2023 Best Places to Work in Kentucky Magazine

2023 Small Company Winner Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC)

2023 Medium Company Winner Car-Part.com

2023 Large Company Winner Amgen

Presented By:

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A Best Place to Work in Kentucky?

1 Determine eligibility

1. Be a publicly or privately held business.

2. Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business or a government entity.

3. Have a facility in the state of Kentucky.

4. Have a minimum of 15 full-time or part-time employees working in Kentucky.

2 Registration for the survey process

Registration for the survey process opens in the fall.

3 Company assessment

In late fall, surveys are sent out to Kentucky employees. This confidential feedback accounts for 80% of a company’s score. While employees are providing feedback, the company is completing an employer assessment, which accounts for 20% of a company’s score.

4

Compiling the results

Experts conduct an in-depth analysis of the assessment results to determine if a company has what it takes to be the best.

5 Making the list

In early 2023, participating companies are notified whether or not they made the list of 100 companies. 6 Feedback

Participating companies receive access to the Employee Feedback Data Dashboard with detailed data from the survey process. You will be able to view your percentage of positive and negative responses to each of the survey questions asked of employees, as well as employee comments and employee and employer benchmarking data.

The online platform contains multiple levels of reporting.

7

Adjust and grow

Regardless of whether or not they made the list, participating companies use their survey results to drive change within their organization. 8 Celebrate

Each year our winning companies gather for a celebration where the rankings are announced.

For more information or to be added to our communication list for the 2024 program, visit us online at www.BestPlacestoWorkKentucky.com

The Kentucky Society for Human Resource

Management is proud to be a founding partner of Best Places to Work in Kentucky. The Best Places to Work in Kentucky program recognizes those employers who set an exemplary standard of excellence for both employee engagement and business success. If you are part of a winning company, we deeply thank you for your commitment to make our Commonwealth a best place to work.

Human resource professionals lead the business of people in Kentucky, and after the past three years they have also been our workplace heroes. From managing pandemic workplace issues, employee safety, mental health, wellness, retention and an everchanging business environment, today’s HR professionals continue to guide their organizations with strength and resilience. HR professionals are the CEO’s true strategic partner in creating an adaptive advantage for Kentucky’s employers.

Kentucky SHRM, along with our 12 local SHRM chapters, have also been walking with you along these uncharted paths by providing ongoing educational and leadership opportunities for over 3,000 human resource professionals throughout the Commonwealth. We have and will continue to lead our organizations and contribute to the effective strategies that impact the bottom line.

Kentucky SHRM is thrilled to recognize the best of the best in Kentucky. Enjoy learning more about our top employers in the pages to come, and feel free to call on them to find out more about their successful strategies and what they are doing to be ready for what’s next.

Kentucky SHRM. Moving HR Forward.

Work in

We are pleased to celebrate the extra-ordinary efforts of 100 companies who have created exemplary work environments, making the Commonwealth a better place to do business.

As president of the Kentucky Chamber, I am excited to see so many Kentucky employers have such a strong commitment to their employees. I am proud to see that 65 of the 100 companies named in the Best Places to Work competition this year are members of the Kentucky Chamber. From banks to colleges, to health care facilities and manufacturers, this year’s winners represent a diverse cross-section of industries from all corners of the state.

In order for Kentucky’s economy to thrive, we must work together to address barriers to employment for Kentuckians, while also finding ways to attract new talent. The Best Places program provides your company with a tool to measure workplace satisfaction each year.

The Kentucky Chamber is proud to offer the Best Places to Work in Kentucky program – providing a perfect venue to celebrate the companies who are doing their part to make the Commonwealth a great place to live and work. We strive to do our part for Kentucky businesses yearround in the halls of our Capitol representing all Kentucky job-creators. The Kentucky Chamber works each day to unite business and advance Kentucky.

We thank you for your participation in the Best Places initiative and congratulate you on your efforts!

Ashli Watts President & CEO Kentucky Chamber kychamber.com

2023 Winners by the Numbers

Companies that offer reimbursement or assistance for business education workshops or conferences.

Companies that have employees who telecommute on a full-time or part-time basis.

Companies that allow employees to participate in community service during normal business hours without losing pay or using vacation time.

Companies that have managers that are trained to look for and deal with signs of mental stress, burnout, and fatigue among their team.

Companies that offer an employer match or other formal contribution to the employee’s retirement plan.

Companies that offer mentoring programs to prepare employees for leadership roles.

This organization assists me in following a well-aligned CAREER PATH

This

I

This organization is committed to producing HIGH-QUALITY products/services

Workforce Research Group has identified these key motivators have the highest impact on employee engagement among 2023 program participants:

I believe in this organization’s LEADERSHIP

organization treats me with dignity, not as just a number

typically feel I make daily progress at work

I have fun at work

I understand what is expected of me

I believe this organization values ME

I like what I do for this organization

Awesome Employers Endure

s we look back over the past three long and grueling years, one thing has remained constant in Kentucky; the best employers never wavered in their commitment to providing safe environments where employees love to work. It’s easy to be a great place to work when things are going well but throw a pandemic into the mix, and employers face one of the toughest challenges ever!

This year marks the 19th annual celebration of “The Best Places to Work in Kentucky.” One hundred winning employers are doing the right things to keep employees excited, engaged, and motivated. Workforce Research Group (WRG) researched which companies excelled in making the top 100. This list ranks these outstanding employers. Twenty percent of the evaluation is based upon unique and/or exceptional perks these employers provide for their employees, including free car seats for new parents, “Beer:30” Fridays, and food trucks. One company offers “Winter Wednesdays.” In the winter, employees don’t have to arrive until 1:00 pm each Wednesday.

The employee feedback survey provides the remaining 80 percent of the evaluation. WRG uses an 80-question

Asurvey to measure the employee experience in each organization. Employee engagement, or “Core Employee Experience,” was 92% for this group of winners. The national average is around 35%. Congratulations Kentucky! Whether or not an organization made the Top 100 list, all participants receive access to the Employee Feedback Data Dashboard. This dashboard provides a state-of-the-art reporting portal allowing each organization to understand its workforce better. Employee responses are anonymous, but the aggregated data, the open-ended comments, and the program benchmark reports provide great insight to help each organization improve.

As you read the following pages, please remember that these companies did not win by accident. These employers have intentionally committed to their efforts to create extraordinary workplace places. These winners have a substantial positive impact on their employees, their employees’ families, their customers, and the communities they serve.

Congratulations again to all the “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” for 2023!

“As fire sharpens steel, so Kentucky’s strong companies challenge and strengthen each other!”

Lyle S. Hanna, co-founder of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky program

“Your strength and resilience set the highest standard for workforce excellence in Kentucky.”

Peter Burke, President and CEO of Workforce Research Group

HALL F FAME

10-Year Winners

Our 10-Year Winners for 2023 answer the question:

Well the answer is easy…we at WHT focus on creating a positive work environment where all employees can thrive. We are a regional civil litigation firm concentrating in defense of insurance companies, businesses and individuals. It is our belief at Ward, Hocker & Thornton that individuals with a sense of family and community, as well as interests outside the practice of law, better our firm overall. We are committed to our longstanding tradition of service and leadership in the communities where we live and work, while supporting our attorneys in their individual efforts.

TransUnion, formerly Neustar, has been a Best Places to Work in Kentucky winner for 10 years due to our dedicated associates and the support of our leadership. Our associates are at the heart of our company. The Louisville team embodies a core set of values – Integrity, People, Customers, and Innovation - that transcends everything we do. These values set us apart from our competitors and make TransUnion a great place to work. By living these values, our associates create connections and celebrate wins. Associates are empowered to be creative and develop solutions. It is through this combination that allows our team to continue to grow and lead.

