The Kentucky Chamber held its 6th annual Women’s Summit, presented by Fifth Third Bank, in Lexington in June, featuring conversations with leaders making an impact on the Commonwealth.
The event featured recognition of the 2026 Woman in Leadership award recipient, Renee Shaw, Public Affairs Director and Moderator at Kentucky Educational Television (KET).
Woman in Leadership Award Recipient Renee Shaw of KET
In a conversation with Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts, Shaw reflected on her more than three decades in public media, the responsibility that comes with informing the public, and the leadership lessons she has learned throughout her career. She discussed the importance of listening, building trust, and using one’s platform to elevate important issues and create opportunities for others.
Shaw shared lessons she has learned from some of the Commonwealth’s most influential leaders. She spoke about the power of effective communication, recalling advice and observations from leaders across the political spectrum. Among them was U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, whose ability to stay focused on a message and communicate with precision left a lasting impression.
She encouraged attendees to embrace authenticity and resist the pressure to overexplain or justify every decision and emphasized that confidence often comes from setting clear boundaries and understanding that “no” can be a complete sentence.
Reflecting on nearly 30 years in journalism, Shaw said, “I’ve always learned to sit at the feet of my elders and take my time because I’m not just doing a story or an interview, I am there to learn. It’s fundamental. The basis of journalism is curiosity. If you don’t have curiosity, you’re missing a major element.”
As the conversation turned to the changing media environment, Shaw discussed how she has worked to preserve public trust and remained committed to the principles that have guided her profession throughout her career. She said the role of journalism is not to provide commentary or advocate for a particular viewpoint, but to help the public better understand the facts and issues shaping their communities in a neutral way.
“We’re not new to this. We’re true to this,” Shaw said. “We have always been true to doing journalism the way journalism should be done.”
A Conversation with Kentucky’s Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman
Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman joined KET’s Shaw for a keynote conversation on leadership and public service. Reflecting on her path from teacher and basketball coach to lieutenant governor, Coleman discussed the importance of building relationships, finding common ground, and overcoming imposter syndrome as she navigated leadership roles in traditionally male-dominated spaces.
Coleman highlighted education as a longstanding priority and emphasized its direct connection to workforce development. She discussed the need for stronger cross-sector collaboration to address workforce challenges and encouraged aspiring leaders to prioritize listening and learning from others.
She credited former Lieutenant Governor Crit Luallen as an influential role model and underscored the importance of women serving in leadership positions and ensuring their perspectives are represented.
A Conversation with Ambassador Kelly Craft
In a conversation between former United States Ambassador to Canada and Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft and Planters Bank CEO Elizabeth McCoy, Craft reflected on the leadership lessons she learned representing the United States on the global stage. Drawing on her Kentucky roots, Craft emphasized the importance of integrity, relationship-building, and staying focused on long-term goals, arguing that effective leadership is built on trust and consistent engagement.
During her service as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Craft shared how relationships with leaders from smaller, often overlooked nations helped secure support on critical humanitarian issues. She said successful diplomacy begins long before a pivotal moment, noting that leaders cannot expect support if the first interaction comes only when something is needed.
The conversation also touched on current global security challenges, including the war in Ukraine, tensions involving China and Taiwan, and instability in the Middle East. Drawing on a recent visit to Ukraine, Craft emphasized that events around the world increasingly affect Americans at home through trade, energy markets, supply chains, and national security, underscoring the importance of strong American leadership and international partnerships.
Chasing Gold: Resilience, Purpose, and the Pursuit of Excellence
Kentucky native and Olympic gold medalist fencer Lee Kiefer joined Kentucky Chamber Chair-elect Kim Halbauer of Fifth Third Bank for a conversation on resilience, growth, and leadership. Reflecting on her experience at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Kiefer shared how falling short of her expectations taught her to separate self-worth from results and focus instead on gratitude and personal growth built through competition.
Kiefer said that mindset shift helped pave the way for her historic Olympic success and continues to shape how she approaches challenges. She emphasized the importance of preparation, noting that success at the highest levels often depends as much on mindset as it does talent.
Looking ahead, Kiefer discussed balancing her pursuit of another Olympic appearance with preparations for motherhood. She also reflected on her decision to step away from medical school to focus on fencing and mentoring young athletes, reinforcing her message that growth often comes from embracing new challenges.
Cracking the Case: The Power of Investigative Journalism to Uncover Truth
Independent journalist Shay McAlister reflected on her years covering the Bardstown murder investigations involving Crystal Rogers, Tommy Ballard, Officer Jason Ellis, and others. In a conversation with Amy Wickliffe of McCarthy Strategic Solutions, McAlister said she has always approached the stories through the experiences of victims and their families, emphasizing the importance of giving them a voice throughout the investigative process.
McAlister discussed how the investigations shaped her career, particularly through her nationally recognized podcast, Back to Bardstown. She credited Crystal Rogers’ mother, Sherry Ballard, for her persistence in seeking answers and accountability, noting that her advocacy has helped sustain momentum in the long-running investigations.
The conversation also explored the changing media landscape and McAlister’s decision to launch her independent journalism platform, Shay Informed. She emphasized the importance of trust, accuracy, and accountability in reporting and encouraged attendees to support local journalism, warning that communities suffer when local news disappears.
Luxury Energy: Protecting What Fuels You
Leadership and workplace culture expert Colene Elridge of Be More Consulting encouraged attendees to think differently about one of their most valuable resources: their energy. Combining insights from her own experiences with years of helping leaders and teams thrive, Elridge argued that many professionals focus heavily on time management when the greater challenge is sustaining the energy needed to perform at their best.
Elridge discussed the habits, relationships, and mindsets that can deplete energy, including overcommitment, negativity, constant urgency, and insufficient recovery. She encouraged attendees to be more intentional about setting boundaries, prioritizing rest, and investing their energy in ways that align with their values and goals, emphasizing that individuals have a choice in how they show up and the energy they bring to others.
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