Community Leadership Visit 2019 – Lexington, KY

This year marks our 26th trip to another community. Our past trips have been successful catalysts for some of the Springfield region's most exciting community and economic development projects.

Each year we try to select a community that is doing well in targeted areas and has ideas and best practices to share with Springfield. Lexington has a lot of exciting things happening, and during our visit we plan to focus on:

Significant, bold projects that will impact Lexington’s downtown
What makes Lexington an attractive community for transplants, boomerangs and young professionals
The community’s emphasis on the importance of identity and how they have managed to capitalize on their existing assets to build their community’s character and brand
Educational and workforce efforts ranging from their investments in K-12, to the significant role higher education plays in the community
How the community is working collaboratively to improve race relations and address challenges such as land use and affordable housing

Photos from Lexington

Trip Details

Participant List

Program Agenda

Speaker Bios

Community Comparison: Springfield and Lexington

Community Comparison: City Health Dashboard

Lexington Rankings & Recognitions

Restaurant Options

Free Time Options

Instructions for Free-Time Activities

Bluegrass Community and Technical College Advanced Manufacturing Center – Georgetown, Kentucky (2:00 p.m.)
The Advanced Manufacturing Center has been in place just a few short years, but planning and development was underway for much longer. This model is similar to the Center for Advanced Manufacturing now underway at Ozarks Technical Community College. Tour the facility and learn from our peers – what worked well? What would they do differently? Take a look at the operation that serves the local business community in preparing a strong workforce.
Bryan Station High School - Academy School Tour (2:00 p.m.)
The Academies of Bryan Station High School are home to academies for Engineering Manufacturing and Robotics; Leadership & Professional Services; Information Technology and Medical Sciences. This will be an in-depth experience on the academy program following our K-12 education panel. Hear from those involved in Lexington’s approach to the academy model, and how it has worked well for their school district and business community.
Horse Farm Tour - Godolphin at Jonabell Farm (2:30 p.m.)
Jonabell Farm, 800 acres of rolling pastures, is the center of Sheikh Mohammed’s thoroughbred operation in North America. The tour includes the history of Jonabell Farm as well as the opportunity to see the award-winning stallions, and the scenic elements of the property.
Woodford Reserve Distillery Tour (2:45 p.m.)
This will be a guided experience through the Woodford Reserve Distillery, one of Kentucky’s oldest distilleries. Learn about the history of bourbon, the bottling process, and more – all in a beautiful setting just a short drive outside of Lexington.
ADDITIONAL OPTION: Electric Scooter Ride – Legacy Trail Greenway / West Sixth Brewing (4:00 p.m.)
Looking to experience the outdoors? This will be an opportunity to explore some of Lexington’s trail network on an electric scooter, concluding at the West Sixth Brewing Company. PLEASE NOTE: This will occur late Friday afternoon. Those who sign up for the Woodford Tour or the Godolphin/Jonabell Farm Tour will not be back in time and therefore will NOT be able to participate in the scooter tour.
Meet with your professional counterpart
Explore Lexington on your own