“Why do you think your company has made the list for 10 years?”

Dorton

supported

Kentucky’s Best Places to Work program since its inception.

We decided to participate in the initial Best Places to Work program because this program would be instrumental in helping us learn about our team, culture, and everything that goes into building and enriching a reputable employer. We comb through every data point and word of feedback each year to understand our team members’ insights and find areas to improve. The confidential feedback allows us to measure our team members’ engagement and to create, enrich and change benefits, perks, practices, policies, and experiences. We value the program today for the reasons we started participating 19 years ago. It is a crucial measure of our culture and impact on team members, shaping our strategic plans and initiatives for the future. We are so proud our growth has enabled us to be an eight times larger team than in 2004, with approximately 400 employees today, office locations in three cities, and many remote employees.

Our approach to using the Best Places to Work in Kentucky survey results helps us foster a positive work environment that attracts and retains top talent, recognizes the importance of work-life balance, and provides employees with opportunities for growth and development. The firm values diversity, equity, and inclusion. It has policies and practices that promote these values while maintaining top-tier benefits and engagement to ensure their physical, mental, and financial well-being.

Unlimited PTO: We encourage our team to take the time necessary to enjoy life, restore, and care for themselves and their families. Our unlimited PTO allows team members to take charge and take the time they want and need.

Recharge: Everyone knows that PTO doesn’t always allow professionals to disconnect from the concerns of clients and team members truly. Hence, we look for time to allow our team to disconnect completely.

Wellness Reimbursement: This popular benefit provides financial support to team members for mental and physical well-being.

Maternity Leave: Our mothers receive 100% pay for the full 12 weeks of FMLA.

Family Leave: Our team members in need of time off to care for family members receive fully paid time off to meet this purpose.

Fully funded benefits: Dean Dorton pays 100% of a team member’s long-

term disability, short-term disability, and life insurance premiums. This allows our team to rest easy, knowing they will be cared for if the worst happens.

Employee CARE Program: A standard EAP is sometimes insufficient for our team. We partner with CAREWorks (a local program) to provide free, confidential, live, face-to-face support, guidance, and direction when life’s events are challenging.

Retirement Benefits: Dean Dorton is not only competitive with an employee match, but we also contribute to every team member’s retirement savings through profit sharing.

Fun: We spend too many work hours together not to enjoy some fun time. This includes putt-putt, golf tournaments, cook-offs, trivia afternoons, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, video game competitions, Keeneland and Churchill Downs outings, community outreach, trick or treating, happy hours, food trucks, in-house baristas, and other activities designed especially for our team.

Dean

has participated in and actively

Thank you, Best Places to Work in Kentucky, for this honor and for continually supporting our improvement endeavors.

Work Hard, Play Hard!

If there were a perfect formula to creating a Best Place to Work, then we would all be following it. However, the organizations on this list have carefully crafted and cultivated a workplace where employees feel respected, secure, and energized by their work. The Best Places to Work in Kentucky survey gives organizations a chance to see what policies and practices resonate with their respective workforce, including the exciting events that they look forward to year after year.

Many companies have implemented unique and fun events to thank their team for their hard work and making the top 100 Best Places to Work in Kentucky list. One of those companies is Commonwealth Credit Union.

For five years, Commonwealth Credit Union has been named a Best Place to Work in Kentucky. We asked them how they celebrate this accomplishment. As you can see, they have fun with the recognition!

Last July, in conjunction with Love My Credit Union Day, over 300 team members and their families enjoyed an afternoon of food, Kona Ice, great music, prizes, and bounce houses for all ages!

During the event, Commonwealth Credit Union President/CEO Karen Harbin

congratulated their team on their achievement and reminded everyone that, “Our mission to Better Lives through OUR PASSION to Serve starts with the culture we’ve created with our team members. Focusing on our team members first results in a ripple that benefits our families, our credit union members and business partners, and the communities we serve.”

As you flip through these pages, we hope that you are inspired to focus on your culture and workforce and that you are reminded to have a little fun when you can.

THE 16 COLLEGES OF THE KENTUCKY COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM

ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING KENTUCKIANS WITH A BETTER LIFE

Building the Best

Building the very best workplaces in Kentucky requires leaders to focus on culture. As we look toward the future of work in Kentucky, one thing is certain: organizations who build empowering and engaging cultures will outperform, outpace, and outlast those who do not.

Currently, organizational culture has never been a more critical and essential part of your human resource strategy.

The outcome of a great culture is often measured in higher levels of employee engagement. Everyone wants more of it - as much as they can get.

When we look at employee engagement, the output is what we see, but engagement is much more than that. Real engagement is about how someone on your team directs their efforts at work and how intense that effort is. It is an individual decision that has organizational impact.

Like culture, employee engagement does not happen by accident. Everything about how we work and how it feels to work is purposeful. For most of us, engagement is

found in the smallest moments - how we treat each other in the hallways, the behaviors we display in meetings, and how someone feels at the end of a long project.

There is real joy and honesty in these moments, and the best leaders harness those moments authentically. When it comes to building the best kinds of cultures, you need to focus on three essential building blocks: meaningful work, psychological safety, and intentional resources.

Meaningful Work

No matter where you live, one thing is true: everyone wants to know they matter. And this extends into the workplace. Employees need to see a direct line of sight to how their work matters. Often, work comes with meaning, so as leaders, our job is to ensure that each employee on our team knows that their work every day has value. We need to tell them. They need to feel that value. Reinforcing this message ensures that each person is connected, aligned, and part of the overall process.

If you are struggling in this area, step back and ask your leadership a few questions:

1. How do our employees know that their work is meaningful?

2. What are our organization’s tangible artifacts of meaning and purpose?

3. Do we tell our employees how much their gifts and talents matter?

Psychological Safety

It can be hard to be your best when you don’t feel like you belong. Psychological safety is all about risk and whether working, especially at your organization, is worth that risk. Indeed, in many organizations, safety is about being physically safe, but in our research on organizational culture, safety is also about how I feel included, valued, and seen. Over the last few years, important and long-overdue conversations around equity and inclusion have been well connected to the idea of safety at work. Someone may be in the room, but if they don’t feel valued or raise their hand, they cannot lean into work. That is psychological safety.

If you are struggling in this area, here are a few questions to help guide your conversations:

1. How do employees know that they are valued and belong here?

2. How are we building psychologically safe places of work, or are we building silos?

3. How are we including all the voices in the room?

Intentional Resources

We need the resources to dig in to do our best work. Conversations around resources often turn quickly to money and things like salary, but additional funds only solve some problems. If you have an equity issue around pay, you need to address that. Still, outside of that, leaders might focus on intangible resources like learning and development, coaching, and finding ways to build workload capacity through flexible job designs. Ensuring employees at all levels have the resources they need to do their work and finding ways to help them get better at their work supports the culture where everyone thrives. The resources employees need to grow and develop are intentionally placed. They do not happen by accident.

If identifying intentional resources is an area of focus for your leadership, here are a few questions to uncover what your employees might need:

1. Do we have an equity issue regarding compensation that we need to address?

2. How are we training and developing our entire workforce?

3. Where do we need to invest in leadership

In the future of work, organizational culture will be your differentiator. It will be the equalizer. Building on these three areas will ensure that you have a culture supporting employees at all levels. Building the best is an intentional decision, and those who get this right will reap the benefits for years.

