Games, and to build collaboration around them. Future Lexington initiatives will focus on fostering civic collaboration through investment in the arts, culture and economic development.
“The Knight Foundation has had a significant impact on our community over the years,” said Williams. “This group of advisors will help us take our work to the next level.”
About Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of Lexington and 25 other communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation supports ideas and projects that create transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.