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/Simmons College of Kentucky
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
Bill Lamb/WDRB
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/BrightSpring Health Services
Dan Wasserzug
Kellie Stallard Watson/MSD
Suzanne Wright/Office of the Mayor
Nicole Yates/Passport by Molina Healthcare
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
Erin Bero – Sponsorship Sales Manager
Jennifer Bray – Customer Experience Manager
Zach Fisher – Vice President of Events
Joanie Lepping Gillis – Sponsorship Sales Manager
Cadeja Hays – Event Manager
Molly Heim – Digital Content Specialist
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 – Director of Merchandising
Anissa Newkirk – Merchande 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 GE Appliances 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.
