David Gregory discusses Kentucky’s national influence and more ahead of Ky. Chamber’s annual meeting

During his 25 years in broadcast journalism, David Gregory’s work has taken him across the country and around the world. Most recently in his television career, he served as the moderator of Meet the Press at NBC News, the capstone to a long career at NBC.

Gregory is now using those experiences to share his thoughts on things like politics and his own personal journey with faith as he speaks with groups across the country, including the Kentucky Chamber as he will serve as keynote speaker at the 2015 Business Summit and Annual Meeting, presented by Bingham Greenebaum Doll, on July 27.

Kentucky is not unfamiliar to Gregory as he has relatives living in Lexington and he says he normally makes it down to the bluegrass state at least once a year.

Gregory also has a Kentucky connection because of the many interviews he has done with the commonwealth’s two U.S. Senators, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, over the years.

Recently, Kentucky has seen its national influence rise as McConnell became the Senate majority leader this year while Paul has continued to be outspoken on policy issues and announced he will run for president in 2016.

In an interview with the Kentucky Chamber, Gregory noted the interesting role Kentucky’s leadership and influence plays in different aspects of U.S. politics.

“You have big institutional leadership with Mitch McConnell as the majority leader now and then you have this different kind of leadership with Rand Paul who is not only running for president but represents this kind of grassroots, populism, tea party sentiment within the Republican Party. So you’ve got all of that all inside Kentucky politics, which I think makes it pretty dynamic and interesting and influential at several different levels,” Gregory said.

Gregory also noted the national recognition Kentucky has received for the implementation of kynect, the state-based exchange set up through the Affordable Care Act. As Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear issued an executive order to move forward with the exchange, Gregory interviewed Beshear about the health care changes and noted the fact that the state has served as a model for reforms under the law.

“Kentucky has been on the forefront of selling Obamacare with the strength of the state health care sign up system even though it has been at odds with how the Republican leadership in Congress has felt about it,” Gregory said, calling Kentucky a “trendsetter” when it comes to the changes in the health care system.

Now in its tenth year, the Business Summit and Annual Meeting, scheduled for July 27 and 28 at the Downtown Marriott Louisville, provides an opportunity for business leaders throughout the Commonwealth to discuss the issues related to the local, national and international economies. The Kentucky Chamber’s signature event has consistently brought renowned journalists, political analysts and speakers to the Business Summit with the intent to enhance the conversations had during the two-day think tank.

Gregory told the Chamber he looks forward to speaking to the group about the way Kentucky is viewed at the national level, his time in the anchor chair interviewing some of the world’s biggest leaders and his personal journey which lead him to author the forthcoming book How’s Your Faith?, an examination of his own faith journey.