As a business and marketing development professional for more than 30 years, Molly’s strengths include understanding urgency, people and team dynamics, Lean principles in non-manufacturing environments, and the value of discovery. These strengths have helped Molly create extraordinary results through ordinary people.

Most recently she served as Chief Operating Officer for a family owned retail organization in Lexington, Kentucky. The primary focus was to create “brand ambassadors” in the fireplace and outdoor room categories. Her leadership and organizational skills helped to focus the team and to position the organization as a leader in both categories.

As Chief Operating Officer for a major CPA firm located in Louisville, Kentucky, her responsibilities included strategic planning, finance & forecasting, marketing, communications, new venture evaluation and business and executive coaching for the CPA firm, associated affiliates and clients. Over a three-year period, she oversaw the growth and direction of the firm from 7th place to the leading CPA firm in the Greater Louisville Metro Area.

Her career achievements include more than 20 years of professional experience in a variety of areas, including demand-side management, new product development, marketing, and communications, economic development, residential, commercial and industrial segment energy sales, and the management of Industrial Engineering, IT, and Customer Service teams. During her tenure Molly was responsible for the turn-around and successful completion of a major IT interface project, creating and initiating a Business Service Center concept that was awarded #1 in the nation from JD Powers & Associates, mid-size business category in 2002. She also introduced “Teamwork Kentucky” a Kentucky Economic Development initiative used within the state to encourage growth and investment for both new and existing industries and communities.

Molly’s professional development includes participation in Vistage, the world’s largest CEO/COO organization, Enlightened Leadership, LEAN Manufacturing Leadership Institute, and the Economic Development Institute. She is a 2008 Bingham Fellow in Louisville and an Adjunct Professor with Bellarmine University in the MBA program, teaching Entrepreneurial Strategy.

Active in numerous professional and civic affiliations, Molly has served on the boards of directors for YMCA, Lean Manufacturing Network, KUE Federal Credit Union, Carroll County Hospital Board, and president of Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.

A resident of Lexington, Kentucky, Molly holds an MBA from Bellarmine University, Louisville.   molly@sutherlandww.com

Mary Hemlepp is co-owner of Wiser, Hemlepp & Associates, a Kentucky public relations, marketing and research firm established in 2000. Her greatest strength lies in problem solving through methodical analysis and strategic communication. Additionally, her journalism degree prepared her to think like a reporter, dig deep for answers and develop strong writing skills.

Before opening her own business, Mary was senior account manager for one of Kentucky’s largest independent public relations firms. She was responsible for new business development as well as marketing communication plans, crisis management, research coordination and media relations.

Mary also was director of public relations for one of Kentucky’s largest advertising agencies. During her tenure there, she served as public relations counsel to clients in the restaurant and retail fields as well as several non-profit organizations.

On the corporate side, Mary was communications specialist for SuperAmerica Group, a former division of Ashland, Inc. She developed internal and external communications for the gasoline/convenience store chain, which had more than 700 outlets. She interfaced with the media on a national scope, worked on zoning, gasoline spill and underground storage tank issues, and developed reports, speeches and presentations for the president.

She also served as director of public relations and marketing for King’s Daughters Medical Center in northeastern Kentucky. There, she was responsible for advertising, public relations and special events for the hospital, its clinics and medical staff.

Additionally, Mary worked as freelance writer for The Daily Independent in Ashland and is a contributing columnist for Business Lexington. She is a contract employee of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and speaks nationally on their behalf.

Mary is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and served for several years on the board of the Thoroughbred Chapter. She serves on the board of the Kentucky Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing and is a member of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Small Business Committee.
    
She also served in various positions on the board of the Lexington Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, through which she was recognized as the New Woman Business Owner for 2003 and was twice a finalist for the Public Policy Advocate award. She’s served on local boards for charitable organizations and served on the national boards of RetireSafe and the Senior Center for Health & Security.

Mary earned a bachelor’s degree in news editorial journalism from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.  mary@wiserhemlepp.com

Businessman, writer, motivational speaker, business advisor, seminar leader, facilitator, and consultant, Bill Kimbrell moved to Kentucky in 1966 to start his own business. From a very meager beginning, he built his surgical equipment enterprise into a thriving, multimillion-dollar corporation. During his career, he was appointed Ethics Chairman for the entire United States for his professional organization, a position he held for over twelve years. Long an advocate for integrity and ethical leadership, Mr. Kimbrell conducted ethics seminars across the country, which resulted in the first certified Code of Ethics in the medical device industry.

Bill is a member of the Lexington Rotary Club where he serves as Co-Editor of their award-winning newsletter, the Wheelhorse, Chairman of the Asia Compassion Project, as well as the longstanding Chairman of the Eulogy Committee. In addition, he is the PolioPlus Chairman for all the Rotary Clubs in Kentucky District 6740, striving through the partnership of Rotary International and the World Health Organization to eradicate the horrid disease of polio worldwide. He also serves on the Rotary District Governor’s Leadership Committee. An active member of Southern Hills United Methodist Church, he was Lay Leader for two terms and is currently on the Administration Board, where he has been appointed Lay Speaker for the District. He also serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Humanities Council, as well as serving on the Board of the University of Kentucky Wesley Foundation.

Bill and his wife, Pat, enjoy traveling and have taken three mission trips to Southeast Asia. They especially enjoy any time spent with their six grandchildren.

