People Behind Derby Festival®

The Kentucky Derby Festival has become the region’s largest annual production with a cast and crew of thousands. Before the event stage comes to life each spring, the many people behind the scenes spend all year scripting, rehearsing and developing the “big show.”

The Festival is a private, nonprofit organization that was created by volunteers. And though it is now managed by a professional paid staff, it is still overseen by a volunteer board and fueled by the manpower of more than 4,000 friends and neighbors. Click on the links below to learn more about the groups of people that come together each year to produce FUN for the entire community. And you just may decide you want to join us!

Chair of the Board
Alfonso N. Cornish/Closing the Gap Consulting, LLC

Chair Elect
Louis Waterman/Goldberg & Simpson

Vice Chair
Bill Fisher /Omega Consulting

Secretary
Les Fugate / Brown Forman Corporation

Treasurer
Rebecca Wood / East & Westbrook Construction

Immediate Past Chair
Erin Rasinen / Messer Construction Co.

President and CEO
Matt Gibson

David S. Beck/Kentucky Venues

Jill Joseph Bell

Paul K. Carroll/C&I Engineering

Carolle Jones Clay/Republic Bank

Mike Gandolfo/RE Solutions LLC

Lance George/Galt House Hotel

Robert L. Hecht/Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company

Tim McGurk

Ryan Sienkowski/Caesars Southern Indiana

 

 

 

Steve Andriot/Dri-View

John Aubrey/Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office

Phillip Baker/Louisville Metro Council

David Bingham/Business First

Maurice Brown/American Printing House for the Blind

Mike Campbell

Caroline Clark/LG&E

Lisa Columbia/WHAS TV

Dior Cotten/Humana

Derek Cowherd/University of Louisville

J.P. DeLaney/Shepherd Insurance

William Donaldson/DPR Enterprises, LLC

Gary Friedman/Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana

Marina Gonzalez/FIS

Allison Gousha/Kroger

Jo Graves

Darren Hobbs/Waystar

Joanne Hurst/The Fillies Inc.

Mary Irby-Jones/The Courier Journal

Janet Lively McCauley/ERDMAN

Hank Mangeot/AT&T

Mike Mangeot/Office of the Governor

Brittney Monteith/Park Community Credit Union

Andy Murphy

Dwight Newton/Zoeller

Carol Nord/Community Catholic Center

John O’Brien/WAVE TV

Jason O’Daniel/Millennium Events

Mike Parrino/Coca-Cola

Barbara M. Porter / Truist

Casey Ramage/Churchill Downs Inc.

Debbie Roberson/WLKY TV

Donna Salas/CITI

Jenni Schelling/Louisville Water Company

Dean Schlader/Greater Louisville Inc.

Joe Simoneit/Courtesy Cadillac

Alfred Smith/PNC Bank

Maria Smith/Harbor House

Megan Thoban/Louisville Regional Airport Authority

Corenza Townsend/Norton Healthcare

Nancy Trafton / Indiana University Southeast

Alyssa Upton/Meijer

Chad Waggoner/Trinity High School

Joey Wagner/J. Wagner Group

Justin Walker/Hornblower Group Inc.

Dan Wasserzug

Kellie Stallard Watson/MSD

Suzanne Wright/Office of the Mayor

Stacey Yates/Louisville Tourism

1957 – Robinson S. Brown, Jr.*

1958 – Addison F. McGhee*(F)

1959 – Frank G. Rankin*

1960 – Spencer T. Jones*

1961 – J. Seaton Huff *

1962 – Fred McClellan*

1963 – Richard B. Condon*

1964 – William Moore*

1965 – James Browitt*

1966 – Arthur T. Sturgeon*

1967 – Thomas A. Ballantine*

1968 – Basil P. Caummisar* (F)