About the Author

Dr. Brad Shuck is an internationally recognized and sought after thought leader in the areas of employee engagement, leadership, and organizational culture. He is the author of Employee Engagement: A Research Overview (Routledge, 2020) and has published or presented more than 400 academic articles, book chapters, and invited presentations. Shuck holds four US Copyrights and one pending trademark for his research-driven, intellectual property on employee engagement and culture management. His work has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and TIME, as well as India’s Economic Times and the Hindu Times, among others. In addition to his academic work, Shuck has given Keynote addresses on four of the seven continents including in China, Spain, Korea, India, Panama, and all over the United Kingdom and United States for some of the world’s largest and most admired companies. Shuck is a tenured Professor at the University of Louisville and Co-Founder of OrgVitals, a purpose-built technology focused on the employee experience for the future of work. He is a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and holds advanced degrees in Counseling, Student Affairs, Human Resource Development, and Adult Education.

Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC)

Kentucky Educational Development Corporation

Previous Rank: 3

No. of Years Ranked: *Last ranked in 2019

Primary Location: Ashland

Industry: Non-Profit

Web Address: www.kedc.org

Survey Administrator: Carla Kersey, Project Development Coordinator

No. of U.S. Employees: 49

No. of KY Employees: 49

Company Executive: Nancy Hutchinson, Chief Executive Officer

SPOTLIGHT PROFILE:

The Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC) supports and adds value to our member districts through a united spirit of cooperation and innovation. With over 70 member districts statewide and over 50+ years of service, KEDC is Kentucky’s oldest and largest educational cooperative. KEDC exists to provide educational support services for its members. Types of services provided: technology wiring, full collective bidding services, special education support, professional development opportunities for all school employees, adult education services, leadership development, and more. We embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging, creating a cooperative spirit willing to serve others. KEDC goes above and beyond brick & mortar to be Your Trusted Partner in Education. #WeAreKEDC

2 MiddleGround Capital

Previous Rank: 2

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.middleground.com

Survey Administrator: Karyn Blunt, Human Capital Associate

No. of U.S. Employees: 92

No. of KY Employees: 73

Company Executive: John Stewart, Managing Partner

3 Delta Dental of Kentucky, Inc.

Previous Rank: 7

No. of Years Ranked: 8

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Healthcare - Insurance/Services

Web Address: www.deltadentalky.com

Survey Administrator: Paige Greenwell, Director, Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 91

No. of KY Employees: 83

Company Executive: J. Jude Thompson, President & CEO

4 FNB Bank

Previous Rank: 5

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location(s): Mayfield

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.growwithfnb.com

Survey Administrator: Crystal Balentine, SVP/HR Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 122

No. of KY Employees: 122

Company Executive: Sally Hopkins, President & CEO

5 Kerr-Greulich Engineers, Inc.

Previous Rank: 25

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Engineering

Web Address: www.kerr-greulich.com

Survey Administrator: Kim Ratcliffe, HR

No. of U.S. Employees: 35

No. of KY Employees: 35

Company Executive: Benjamin Gries, President

8 PriceWeber Marketing

Previous Rank: 4

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Advertising/PR/Marketing

Web Address: www.priceweber.com

Survey Administrator: Tamara Davis, Director of Public Relations & Social Media

No. of U.S. Employees: 42

No. of KY Employees: 42

Company Executive: Fred Davis, President & CEO

6 Alpha Business Acquisitions

Previous Rank: 1

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Retail

Web Address: www.alphabainc.com

Survey Administrator: Samantha Champagne, Human Resource Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 16

No. of KY Employees: 16

Company Executive: Stephen Oberbillig, President/CEO

9 Wehr Constructors, Inc.

Previous Rank: 9

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Construction

Web Address: www.wehrconstructors.com

Survey Administrator: Katrina Dietrich, Senior HR Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 118

No. of KY Employees: 88

Company Executives: Brandon Berry, CEO, Dale Berry Jr. ,COO

7 Ward, Hocker & Thornton, PLLC

Previous Rank: 14

No. of Years Ranked: 10

Primary Location(s): Lexington

Industry: Legal

Web Address: www.whtlaw.com

Survey Administrator: Gregg Thornton, Member

No. of U.S. Employees: 52

No. of KY Employees: 52

Company Executive: Gregg Thornton, Member

SPOTLIGHT PROFILE:

Since 1945, we have been honored to provide communities with safe, functional, and beautiful environments for healthcare, worship, education, justice, and commercial work. Owned and operated by the Berry family which includes five generations of general contractors and engineers and with a team of over 115 professionals, we are proud to be one of the largest general contractors and construction managers in the Southeast. We are headquartered in Louisville, KY with offices in Lexington, KY, Bowling Green, KY and Tampa, FL.

10 People Plus, Inc.

Previous Rank: 18

No. of Years Ranked: 11

Primary Location(s): Multiple Cities

Industry: Staffing

Web Address: www.peopleplusinc.com

Survey Administrator: Amanda Huddleston, President

No. of U.S. Employees: 21

No. of KY Employees: 21

Company Executive: Amy Sanderson, CEO

13 Hyland Insurance

Previous Rank: Not Previously Ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Insurance–Non-Healthcare and Healthcare

Web Address: www.hylandins.net

Survey Administrator: Melissa Stewart, Chief Operating Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 40

No. of KY Employees: 40

Company Executive: Terry Hyland, President

11 Bitwerx, Inc.

Previous Rank: 10

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Technology

Web Address: www.bitwerx.com

Survey Administrator: Gail Ingersoll, Controller

No. of U.S. Employees: 73

No. of KY Employees: 73

Company Executive: Jason Jaggers, CEO

14 Cornett

Previous Rank: 21

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Advertising/PR/Marketing

Web Address: www.teamcornett.com

Survey Administrator: Emmy Hartley, Chief Operating Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 47

No. of KY Employees: 47

Company Executive: Christy Hiler, President & Owner

12 Members Choice Credit Union

Previous Rank: Not Previously Ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Ashland

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.mccu.net

Survey Administrator: Tiffany Black, Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 80

No. of KY Employees: 80

Company Executive: David Deborde, President & CEO

SPOTLIGHT PROFILE:

Members Choice Credit Union is a credit union created by Steelworkers in Northeastern Kentucky to build a better financial life for their employees and the community.

Members Choice Credit Union was organized in 1932 as Armco Employees Credit Union when Armco Steel working on the principle of ‘people helping people,’ these pioneers paved the way so that future generations would know the credit union difference. The credit union began to grow in members, starting with just a few services - loans and savings. New products and services were added over the years to serve those members’ needs. We are community first and member driven. A credit union is a cooperative, not-for-profit financial institution organized to promote thrift and provide credit to members. It is member-owned and controlled through a board of directors elected by the membership. The board serves on a volunteer basis and may hire a management team to run the credit union.

15 Barrell Craft Spirits, LLC

Previous Rank: Not Previously Ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Spirits

Web Address: www.barrellbourbon.com

Survey Administrator: Angela Lamb, HR

No. of U.S. Employees: 53

No. of KY Employees: 53

Company Executive: Joe Beatrice, Founder/CEO

18 Strothman and Company

Previous Rank: 19

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Accounting

Web Address: www.strothman.com

Survey Administrator: Briana Whittle, HR Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 74

No. of KY Employees: 74

Company Executive: Bill Meyer, Managing Partner

19 Tony Malito’s Dealer For the People Budget Car Sales

16 MCF Advisors

Previous Rank: 13

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.mcfadvisors.com

Survey Administrator: Alice Little, Chief of Staff, Marketing & Business Development Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 30

No. of KY Employees: 30

Company Executive: Dave Harris, CEO

17 Bim Group

Previous Rank: 8

No. of Years Ranked: 18

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Healthcare - Insurance/Services

Web Address: www.bimgroup.us

Survey Administrator: Heather Taylor, Sr. Director of Operations

No. of U.S. Employees: 35

No. of KY Employees: 35

Company Executive: L. Briggs Cochran, CEO

Previous Rank: 11

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location(s): Muldraugh/Radcliff

