The Golden Thread 2025

Writer

Lexington (Fayette Co.) / Lily (Laurel Co.)

Silas House is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, one book of creative nonfiction, and four plays. In 2022 he was the recipient of the Duggins Prize, the largest award for an LGBTQ writer in the nation. In 2023 he was the Poet Laureate of Kentucky 2023-2025. In 2024 he was a finalist for a Grammy Award and five other major awards for his writing, co-producing, and serving as creative director on the first country music video in history to feature a gay love story. House’s writing has appeared recently in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Time, Garden & Gun, The Bitter Southerner, and The New York Times, among others. House is a former commentator for NPR's "All Things Considered" and is the executive producer and one of the subjects of the 2018 documentary Hillbilly, which was purchased by Hulu and seen there by millions of viewers. House teaches at Berea College, where he is the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair, and at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Creative Writing. A native of Appalachia, he now lives in Lexington, Kentucky. 

Co-founder, Appalachian Poets

Mitchell L. H. Douglas is the author of dying in the scarecrow’s arms, \blak\ \al-fə bet\, winner of the Persea Books Lexi Rudnitsky/Editor's Choice Award, and Cooling Board: A Long-Playing Poem, an NAACP Image Award and Hurston/Wright Legacy Award nominee. His “Poem that Begins w/a Tweet About Gwendolyn Brooks” was featured in This is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets edited by New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander. A 2021 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow, he is Associate Professor of English at Indiana University Indianapolis, a Cave Canem alum, and cofounder of the Affrilachian Poets. His visual art has been published in The Adroit Journal, The Offing and Callaloo.

Singer-Songwriter

Murray (Calloway Co.)

If dystopia had a lounge singer, it would be Melanie A. Davis, an alt-folk artist from Murray, KY. A classically trained vocalist as comfortable singing Bobbie Gentry as Bizet, she taught herself to play the guitar in 2015 and has since become an active member and supporter of her local music scene and beyond. As a lifelong resident of the Ohio River Valley basin, Davis has always had a song to share, whether as a child in the foothills of Ohioan Appalachia, along the banks of the Ohio in southern Indiana, or now, amidst the low-lying hills and quiet highways of far west Kentucky. Davis uses her unique blend of bossa nova, 1970s folk-rock, and classic country as a backdrop for her socially and politically minded lyricism. Named a “Kentucky artist to watch” by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Davis is carving out a distinct space in the modern musical landscape, reminding us of the beauty and wisdom to be found in even the most arduous facets of human existence. Her latest album, Noctalgia, is available on all major streaming platforms, as well as on Bandcamp, and can be purchased on CD and vinyl through her official website.

Singer-Songwriter

Prestonburg (Floyd Co.)

With his dreamy acoustic picking and a voice that runs molasses-thick, old-soul Nicholas Jamerson writes earnest songs that are filled with heart. His songs spin tales of southern gothic drama woven with an intricate emotional framework, underscored with delicate Americana instrumentation and country-folk melodies. Raised in Prestonburg, Ky., the singer-songwriter began his career as half of the duo Sundy Best. Since announcing the band’s split in March 2018, Jamerson has embarked on a solo career that remains true to Sundy Best’s country sound and showcases both his remarkable vocal and instrumental skill and his outstanding abilities as a songwriter.

African American Heritage Commission Chair / Director, Hotel Metropolitan

Paducah (McCracken Co.)

Betty Dobson is a historian and advocate in Paducah, Kentucky. She is the founding Director of the historic Hotel Metropolitan, an important Green Book hotel for African-American travelers and a notable stop for performers traveling the Chitlin Circuit.  Betty has played a vital role in preserving the landmark and in sharing the story of Maggie Steed, the African American woman who opened the hotel in 1908. In 2023, Betty was appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear to chair the Kentucky African-American Heritage Commission, an organization she has served with since 2021.

Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Secretary

Louisville (Jefferson Co.)

Lindy Casebier was appointed by Gov. Beshear in February 2023 as the Secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. Casebier was appointed deputy secretary for the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet in December 2019 after many years as a public school educator, administrator, legislator and non-profit director. 

For 18 years, Casebier represented Louisville in the Kentucky General Assembly, where he chaired the Senate Education Committee. Casebier previously served two governors in senior roles within the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. He currently serves on the boards of Americorps, Louisville Waterfront Development Corporation and United Way of Kentucky. Casebier holds a BMEd and MEd from the University of Louisville. ​

Founder & CEO, Partners for Rural Impact

Paint Lick (Garrard Co.)

