# Kentucky Chamber launches Next Generation Leadership Council **Published:** 2026-06-12T15:08:42.000Z **Source:** [Lane Report (KY Business)](https://www.lanereport.com/188118/2026/06/kentucky-chamber-launches-inaugural-next-generation-leadership-council/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-chamber-launches-next-generation-leadership-council The [Kentucky Chamber](https://www.kychamber.com/) has launched its inaugural Next Generation Leadership Council, bringing together 20 rising business leaders from across the state to help shape the future of Kentucky's economy and address challenges facing the Commonwealth's business community. Representing a broad mix of industries and regions, the council members will work on advancing key issues impacting Kentucky's long-term growth. [According to the Lane Report](https://www.lanereport.com/188118/2026/06/kentucky-chamber-launches-inaugural-next-generation-leadership-council/), the 2026-2028 council includes leaders from major employers and organizations such as Toyota Kentucky in Georgetown, Duke Energy, PNC, Brown-Forman, Michelin American Synthetic Rubber Company, and various professional service firms. Maegan Mansfield of Bacon Farmer Workman and Marcum Engineering in Paducah chairs the council, with Nick Peak of the University of Louisville serving as vice chair. Lexington representatives on the council include Kyle R. Bunnell of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Kaelyn Query of Kentucky Event Company, and Elizabeth Settle of Charter Communications. The council also includes leaders from banking, healthcare, and higher education institutions. Austin Maggard of Appalachian Regional Healthcare in Hazard and Tanelle Sawyer of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System were selected to bring diverse perspectives to the group. "Kentucky's business community is strongest when leaders from different industries and backgrounds come together to share ideas and solve problems," said Kentucky Chamber President and CEO [Ashli Watts](https://www.kychamber.com/about-kentucky-chamber/staff-director/ashli-watts-bio). "The members of this council are already making an impact across the Commonwealth, and we look forward to engaging them in conversations about the opportunities and challenges that define Kentucky's future." Watts, who has led the state's largest business association since 2019, previously served as the Chamber's Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and championed major legislative initiatives including workers' compensation reform and felony records expungement. The Kentucky Chamber also announced that nominations for the 2027-2029 term will be accepted later this year. More information about the Next Generation Leadership Council is available at [kychamber.com/nextgeneration](https://kychamber.com/nextgeneration). ## Sources - [Lane Report (KY Business)](https://www.lanereport.com/188118/2026/06/kentucky-chamber-launches-inaugural-next-generation-leadership-council/) - [Kentucky Chamber official website](https://www.kychamber.com/) - [Ashli Watts biography on Kentucky Chamber website](https://www.kychamber.com/about-kentucky-chamber/staff-director/ashli-watts-bio) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Lane Report (KY Business), enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.lanereport.com/188118/2026/06/kentucky-chamber-launches-inaugural-next-generation-leadership-council/.