Industry: Retail

Web Address: www.tonysaysyes.com

Survey Administrator: Matt Bratcher, GSM

No. of U.S. Employees: 37

No. of KY Employees: 37

Company Executive: Nick Bratcher, Owner/GM

20 Marine Solutions, Inc.

Previous Rank: 17

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location: Nicholasville

Industry: Engineering and Commercial Diving

Web Address: www.MSImarinesolutions.com

Survey Administrator: Blair Flowers, Director of Marketing

No. of U.S. Employees: 105

No. of KY Employees: 57

Company Executive: Amy Wilkins, PE, President

21 Metro United Way

Previous Rank: 30, last ranked in 2021

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Nonprofit–Health & Human Services

Web Address: www.metrounitedway.org

Survey Administrator: Joanna Erny, Chief of Staff

No. of U.S. Employees: 64

No. of KY Employees: 64

Company Executive: Adria Johnson, President & CEO

24 Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering & Testing/Marcum Engineering

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Paducah

Industry: Engineering

Web Address: www.bfwengineers.com

Survey Administrator: Angie Redmon, Consultant

No. of U.S. Employees: 130

No. of KY Employees: 109

Company Executive: Mark Workman, Executive Vice President, Principal

22 Longship

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Logistics/Transportation

Web Address: www.longship.us

Survey Administrator: Courtney Putthoff, Chief of Staff

No. of U.S. Employees: 124

No. of KY Employees: 114

Company Executive: Courtney Putthoff, Chief of Staff

25 All Star Purchasing

Previous Rank: 32

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Purchasing

Web Addr ess: www.allstarpurchasing.com

Survey Administrator: Caroline Neal, Human Resource Representative

No. of U.S. Employees: 15

No. of KY Employees: 15

Company Executive: Bruce Daily, CEO

23 Kentucky Hospital Association

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Non-Profit

Web Address: www.kyha.com

Survey Administrator: Ginger Dreyer, Senior Director of Communications

No. of U.S. Employees: 37

No. of KY Employees: 37

Company Executive: Nancy Galvagni, President & CEO

26 CHI Saint Joseph Health, Outpatient Surgery Center

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Healthcare-Provider

Web Address: www.chisaintjosephhealth.org

Survey Administrator: Amanda Jumper, Market Director Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 24

No. of KY Employees: 24

Company Executive: Sheila Devine Griffeth, Administrator

29 Town & Country Bank and Trust Company

Previous Rank: 27

No. of Years Ranked: 12

Primary Location: Bardstown

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.mytcbt.bank

Survey Administrator: Linda Gordon, Assistant Vice President and Human Resources Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 86

No. of KY Employees: 86

Company Executive: David Greenwell, President and CEO

27 Fahe

Previous Rank: 26

No. of Years Ranked: 7

Primary Location: Berea

Industry: Non-Profit

Web Address: www.fahe.org

Survey Administrator: Norma Edwards, Vice President of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 78

No. of KY Employees: 78

Company Executive: Sara Morgan, President

30 V-Soft Consulting

Previous Rank: 36

No. of Years Ranked: 8

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Staffing

Web Address: www.vsoftconsulting.com

Survey Administrator: Bree Heightchew, Marketing Assistant

No. of U.S. Employees: 122

No. of KY Employees: 32

Company Executive: Purna Veer, President

28 CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners

Previous Rank: 6

No. of Years Ranked: 2

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.chisaintjosephhealthpartners.org

Survey Administrator: Dorothy Lockhart, Market Vice President

No. of U.S. Employees: 31

No. of KY Employees: 31

Company Executive: Dorothy Lockhart, Market Vice President

Spotlight Profile:

CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners is a care management company with a network of primary care providers, specialists, hospitals, ancillary services, skilled nursing facilities and agencies that collaborate to ensure that their patients conveniently receive the highest quality of care and value. Nearly 3,000 providers across Kentucky participate in the network. The company’s compassionate care management team, leveraging state-of-the-art information systems, coordinate care for patients of all ages, regardless of their location or the provider. CHI Saint Joseph Health Partners is the most advanced Medicare-certified Accountable Care Organization in Kentucky. As part of CHI Saint Joseph Health, our vision is a healthier future for all, inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by humanity.

31 Copperhead Environmental Consulting, Inc.

Previous Rank: 22

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Paint Lick

Industry: Consulting

Web Address: www.copperheadconsulting.com

Survey Administrator: Heather Ballinger, Chief Human Resources Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 40

No. of KY Employees: 40

Company Executive: Mark Gumbert, Founder/CEO

34 Connected Nation, Inc.

Previous Rank: 20

No. of Years Ranked: 12

Primary Location: Bowling Green

Industry: Non-Profit

Web Address: www.connectednation.org

Survey Administrator: Melanie Hatfield, HR Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 54

No. of KY Employees: 54

Company Executive: Tom Ferree, Chairman and CEO

35 Forcht Broadcasting Radio & Digital

Previous Rank: 26, last ranked in 2021

No. of Years Ranked: 2

32 CRG Automation

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Industrial Automation

Web Address: www.crgautomation.com

Survey Administrator: Rebekah Fischer, Director of Marketing

No. of U.S. Employees: 32

No. of KY Employees: 32

Company Executive: James DeSmet, CEO

33 Thoroughbred

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Engineering

Web Address: thoroughbredfirm.com

Survey Administrator: Alan Sisk, Chief Human Resources Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 75

No. of KY Employees: 75

Company Executive: Jonathan Hale, CEO

Primary Location: Somerset

Industry: Radio

Web Address: www.forchtbroadcasting.com

Survey Administrator: Janice Pratt, HR Generalist

No. of U.S. Employees: 68

No. of KY Employees: 51

Company Executive: Mike Tarter, President/CEO

36 Matthew 25 AIDS Services, Inc.

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Henderson

Industry: Non-Profit–Health & Human Services

Web Address: www.matthew25clinic.org

Survey Administrator: Kendall Buechler, Human Resources Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 62

No. of KY Employees: 56

Company Executive: Courtney Woolfork, Chief Executive Officer

37 Shippers Solution

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Louisville Industry: Distribution

Web Address: www.ShippersSolutionsKY.com

Survey Administrator: Heather Nix, Executive Assistant

No. of U.S. Employees: 76

No. of KY Employees: 73

Company Executive: Sid Anderson, General Manager

38 United States Hunter Jumper Association

Previous Rank: 30

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Lexington Industry: Non-Profit

Web Address: www.ushja.org

Survey Administrator: Whitney Allen, Director of Operations

No. of U.S. Employees: 40

No. of KY Employees: 38

Company Executive: Kevin Price, Executive Director

39 Mirazon

Previous Rank: 3

No. of Years Ranked: 7

Primary Location: Louisville Industry: Technology

Web Address: www.mirazon.com

Survey Administrator: Leah Weisman, HR Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 70

No. of KY Employees: 59

Company Executive: Craig Stein, Partner

40 Rajant Corporation

Previous Rank: 24

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Morehead

Industry: Manufacturing

Web Address: www.rajant.com

Survey Administrator: Alice DiSanto, VP of Global Marketing

No. of U.S. Employees: 145

No. of KY Employees: 31

Company Executive: Alice DiSanto, VP of Global Marketing

Spotlight Profile:

Rajant Corporation is the broadband communications technology company that invented Kinetic Mesh® networking, BreadCrumb® wireless nodes, and InstaMesh® networking software. With Rajant, customers can rapidly deploy a highly adaptable and scalable network that leverages the power of real-time data to deliver on-demand, mission-critical business intelligence. A lowlatency, high-throughput, and secure solution for a variety of data, voice, video, and autonomous applications, Rajant’s Kinetic Mesh networks provide industrial customers with full mobility, allowing them to take their private network applications and data anywhere. With successful deployments in over 80 countries for customers in military, mining, ports, rail, oil & gas, petrochemical plants, municipalities, public safety, agriculture, and warehouse & factory automation. Rajant is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania with additional facilities and offices in Arizona and Kentucky. For more information, visit Rajant.com or follow Rajant on LinkedIn and Twitter.

