Congratulations to our graduates!

The Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL) is proud to announce its 20th graduating class of our Emerging Leaders Program presented by Republic Bank. The Emerging Leaders Program is a three-month accelerated and intensive experience designed to address the leadership development needs of young professionals. These young professionals represent one of Greater Louisville’s greatest resources: talented young people committed to making our community a better place to live, work, and play. The Emerging Leaders Program is one of the most significant ways that YPAL grows and nurtures talent in our region.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Republic Bank, and our supporting sponsors RE Solutions, Mindset Collaborative, Michele Shelton, Story Louisville, and the YPAL Foundation, the program includes training led by Lenae Price, President and Founder of Mindset Collaborative, wherein participants take an introspective look at their strengths, values and leadership style and get advice from community leaders. The objective of the program is to provide participants with a clear understanding of their strengths, values, and personality in the context of becoming a more effective leader. Our participants also engaged in a Decade 4 Diversity: A Leadership Conversation for A New Generation class hosted by Michele Shelton, DEI Strategist & Workplace Activist.

This Fall 2022 class was a close knit group who invested in building relationships inside and outside the classroom. They were our first class to challenge the norm and extend their leadership project interviews to a national presence. In each sesssion, their dedication to development, both personally and professionally was inspiring. We can’t wait to see what’s next for our 20th class of Emerging Leaders!

As part of YPAL’s goal to continue supporting more local diverse-owned businesses, we want to thank the following companies that provided our cohort with excellent meals and a graduation celebration: The Black Italian, Dee’s Catering, Garden Girl Foods, Happy Belly Bistro, Loz Aztecas, and Mussel & Burger Bar Downtown.

The Fall 2022 class of the Emerging Leaders Program concluded their coursework and final group presentations on December 5th. The 19 graduates include:

  • Aaron Brewer, Yum! Brands
  • Ahmed Farah, Louisville Free Public Library
  • Alexander Mulhall, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs
  • Alexis Warren, SCRAM Systems
  • Bailey Hanks, Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana
  • Carman Napier, Day Spring
  • Charlie Todd, Stored Value Solutions
  • Cory McCauley, C2 Strategic Communications
  • Emily Davis, Humana/The Wondering Mind Co./ Mindfest LLC
  • Erica Holloway-McDaniel, University of Louisville
  • James “KJ” Abrams, YouthBuild- SummerWorks
  • Katelyn Strickland, Waystar
  • Marilyn “Sazi” Dube, Norton Healthcare
  • Marina Silveira, HJI Solutions
  • Neil Mattingly, FORVIS, LLP
  • Tammie Haynes, JenCare Senior Medical Center
  • Trevor Leuck, Atria Senior Living
  • Tyler James, Kentucky Performing Arts
  • Zahara Gully, Jefferson Community and Technical College

Applications for the Spring 2023 program are open now until December 19th. The program, scholarship, and childcare stipend information can be found at: https://www.ypal.org/about-us/emerging-leaders-program/

If you have any questions, please email Miriam Nally, YPAL’s Director of Leadership, at mnally@greaterlouisville.com.