Dreama Gentry unabashedly works to ensure rural children, families and places are seen, heard, and invested in. She is founder and CEO of Partners for Rural Impact (PRI), a national intermediary that works to ensure the 14 million children and youth living in rural America are on a path to upward mobility.

A fifth generation Appalachian Kentuckian, Dreama is a graduate of Berea College and the University of Kentucky College of Law. She lives in Paint Lick, KY with her husband Hassan Davis and they’re the proud parents of Malcolm and Christopher.

Cross-organizational Coordinator, Kentucky Student Voice Team

Boyle Co.

Luisa Sanchez is a junior at Boyle County High School and the cross-organizational coordinator of the Kentucky Student Voice Team. She is also a writer and editor for the Team's independent education journalism platform, The New Edu. As a member of KSVT, she aims to empower Kentucky students to use their voices to build up an education system that values and serves them. Outside of the organization, she is part of her school's academic team, arts academy and various school clubs.

Executive Director, Kentucky Waterways Alliance

Louisville (Jefferson Co.)

Michael Washburn is the Executive Director of Kentucky Waterways Alliance, where he leads environmental restoration and protection rooted in community, policy, advocacy and civic trust-building. With prior leadership roles in the public humanities, he brings a cross-sector approach to environmental justice and nonprofit strategy. He has expanded KWA’s staff and reach, strengthened statewide coalitions, and championed clean water in underserved regions. Washburn is also a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The New Republic, The Washington Post, and many other publications. His book Southern Accents explores Southern identity and American myth through the lens of Tom Petty’s 1985 album, and was published by Bloomsbury Academic. 

Board Member, Appalachian Rekindling Project

Louisville (Jefferson Co.)

Dr. Gabrielle (Gabby) Harvey, DSW, LCSW is a social worker, therapist, advocate, community educator, public speaker, dog mom, sister, and auntie.  She is a Coharie Tribal member of Clinton, NC (non-federally recognized).

Her educational background is in Communications, Marketing, and Social Work from Indiana University and the University of Louisville. She is a Board Member for the Appalachian Rekindling Project and a guest panel speaker & presenter for the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission (KNAHC) and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC). Gabby also volunteers with the American Indian Women of Proud Nations (AIWPN).

Gabby is a reconnecting native, learning more about my culture and ways to get involved. She learned of her heritage when I was 19 after meeting my father for the first time and discovering she was Native American. She is grateful for her cultural journey and enjoys any opportunity to learn. 

Gabby loves to travel and discover new places, working on crafts like jewelry making and floral arrangements. She enjoys being outside when the sun is shining, laughing with friends and family, and enjoying life.

Founder & Executive Director, New Americans Initiative

Louisville (Jefferson Co.)

Nima Kulkarni is the founder and executive director of the New Americans Initiative. In 2018, Nima Kulkarni became the first Indian immigrant to be elected in the history of the Kentucky Legislature.  She currently represents the 40th District in Louisville, which includes the University of Louisville and Churchill Downs.

Since 2010, she has also managed her own immigration law practice, helping others achieve the American Dream. Nima has earned a BA in English Literature, a Juris Doctor, and an MBA in Entrepreneurship.  As a legislator, Nima focused her work on issues of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice, and has dedicated her time as a public servant to helping the most vulnerable Kentuckians.

Intervention Specialist, No More Red Dots

Louisville (Jefferson Co.)

DeShondre’ Watters is a home grown entrepreneur and community advocate from Louisville, Ky. DeShondre’ graduated Pleasure Ridge Park High School in 2004 and was an attendee of Kentucky State University. He and his family are the proud owners of “The Watters Family Bottling Company”. Their mission is one of inclusion, opportunity, and elevation. Mr. Watters has dedicated himself to being the change that he wants to see. He inspires younger generations to pursue personal elevation and being committed to causes bigger than themselves. Mr. Watters is a champion in Louisville and recognized member of the community where he has become an agent of change and catalyst for grass-roots community support, development, and proactive violence intervention.

Executive Director, Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute

Owensboro (Daviess Co.)

Stacy Edds-Ellis is the Executive Director of the Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization she has led since its founding in fall 2022. Under her leadership, the Institute advances its mission to nurture civic leadership and grow civic capacity.

Edds-Ellis spent 20 years at Owensboro Community and Technical College, including six years as Dean of Academic Affairs. She holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Organizational Development from the University of Louisville and earned both graduate and undergraduate degrees in Organizational Communication at Western Kentucky University, where she continues to teach graduate courses and received the University Award for Part-Time Instruction in 2019.