41 Higgins Insurance

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Hopkinsville

Industry: Insurance – Non-Healthcare and Healthcare

Web Address: www.higginsinsurance.com

Survey Administrator: Sarah Nightingale, Operations Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 31

No. of KY Employees: 31

Company Executive: Brad Bolinger, VP, Partner

42 Strategic Marketing

Previous Rank: 28

No. of Years Ranked: 8

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Advertising/PR/Marketing

Web Address: www.strategicmarketing.com

Survey Administrator: Jay Parker, Creative Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 55

No. of KY Employees: 55

Company Executive: Todd Strause, CEO

43 DPL Financial Partners

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.dplfp.com

Survey Administrator: Taylor Kenney, Human Resources Business Partner

No. of U.S. Employees: 71

No. of KY Employees: 62

Company Executive: David Lau, Founder & CEO

44 DBL Law

Previous Rank: 39

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Covington

Industry: Legal

Web Address: www.dbllaw.com

Survey Administrator: Joanne Flanagan, Communications Coordinator

No. of U.S. Employees: 110

No. of KY Employees: 90

Company Executive: Robert M. Hoffer, Managing Partner

45 CHI Saint Joseph Health, St. Joseph Jessamine

Previous Rank: 30, last ranked in 2020

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.chisaintjosephhealth.org

Survey Administrator: Drew Lane, HR Business Partner

No. of U.S. Employees: 45

No. of KY Employees: 45

Company Executive: Greg Giles, VP Operations

Best Places to Work

Congratulations to the employees and leaders of CHI Saint Joseph Health these facilities and service partners recognized as a 2023 Best Places to Work in Kentucky by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Society for Human Resources Management.

We are proud of this recognition and proud of the quality health care services that we offer patients at all our facilities across the communities we serve.

Flaget Memorial Hospital Saint Joseph Berea

Saint Joseph Jessamine Saint Joseph London Outpatient Surgery Center

The Good Business Movement: How taking care of all stakeholders leads to sustained success

The Good Business Movement is happening across the globe. On a macro scale, it’s about redefining success in business to incorporate elements beyond just returning a profit. More specifically, it’s about making sure we’re doing good for all stakeholders – employees, our communities, our neighbors, and our environment as make money.

Here are three key reasons the Good Business Movement is gaining speed and why you should jump on board:

1) Employees – particularly younger ones – are increasingly ranking “purpose” higher in relation to other traditional job choice factors – pay, schedule, location, etc. That “purpose” also keeps employees at jobs for more extended periods. According to a study by Deloitte, purpose-driven companies have 40% higher levels of workforce retention than other organizations.

2) Consumer preferences – Customers are willing to choose a brand and even pay a premium if it explicitly aligns with their worldview. For instance, The Global Sustainability Study 2021 report found that one-third of consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products.

3) Responsibility – Our society faces numerous challenges, and we can’t rely on government and philanthropy to solve them. There may be some

problems that can only be solved if the purpose can align with profit. When positive impact makes business sense, the possibilities are limitless.

The businesses recognized with the Best Places to Work Awards have created environments in which employees feel they have purpose, there’s an opportunity for growth and success, and they’re doing work that matters. Good Business principles provide a road map to that level of employee engagement while also returning benefits to the owners, customers, and the world.

Canopy distills the global movement into local impact by empowering Kentucky businesses to participate and succeed. A localized, state-wide approach to building a robust Good Business ecosystem is more likely to succeed in KY than a global or national effort. A Kentucky-focused effort will:

• provide much needed social, environmental, and economic improvements

• harness the power of small business to improve local communities

• increase the likelihood of a powerful network of actors

• account for localized community needs and ways of doing business

• position Kentucky as a premier ecosystem for Good Business

Canopy offers the Canopy Certification Program, which provides a comprehensive framework for businesses to improve their Good Business practices and be recognized for their verified efforts. When companies commit to becoming a Good Business, it is essential to take an internal and external approach. This is why the Canopy Certification is built upon four tracks of focus aimed at holistically addressing various components of Good Business:

• External Impact: Activities related to a business’s Social and Environmental Commitment Statements are tracked and measured

• Leadership: Establishing leadership commitment to Good Business values and practices

• Culture: Employees are honored, respected, and celebrated within the organization

• Governance: Doing Good is captured in both company processes and policies so leaders and employees can hold each other accountable to Good Business practices

Benefits of becoming a Good Business include:

• Local community impact

• Enhanced reputation and brand image

• Talent attraction and retention

• Strengthened customer relationships

• Increased customer loyalty

• Networking opportunities

• Increased visibility

• Long-term value creation

Good business is important to practice now because the world is changing, and companies need to remain relevant and reshape their value proposition. Over the last few years, consumers have vocalized their desire to see companies they buy from who are doing well,

acting appropriately, and acting ethically. They want different things in the workplace that were not demanded before. And businesses must adapt to the changing world.

When your business model is focused on a purpose, employees are more attracted to it. It’s about ensuring your focus is just as much on your bottom line as it is on doing something positive to contribute to the world.

About Canopy

Canopy, founded in 2018, is part of an international movement to encourage, support and certify social and environmental responsibility in the corporate world. Canopy’s goal is to put Kentucky at the forefront of the Good Business Movement by creating a state-level certification that’s accessible, supportive, and relevant to local companies. In 2022, Canopy launched its Canopy Certified Program, which provides a framework for businesses to examine and improve their own practices and be recognized for their verified efforts. To see a list of Canopy Certified companies and learn more, visit canopyky.org/canopy-certified-companies/. Scott@canopyky.org

Bensmock@canopyky.org

To see a list of certified companies and learn more, scan here.

Scott Koloms

Ben Smock

INSURED

Car-Part.com

Previous Rank: 2

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Ft. Wright

Industry: Technology

Web Address: www.Car-part.com

Survey Administrator: Susan Cropenbaker, HR Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 215

No. of KY Employees: 171

Company Executive: Roger Schroder, Vice-President

3 Community Financial Services Bank

Previous Rank: 7

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Benton

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.yourlifeyourbank.com

Survey Administrator: Allen Waddell, Chief Human Resource Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 270

No. of KY Employees: 270

Company Executives: Jason Jones, President

4 Dean Dorton

Previous Rank: 9

No. of Years Ranked: 19

Primary Location(s): Lexington

Industry: Accounting

2 Independence Bank

Previous Rank: 4

No. of Years Ranked: 15

Primary Location: Owensboro

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.1776bank.com

Survey Administrator: Dana Kabalen, Assistant

Vice President, Human Resources Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 459

No. of KY Employees: 459

Company Executive: Chris Reid, CEO

Web Address: www.deandorton.com

Survey Administrator: Kerri Schwaner, HR Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 352

No. of KY Employees: 281

Company Executive: David Bundy, President/CEO

5 Venminder, Inc.

Previous rank: 3

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location: Elizabethtown

Industry: Technology

Web Address: www.venminder.com

Survey Administrator: Debbie Howell, HR Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 239

No. of KY Employees: 191

Company Executive: Dana Bowers, Founder & Chief Solutions Architect

6 Blue & CO., LLC

Previous Rank: 12

No. of Years Ranked: 12

Primary Location: Louisville Industry: Accounting

Web Address: www.blueandco.com

Survey Administrator: Nancy Rife, HR Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 440

No. of KY Employees: 120

Company Executive: Dale Skaggs, Director-in-Charge

9 CLARK Material Handling Company

Previous Rank: 30

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Locations: Lexington/Louisville Industry: Manufacturing

