NEW GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE PROJECTS

Leaders for a New Generation

The Leaders for a New Generation Series was started because it was determined that Legacy, as the premiere group of young professionals in Northern Kentucky, should take an active role in stemming the tide of indifference among American adults aged 21 to 35 in their role in effective civic education. The Series invites young elected leaders from around Kentucky and the United States, on a bipartisan basis, to travel to Northern Kentucky and discuss their experiences with Legacy members and offer advice and insight to Legacy members. The Series kicked off in September 2002 with Sen. Ray S. Jones II (D-Pikeville) and Rep. James R. Comer Jr. (R-Tompkinsville), two of the youngest members of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Series continued in May 2003 with two other young members of the legislature: Sen. R.J. Palmer II (D-Winchester) and Rep. Brandon Smith (R-Hazard). The Series plans to continue this year.

Frankfort Shadowing Program

The Frankfort Shadowing Program started in 2003. The purpose of the Frankfort Shadowing Program is to cultivate a mentor/mentee program in which Legacy members can be paired with a member of the Kentucky General Assembly, the Kentucky Governor’s Office, or the Kentucky Supreme Court to discover the inner-working of state government in Frankfort. The long-term objectives of the Frankfort Shadowing Program are two fold: to enhance the number of Northern Kentuckians who are familiar with the organization in Frankfort and for Legacy members to develop their professional interest in being civically engaged in the direction of their state.

The largest undertaking of the New Governance Committee happened when the New Governance Committee Co-Chairs established a 25-member community wide task force to host a debate during the Kentucky Gubernatorial Election. The 25-member task force, which was called the Northern Kentucky Regional Gubernatorial Debate Task Force, consisted of members of LEGACY, elected leaders, and community leaders through the entire region. The task force secured over 35 co-sponsors of the event ranging from regional corporations, to non-profit organizations, to professional associations. After six months of planning, the Northern Kentucky Regional Gubernatorial Debate was held on September 30, 2003 with both Congressman Ernie Fletcher and Attorney General Ben Chandler, the two major candidates for governor, participating. This debate was the only public gubernatorial debate in Northern Kentucky, and over 1,000 Northern Kentuckians attended the debate. This Northern Kentucky debate went down in the record books as the largest public turnout for a debate during the 2003 gubernatorial election.