Most recently in his business advisory practice, Mr. Kimbrell

• Was a keynote speaker at the LeanSixSigma Global Summit in Orlando, Florida
• Attended “the Harvard of Europe,” INDEAD University in Fontainebleau, France.
• There, he was one of a small percentage of over 800 consultants from all over the world to be qualified in Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Maket he Competition Irrelevant. Authored by two professors at Insead and published by the Harvard Business School Press, Blue Ocean Strategy was the best selling business book of the year in 2005 and continues to set records globally, having been translated into 39 foreign languages.

wgkimbrell@aol.com

Abbot has been a materials engineer for more than 20 years. During most of that time he has been involved in some capacity or another with problem solving activities related primarily to project management, product development and production. During his professional career Mr. Maginnis has learned first hand the difficulties involved in overcoming operational and corporate cultural barriers to improve productivity and quality. His awareness of these issues and the challenges facing U.S. manufacturing in general lead him to return to the University of Kentucky to earn an M.S. in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, specializing in Lean system Development and Transformations. Mr. Maginnis is currently a Lecturer with the Lean Systems group and is working towards his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, concentrating on the development of sustainable system.

As a member of the Lean Systems Group, Abbot participates in Lean Certification and Lean Executive Leadership Institute courses as both a lecturer and simulation facilitator. He also helps conduct domestic and international on-site courses and activities. In addition, he and his team develop simulations and other activities for the Lean System Group’s discovery learning segments of both its’ academic and industrial programs.

Abbot Maginnis was a co-owner and operator of a small custom metalworking company in Louisville, KY for over five years before returning to school in 1981. He graduated with honors from the University of Louisville with a B.S. in Geology in 1983 and received a M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science from the University of Kentucky in 1987. He began his professional career as a Materials Research Engineer in 1986 with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, US Department of Interior, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. During this time Mr. Maginnis was responsible for identifying and conducting research on national issues affecting the ability of the U.S. manufacturing and industrial sectors to provide strategic resources and products. His research areas included the development of advanced high temperature refractories for steel-making and aluminum production, advanced composite materials for use in severe service environments, high-temperature superconducting composites for electrical energy storage, an ionic water purification process and a dynamic electro-magnetic plastic recycling process. Mr. Maginnis owns a patent on the production of micro-composite metallic / ceramic and superconducting powders and was awarded the rights to his invention of a new composite material for high temperature applications and the process to produce it. 

Abbot’s career in private industry began in 1994 with a dental materials manufacturer where he worked until 2005. During this time Abbot’s responsibilities included product development, quality assurance, production and process control. His primary responsibilities included the development of advanced dental phosphate investment products, improving existing products, and ensuring the day-to-day production of the current investment products. In this capacity Mr. Maginnis served as production trouble-shooter and as the primary support for a variety of manufacturing processes within the plant. He worked closely with both the QC and Production departments and served as a member and team leader on a variety of teams dealing with a range of issues from strategic planning to packaging problems, quality initiatives and new product development and production.

Maginnis@mfg.uky.edu

Jennifer has extensive experience in the design area. After graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1995, she worked for two years as an in-house designer for Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. She acquired additional experience at Saybrook Advertising, designing communications materials for equine businesses. Between 1998 and 2002, Jennifer worked for The Williams McBride Group in Lexington. She produced materials for clients including the University of Kentucky HealthCare Marketing, University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexmark International and Lee Thomas Photography.

In 2002, Jennifer established Sumo Design. She has worked with large and small businesses in the equine, financial, health, academic and non-profit fields. Clients include UK HealthCare Marketing, UK Human Resources, Kentucky Blood Center, Council of State Governments, Radisson of Lexington, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and Georgetown Community Hospital, among others.

Jennifer@sumodesign.net

Nancy Wiser is co-owner of Wiser, Hemlepp & Associates, a Kentucky public relations, marketing and research firm established in 2000. A strategic thinker with 26 years of experience, Nancy is most in her element when analyzing, developing or managing strategic communication programs.     

Before establishing her own firm, Nancy was employed for eight years with one of the state’s largest public relations firms, where she was vice president. She managed some of the firm’s bigger and longer-term accounts. Examples include representing Anthem regarding its charitable assets issue; managing research, public relations and issue management projects for Central Baptist Hospital; crisis planning, media relations and consulting for LWD, Inc., a Western Kentucky hazardous waste incinerator; strategic planning and media relations support for Frontier Nursing Service; issue management with the Kentucky Medical Society and the Kentucky Hospital Association; and research, marketing and publicity for Rockcastle Hospital and Respiratory Care Center, along with many other accounts.

She previously served as director of public relations and marketing for Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, where she worked for six years. There she led the department’s efforts in public relations, marketing, communication, fund raising, and volunteer services. She managed the annual telethon with WKYT-TV and WYMT-TV, and set a new fund raising record. Prior to that, she held management public relations and marketing positions with Good Samaritan and Eastern State hospitals.

Nancy earned the Public Relations Society of America’s highest distinction, admission to The College of Fellows, an honor shared by only about 400 professionals internationally. She was a director-at-large on the Society’s national board, an executive committee member of the PRSA Foundation, and chair of the District Council. She was twice Thoroughbred Chapter president, chair of the East Central District, and chapter ethics officer.

Nancy is listed in Who’s Who in Public Relations and serves on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board of Directors. She just completed her fourth year on the board of Commerce Lexington and is immediate past chair of its Public Policy Council and past chair of the Small Business Celebration Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership Lexington and a member and past-president of Lexington Forum.

Nancy earned a master’s degree in communication from the University of Kentucky and an undergraduate degree from Eastern Kentucky University. She served as a visiting instructor with the University of Kentucky’s Integrated Strategic Communication program and Eastern Kentucky University, teaching courses in media relations, writing, and public relations cases. She is on the EKU Department of Communication Advisory Council.

She has presented nationally and regionally on such topics as issue management, media relations, customer satisfaction, and research.

nancy@wiserhemlepp.com