Web Address: www.clarkmhc.com

Survey Administrator: Sherry Myers, HR Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 217

No. of KY Employees: 217

Company Executive: Jeff English, General Counsel

7 Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Previous Rank: 6

No. of Years Ranked: 17

Primary Location(s): Multiple Cities Industry: Legal

Web Address: www.stites.com

Survey Administrator: Pam Keeney, Business Development Coordinator

No. of U.S. Employees: 310

No. of KY Employees: 210

Company Executive: Marjorie A. Farris, Chair

10 Commonwealth Credit Union

Previous Rank: 16

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Location(s): Frankfort

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.ccuky.org

Survey Administrator: Travis Flora, Director of Culture and DEI

No. of U.S. Employees: 336

No. of KY Employees: 336

Company Executive: Karen Harbin, President & CEO

8 STOBER Drives, Inc.

Previous Rank: 35

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location: Maysville

Industry: Manufacturing

Web Address: www.stober.com

Survey Administrator: Amy McCord, Marketing Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 161

No. of KY Employees: 161

Company Executive: Peter Feil, General Manager

Spotlight Profile:

Commonwealth Credit Union was created to empower the Kentucky communities we call home. Since 1951, we’ve been helping our friends and neighbors make the most of their hard-earned money. We’re proud to be different. We’re a not-for-profit, financial cooperative, led by a volunteer board of directors. We have one goal, and that’s to better lives through our passion to serve. Our members know firsthand how we seek to empower everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from. So we invite you to bank with us. Because when you do, not only do you become a member of Commonwealth Credit Union, you become an owner. If you’ve never tried Commonwealth Credit Union, now’s the perfect time to see how we CU differently.

11 Louisville Tile

Previous Rank: 28

No. of Years Ranked: 8

Primary Location(s): Lexington/Louisville

Industry: Distribution

Web Address: www.louisville-tile.com

Survey Administrator: Crosby Hall, Executive

Vice President of Corporate Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 261

No. of KY Employees: 125

Company Executive: Matthew Saltzman, CEO

12 Park Community Credit Union

Previous Rank: 10

No. of Years Ranked: 11

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.parkcommunity.com

Survey Administrator: Lisa Brangers, VP of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 290

No. of KY Employees: 278

Company Executive: Jim Spradlin, President/CEO

13 Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College

Previous Rank: 19

No. of Years Ranked: 9

Primary Location: Bowling Green

Industry: Education

Web Address: www.southcentral.kctcs.edu

Survey Administrator: Sherri Forester, Vice President of Administrative Services

No. of U.S. Employees: 232

No. of KY Employees: 232

Company Executive: Dr. Phil Neal, President & CEO

Spotlight Profile:

SKYCTC’s mission is to improve South Central Kentucky’s economic prosperity through higher education focused on career development, community partnerships, and economic growth. SKYCTC embraces a culture of inclusiveness. Around that culture of inclusiveness exists intentional plans for celebrating and recognizing the successes of our students and our employees. The faculty and staff continue to build a framework that guides institutional efforts to increase levels of engagement and success for our students, employees, and community members. The foundation for our efforts has been described as our culture of caring. SKYCTC’s culture of caring shines through our faculty, staff, and students, and has been described as our ‘special sauce’.

14 Associations International, LLC

Previous Rank: 26

No. of Years Ranked: 11

Primary Locations: Lexington Industry: Association Management

Web Address: www.associationsinternational.com

Survey Administrator: Alex Howard, Head of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 160

No. of KY Employees: 160

Company Executive: Ben Polk, Chief Financial Officer

15 Abound Credit Union

Previous Rank: 23

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Multiple Cities Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.aboundcu.com

Survey Administrator: Jill Krimm, Chief People Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 338

No. of KY Employees: 338

Company Executive: Ray Springsteen, President/CEO

Spotlight Profile:

Abound is for hardworking Kentuckians! We’re the leading Financial Education credit union in Kentucky, with more than 130,000 Members. For more than 70 years, we’ve stood by our military and provided unique banking options to our neighbors of all ages. With competitive rates, high dividends, and an interest in supporting member financial needs and goals, Abound Credit Union looks out for YOU. Connect with us!

16 L&N Federal Credit Union

Previous Rank: 15

No. of Years Ranked: 8

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.LNFCU.com

Survey Administrator: Peggy O’Bryan, Chief People Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 274

No. of KY Employees: 274

Company Executive: Chris Brown, President/CEO

Spotlight Profile:

For more than 65 years, L&N Federal Credit Union has been known for providing exceptional products and services for our members. Our founding members started with a vision and mission and those guiding principles are still in place today. With assets around $2 billion and an array of products and services, L&N can offer everything necessary for someone’s personal or business financial needs. Our L&N family is dedicated to serving nearly 110,000 members across the Commonwealth. L&N has 22 branches located in Louisville, Southeast and Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Our projected growth for the future is bright and we continue to expand our branch network to serve our members. We are proud to be recognized as a consecutive Best Place to Work in the state of Kentucky! We are proud of our commitment to our Mission to bring people together, to enrich their qualify of life and build permanent relationships with our members.

17 Dentons

Previous Rank: 23, last ranked in 2017

No. of Years Ranked: 2

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Legal

Web Address: www.dentons.com

Survey Administrator: Kulwant Singh, Business Services Talent Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 305

No. of KY Employees: 138

Company Executive: James R. Irving, Office Managing Partner

18 AE Electrical Solutions

Previous Rank: 21

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Frankfort

Industry: Construction

Web Address: www.aees.com

Survey Administrator: Tina Jasper, Asst. HR Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 174

No. of KY Employees: 174

Company Executive: John Phillips, President/CEO

Spotlight Profile:

ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS

AE Electrical Solutions provides a wide range of electrical services for industrial, commercial, and residential customers in Central Kentucky. From new construction and renovation projects to troubleshooting all types of electrical issues, AE has the expertise to provide the best possible solution for each customer. Industrial electrical contracting is our specialty and the foundation of our reputation for over 50 years, and when combined with our other electrical services for commercial and residential customers, AE is a one-stop shop for our customers. Whether the project is design/build, fully specified, or an emerging technology (solar, EV chargers, etc.), our craftsmanship is of the highest quality and performed with much attention to safety. AE is the solution, no matter the project’s size or electrical requirements.

19 Kentucky Lottery Corporation

Previous Rank: 20

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Gaming - Lottery

Web Address: www.kylottery.com

Survey Administrator: Michele Sullivan, VP, Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 166

No. of KY Employees: 165

Company Executive: Mary Harville, President & CEO

Spotlight Profile:

We have been fueling imagination and funding education in the Commonwealth for over 33 years. Since 1999, when Lottery proceeds were directed to pay for college scholarship and grant programs, more than $4.4 Billion has been provided to help Kentucky students work towards a college degree or job certification. Every dime of the popular KEES scholarship awarded came straight from the sale of Kentucky Lottery tickets, and 1 in 5 Kentuckians have now received a college scholarship or grant paid for by Lottery proceeds. We provide entertaining and engaging games to our players. We support our retailers by providing them with great products and the support to deliver and maintain those products to their customers and a portion of our proceeds goes back to our retail partners.