She has served on the Goodfellows Club of Owensboro board since 2014 and previously held three terms as mayor pro tem on the Calhoun City Council, in her hometown.

Stacy enjoys music, art, reading, and time outdoors. She and her husband can be found cheering on their son, Cooper, at soccer and football games. They make their home in Owensboro with their Poogle, Cash.

President & CEO, Kentucky Performing Arts

Louisville (Jefferson Co.)

Kim is a strong and dynamic leader in the arts community, with extensive experience in the areas of arts administration and theatre management, communications, programming, and development.  She became President & CEO of Kentucky Performing Arts in 2014. Her lifelong passion for the arts was ignited when she was a teenager by her participation as a student in the very first class of Kentucky Performing Arts' Governor’s School for the Arts. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky’s College of Fine Arts in the Arts Administration and often returns as a guest lecturer for the program.

Kim has been awarded several honors, including the 2019 Arts Innovation Award at Louisville’s Annual Awards in the Arts Celebration as well as the 2019 Today’s Woman Most Admired Woman in the Arts.  In 2020, she was celebrated as one of Louisville’s most admired CEOs at Louisville Business First’s annual award ceremony.  Kim was also a participant in the Community Foundation of Louisville’s Alden Fellows. 

Kim is a connected national leader in the performing arts, and she represents Kentucky Performing Arts as a member of the Broadway League, the Performing Arts Consortium, the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), as well as the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.

Co-founder, KY RUX / Exchange Director, Art of the Rural

Louisville (Jefferson Co.) / Grayson Springs (Grayson Co.)

Savannah is Exchange Director of Art of the Rural – a national organization that works to resource rural and Native artists and culture bearers across the country to build the field, change narratives, and bridge divides. Her work to support rural arts and culture spans two decades – beginning as a Grayson Co. High school student who co-founded a local arts agency and community festival, and more recently as a National Programs Director at the Rural Policy Research Institute, board member to the Center for Performance and Civic Practice, a facilitator for PA Humanities, and as an advisor to grantmakers across South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Oregon, and New York. Savannah co-founded the Rural-Urban Exchange in 2014, and has been working with visionary Kentuckians and Minnesotans for the past decade to build stronger relationships between the people and places that share those geographies.

Frankfort (Franklin Co.) / Paducah (McCracken Co.)

Michael G. Adams is Kentucky's 86th Secretary of State.

Michael graduated from McCracken County public schools, was the first in his family to get a bachelor's degree, and attended Harvard Law School on low-income aid. Michael worked for Senator Mitch McConnell and Governor Ernie Fletcher before moving to Washington to serve as Counsel to the U.S. Deputy Attorney General in the second Bush Administration.

In 2007, Michael began private practice in election law, ultimately building a national practice in the field. He has represented several national political committees, numerous national political figures, and statewide campaign efforts in all 50 states. Because of this unique experience, in 2016 Michael was appointed to the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

Inaugurated as Secretary of State in 2020, just before the onset of coronavirus, Michael used emergency powers to conduct safe and secure elections that became a model for other states. Having expanded voter access while also tightening election integrity, in 2021 Adams presented the state legislature with the most ambitious election reform plan since 1891, and it passed both chambers with near-unanimous support.

Michael's work in making it easy to vote and hard to cheat has earned praise throughout America and across party lines. In 2023, Michael sought reelection and was the top vote getter of all candidates for constitutional office, carrying 118 of 120 counties. In 2024, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presented Michael the JFK Profile in Courage Award, which recognizes public servants who have risked their careers by putting the public interest ahead of their own political standing.

Michael is happily married to Christina and is the proud father of Lucia. 

Louisville (Jefferson Co.)

Chef James Coogle is an experienced, gifted, and passionate culinarian. A graduate of Sullivan University, Chef enjoys utilizing the freshest, locally sourced ingredients to create delicious, beautiful dishes. Chef has over a decade of experience in the food and beverage hospitality industry, with a resume that includes cooking for Bistro on Chestnut, Huber’s Orchard and Winery, Noosh Nosh, Jack Fry’s, Omni Hotels and Resorts, and Captains Quarters. Chef’s dishes have been featured at Taste of Derby, Taste of 502, and Bourbon and Beyond. Kentucky Performing Arts and Curved Apron Hospitality are proud to feature the culinary works of Chef James Coogle through this VIP experience.