1969 – Mac Smith*

1970 – D.A. Sachs, III*

1971 – Samuel H. Gifford*

1972 – Arthur J. Metzler*

1973 – Ralph C. Wooton*

1974 – Samuel H. Klein*

1975 – W. Clyde Glass*

1976 – Lewis C. Tingley*

1977 – Charles R. Smith*

1978 – James E. Carrico

1979 – Edwin C. Coburn*

1980 – Katherine G. Peden*

1981 – James S. Judy*

1982 – Bernard D. Rosenthal

1983 – William J. Sheehy*

1984 – William E. Summers, III*

1985 – Barbara M. Hoffman

1986 – Edward Jungbert, Jr.*

1987 – William W. Campbell

1988 – Wendell P. Wright

1989 – Thomas A. DeMuth*

1990 – Mrs. Charles (Jean) Weyland*

1991 – David W. Higgins*

1992 – Carol W. Hebel

1993 – David H. Snowden

1994 – Mike Kallay / Chairman of the Board
Guy W. Hempel / Festival Chairman

1995 – Donald G. McClinton* / Chairman of the Board
Marlyn Y. Smith* / Festival Chairman

1996 – Donald G. McClinton*

1997 – Robert R. Scherer*

1998 – Thomas T. O’Hearn

1999 – Penny McTighe*

2000 – William E. Summers, IV

2001 – Sam Smith

2002 – Linda McGinity Jackson

2003 – E. Douglas Hamilton*

2004 – Carolle Jones Clay

2005 – Dan L. Owens

2006 – Rip Hatfield

2007 – Roy Potts

2008 – Nancy Norris

2009 – Chris Dickinson

2010 – Leslie Broecker

2011 – James A. Hillebrand

2012 – Wendy Jacob

2013 – Chris Whelan

2014 – David Nett

2015 – Trish Osborn

2016 – Wes Rutledge

2017 – Lisa Stevenson

2018 – Scott Watkins

2019 – Marita Willis

2020/2021 – Judy Hess

2022 – Mike Shea

2023 – Ken Selvaggi

2024 – Erin Rasinen

Michael E. Berry

Gov. Andy Beshear

Martha Layne Collins

Barbara Price Cordery*

Hon. Craig Greenberg

John R. Guthrie

Earl Ruby* (F)

Ray Wimberg* (F)

Mike Ziemianski* 

 

* Deceased
(F) Kentucky Derby Festival Founder

Matt Gibson – President & CEO

Aimee Boyd – Vice President of Communications & Media Relations

Jennifer Bray – Customer Experience Manager

Zach Fisher – Vice President of Events

Joanie Lepping Gillis – Sponsorship Sales Manager

Cadeja Hays – Event Manager

Dodie Howlett – Vice President of Marketing & Creative Strategy

Cynthia Jackson – Customer Service Representative

Chris Martini – Event Manager

Anna Miller – Director of Production

Carl Mittelsten – Executive Assistant/Board Liaison

Jennifer Morgan – Merchandising Manager

Jayme Perez – Sponsorship Sales Manager

Jessica Pollio – Senior Sponsorship Sales Manager

Christa Ritchie – Communications Manager

Veronica Roessler – Event Manager

Leah Shaeffer – Advertising Coordinator

Tim Whitten – Director of Finance

April Zik – Vice President of Sponsorships

JOIN TEAM KDF!

No volunteers, no Festival! It’s that simple! Without the help of some 4,000 committed citizens, the Derby Festival would not be the grand civic celebration it has become. With nearly 70 events, production of even a portion of the Festival would be impossible without volunteer support.

From entertaining lost children at Thunder to hosting bands at the parade, volunteers serve on committees that work throughout the year to guarantee Festival fun and safety for the community. In addition, many serve on one-day events performing duties such as handing out water at the Marathon/miniMarathon, hosting a marching band for the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade or selling buckets of golf balls at the $1 Million Dollar Hole-in-One Contest.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Derby Festival, please register here.

February 22
March 1
March 2 - April 6
March 27 - March 27