20 UofL Health Medical Center East

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.uoflhealth.org

Survey Administrator: Frank Reeb, Sr. HR Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 237

No. of KY Employees: 237

Company Executive: Angelica Thompson, VP of Operations, Ambulatory Services

23 Maysville Community and Technical College

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Multiple Cities Industry: Education

Web Address: www.maysville.kctcs.edu

Survey Administrator: Amanda Conley, Dean of Administrative Services

No. of U.S. Employees: 180

No. of KY Employees: 180

Company Executive: Dr. Laura McCullough, President/CEO

21 Associates In Pediatric Therapy

Previous Rank: 18

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location: Shelbyville

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.kidtherapy.org

Survey Administrator: Ashley Jones, Director of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 283

No. of KY Employees: 283

Company Executive: Angela Renea Sageser, CEO & M.S., CCC-SLP

Spotlight Profile:

22 UofL Health-Shelbyville Hospital

Previous Rank: 22

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Shelbyville

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.uoflhealth.org

Survey Administrator: Lorie Kleier, Executive Assistant II

No. of U.S. Employees: 198

No. of KY Employees: 198

Company Executive: Aaron Garofola, CEO, Shelbyville Hospital

Established in 1968, Maysville Community and Technical College is a two-year college dedicated to providing student-centered and career-focused training and educational opportunities for community members seeking a better life. The mission of MCTC has grown from humble roots and a single campus to four campuses located in Cynthiana, Maysville, Mount Sterling and Morehead, Kentucky with a service area that serves seventeen counties throughout northeastern Kentucky and southern Ohio. MCTC is part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and boasts a diverse workforce of over two-hundred dedicated faculty and staff. The college has cultivated a mix of fresh perspectives from young professionals to veteran team members with a long history of the college’s evolution. MCTC also takes great pride in the number of experienced industry professionals that have joined the college from outside of higher education to train the next generation of skilled trade workers.

24 Grace Health

Previous Rank: Not previously Ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Corbin

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.gracehealthky.org

Survey Administrator: Patty Miller, HR Generalist

No. of U.S. Employees: 355

No. of KY Employees: 355

Company Executive: Michael Stanley, CEO

27 University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union

Previous Rank: 31

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.ukfcu.org

Survey Administrator: Chase Oliver, Vice President, HR

No. of U.S. Employees: 236

No. of KY Employees: 236

Company Executive: David Kennedy, President/CEO

25 East and Westbrook Construction, Inc.

Previous Rank: Not previously Ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location(s): Multiple Cities

Industry: Construction

Web Address: www.eastandwestbrook.com

Survey Administrator: Timothy Ernst, HR Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 240

No. of KY Employees: 176

Company Executive: Jonathan Westbrook, President

Spotlight Profile:

UKFCU is a rapidly growing, not-for-profit, federally chartered credit union dedicated to providing quality financial services. Since 1937, our commitment to providing exceptional customer service to every member of the cooperative has set us apart from other organizations. We sincerely appreciate each of our members and employees, who are essential to our ongoing success!

26 CHI Saint Joseph Health, Saint Joseph Berea

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Berea

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.chisaintjosephhealth.org

Survey Administrator: Sandra Turqueza, HR Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 154

No. of KY Employees: 154

Company Executive: John Yanes, President

FROM OUR CUSTOMERS TO OUR EMPLOYEES, WE BELIEVE IN PUTTING PEOPLE

28 Shepherd Insurance

Previous Rank: 27

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Insurance - Non-Healthcare

Web Address: www.shepherdins.com

Survey Administrator: Amanda Hamilton, Community Relations Specialist

No. of U.S. Employees: 428

No. of KY Employees: 72

Company Executive: Trent Hunt, Executive Partner, COO of Kentuckiana Region

29 CHI Saint Joseph Health, Flaget Memorial Hospital

Previous Rank: 33

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.chisaintjosephhealth.org

Survey Administrator: Mary Rash, Human Resource Business Partner

No. of U.S. Employees: 260

No. of KY Employees: 260

Company Executive: Jennifer Nolan, President

30 LockNet

Previous Rank: 11

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Nicholasville

Industry: Services

Web Address: www.locknet.com

Survey Administrator: Katie Willie, Strategic HR

No. of U.S. Employees: 199

No. of KY Employees: 199

Company Executive: Chad Miller, CEO

For the 16th year, Central Bank has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky. Once again, we’re honored.

Trust – A Common Ingredient in The Best Places to Work

If we could transcribe interviews of employees at the Best Places to Work in Kentucky Awards Dinner to capture the words, sounds, symbols, stories, and actions, it would create a massive database. This data could generate a picture of these positive, resilient workplaces. Considering what that word cloud would look like, it would have trust largest and at the center as the most common ingredient to such recognition.

The BPTW assessment process involves a review of existing policies and programs and how they are practiced. Further, employees are asked to share their feedback about their workplace experiences. It is safe to assume these survey results speak to workplace trust. We at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, specifically our Master’s in Strategic Human Resource Management and Analytics program, take great care to research organizational dynamics.

Many partnerships we currently have with Kentuckybased organizations are about improving talent acquisition. The recent changes in hiring and retention have highlighted the need for a trust-based, positive work environment. We have seen many examples of companies attempting to use retention bonuses, implementing pay increases, and awkwardly trying forms of scheduling flexibility with mixed success. We have also seen similar (or even smaller scale) activities yield visible results when administered in an open, trustbased workplace. While trust can be ascribed to a workplace, coworkers also have varying levels of interpersonal trust, mitigating the successes or failures of many HR initiatives.

(continued on page 40)

(continued from page 39)

The graphic below shows two organizations with trust relationships represented via social network analysis. Both have the same number of employees and departments but drastically different patterns of interpersonal trust. On the left, we see an organization with many siloes where trust flows more freely among employees in the same unit and less across functions. On the right, we see a different structure with a dense core where trust is a hallmark of one team, but there are also many employees on the periphery with few (or no) trusting relationships.

While these are typical workplace relationship patterns, more collaborative, trusting networks are realistic outcomes that often start with organizational culture. Our experience shows at least three common insights we see as facilitating a workplace trusting workplace:

Clarity

Deloitte has extensively researched trust in organizations. They advocate what amounts to the basic “say and do” practice, where informed, capable people make clear commitments and follow up with supporting action. This pattern helps to earn initial trust. Our work in this area often begins with the top leaders of an organization. There is a strong requirement in Best Places to Work to provide clarity in purpose, vision, mission, values, and operating principles (PVMV&OP). This clarity does not happen with poetically worded

statements in a lovely picture frame in the front lobby. Rather, the work is delivered with clarity and supporting examples that cascade throughout an organization and generate an openness to trust.

Transparency

The uncertainty dilemma occurs when team members need a clearer sense of their organizational involvement. There is a need for context and information to create conditions for people to move and grow with an organization. Absent this, there can be a daily concern about the unknown and unclear future. Best Places to Work commit to creating understanding via transparency. This commitment raises expectations in sharing information and listening to people, facilitating a trusting culture. Employees find it easy to report positive workplace experiences when there is reduced uncertainty and increased understanding of work. Consider the workplace where all employees can conversationally describe their organization’s PVMV&OP and articulate their role in making things happen.

Sincerity

Organizations that are sincerely open to feedback and enact policies and practices aimed at supporting (rather than controlling) people are fertile ground for cultivating trust. Best Places to Work are exploring ways to offer flexibility and support – with a sincere aim of connecting via shared humanity.

You can see and measure this in an organization by recognizing the caring responsiveness when a coworker faces a difficult situation, organizations that celebrate their togetherness and performance, and organizations with a commitment to their communities as a standard organization feature.

An advantage of building a workplace that prioritizes clarity, transparency, and sincerity is that it does not require multi-million dollar investments or small armies of HR staff. These traits generate value if a company has 20 employees or 20,000 and if things are going well or times are tough. Creating an environment that facilitates organizational trust allows for greater interpersonal trust among employees. When it comes to the Best Places to Work, it’s always been a matter of trust!

About the Authors

Brad Patrick is the Executive in Residence/ Lecturer at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics and a member of the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Distilling. He has over 35 years of experience in organization, talent, and culture development to improve business performance. Brad has served in executive roles for Frito-Lay/ PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, Gillette, Proctor & Gamble, Sara Lee, Tempur Sealy, Shearers Snacks, and Valvoline as well as several private equity companies. He currently supports Kentucky businesses and businesses across the country through UK’s Land Grant University commitment.

Dr. Scott Soltis (PhD, University of Kentucky) is an Assistant Professor of Management in the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky. He is a leading scholar at the intersection of HR and social networks and studies phenomena such as employee turnover, performance management, and personorganization fit. His work has been published in outlets such as The Academy of Management Annals, Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Resource Management, Accounting, Organizations and Society and the Journal of Organizational Behavior. He has taught courses on human resource management at the undergraduate, executive, and doctoral levels for over a decade. Scott has also been a member of the local Bluegrass Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management since 2015 and has served as faculty advisor to the UK HR Club since 2017 and as director of the MS-Strategic Human Resource Management and GC-Human Resource Management programs since 2020.

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Amgen No.1

Previous Rank: 12

No. of Years Ranked: 3

Primary Location: Louisville Industry: Life Science/Biotechnology

Web Address: www.amgen.com

Survey Administrator: Latisha Woods, Senior Manager Corporate Affairs

No. of U.S. Employees: 12,601

No. of KY Employees: 34

Company Executive: Adam Bibelhauser, Director and Site Head

2 Wieland

Previous Rank: 5

No. of Years Ranked: 2

Primary Location: Multiple Cities

Industry: Manufacturing

Web Address: www.wieland.com

Survey Administrator: Eryn Betts, Office Manager

No. of U.S. Employees: 2,684

No. of KY Employees: 138

Company Executive: Greg Keown, President, Wieland Rolled Products North America, and President, Wieland Metal Services

Spotlight Profile:

Wieland is one of the world’s leading suppliers of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products. With a global network of production sites, service, and trading companies, our company offers a broad product, technology, and service portfolio. From prototype to series production, we develop solutions for automotive, electronics, refrigeration, air conditioning, and other industries. Wieland uses high-performance copper materials to drive the success of its B2B customers in future-oriented fields such as electromobility, connectivity, and urbanization. High technical competence, customer-oriented thinking, and sustainability determine our actions and have been the basis of our success since 1820.

3 Coastal Cloud

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location(s): Multiple Cities

Industry: Technology

Web Address: www.coastalcloud.us

Survey Administrator: Sarah Madison, Talent Development Consultant

No. of U.S. Employees: 561

No. of KY Employees: 62

Company Executive: Erik Dunnigan, Chief Revenue Officer

Spotlight Profile:

Ranked the number-one consultant in the world in Customer Satisfaction by Salesforce, Coastal Cloud is proud to offer our clients highly-skilled certified professionals with a relentless focus on delivering high quality service and forging long-term relationships.

Coastal Cloud is a Salesforce Multi-Cloud Expert Partner that provides consulting, implementation and managed services to businesses, nonprofits, and the public sector.

Founded in 2012, the company offers insight and expertise to a wide variety of industries, including communications and media, healthcare, high-tech, manufacturing, private equity and more. Coastal Cloud has earned a 5/5 customer satisfaction rating on the Salesforce AppExchange and is the #1 rated consulting partner on G2Crowd.com. Coastal Cloud attributes its success to a unique company culture, nimble expertise, onshore-only teams, and a relentless focus on delivering quality and forging long-term customer relationships.

4

Central Bank and Trust Co.

Previous Rank: 4

No. of Years Ranked: 16

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.centralbank.com

Survey Administrator: Susan Simmons, EVP/Director of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 515

No. of KY Employees: 515

Company Executive: Luther Deaton Jr., Chairman, President & CEO

5 Farm Credit Mid America

Previous Rank: 2

No. of Years Ranked: 11

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.fcma.com

Survey Administrator: Kim Abbott, HR Generalist

No. of U.S. Employees: 1,554

No. of KY Employees: 924

Company Executive: Dan Wagner, President & CEO

8 Gray

Previous Rank: 9, last ranked in 2019

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Construction

Web Address: www.gray.com

Survey Administrator: Sydney Tobergte, HR Generalist

No. of U.S. Employees: 955

No. of KY Employees: 400

Company Executive: Brian Jones, President & CEO

6 Commonwealth Hotels, LLC

Previous Rank: 9

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Location(s): Multiple Cities

Industry: Hospitality/Travel/Tourism

Web Address: www.commonwealthhotels.com

Survey Administrator: Kimberly Jennings, Vice President of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 1,553

No. of KY Employees: 463

Company Executive: Kimberly Jennings, Vice President of Human Resources

9 Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Previous Rank: 10

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location(s): Lexington/Louisville Industry: Legal

Web Address: www.steptoe-johnson.com

Survey Administrator: Jared Bedekovich, Marketing & Communications Specialist

No. of U.S. Employees: 634

No. of KY Employees: 39

Company Executive: Christopher L. Slaughter, CEO

7 ISCO Industries

Previous Rank: 13

No. of Years Ranked: 12

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Distribution

Web Address: www.isco-pipe.com

Survey Admini strator: Lilly Ledford, HR/Recruiter

No. of U.S. Employees: 648

No. of KY Employees: 220

Company Executive: James Kirchdorfer, Jr., Chairman & CEO

Spotlight Profile:

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is a law firm nationally recognized for its strengths in energy law with more than a century of know-how in the areas of business, labor and employment, and litigation. Steptoe & Johnson has over 400 lawyers and other professionals practicing in 18 offices in Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.

10 Boardwalk Pipelines

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Owensboro

Industry: Midstream/Refiners & Pipelines

Web Address: www.bwpipelines.com

Survey Administrator: Jillian Kirkconnel, Manager, PR, Communications & Sustainability

No. of U.S. Employees: 1,215

No. of KY Employees: 302

Company Executive: Suzy LaMar, VP Administration IR and Treasurer

11

Republic Bank

Previous Rank: 8

No. of Years Ranked: 8

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Banking

Web Address: www.republicbank.com

Survey Administrator: Robin White, Vice President, Director of Employee Relations

No. of U.S. Employees: 1,010

No. of KY Employees: 885

Company Executive: Logan Pichel, President & CEO

12 Marquette Transportation Company, LLC

Spotlight Profile:

Boardwalk is a limited partnership operating in the midstream portion of the natural gas and natural gas liquids industry, providing transportation and storage services for our customers. Our 14,000 miles of pipelines and storage assets connect important supply resources to growing markets for natural gas and natural gas liquids throughout the 13 states in which we operate. We have the experience, knowledge, and flexibility to design service offerings and create system enhancements tailored to our customers’ needs.

As an organization focused on sustainability, we committed to protecting the environment while this energy source. This commitment is made customers, our employees, and the communities operate. We incorporate environmental stewardship day-to-day operations and seek to strengthen the communities we serve.

We would like to thank all our Kentucky employees participated and expertise, contributions for the effort thrive.

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Paducah

Industry: Transportation

Web Address: www.marquettetrans.com

Survey Administrator: Frances Adams, HR Coordinator, Talent Development

No. of U.S. Employees: 1,933

No. of KY Employees: 157

Company Executive: Damon Judd, CEO

13 CHI Saint Joseph Health, Saint Joseph London

Previous Rank: 16

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: London

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.chisaintjosephhealth.org

Survey Administrator: Sandra Turqueza, HR Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 628

No. of KY Employees: 628

Company Executive: John Yanes, President

15 Passport by Molina Healthcare

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Multiple Cities

Industry: Healthcare - Insurance/Services

Web Address: www.passporthealthplan.com

Survey Administrator: Kristin Blocker, Project Coordinator

No. of U.S. Employees: 14,923

No. of KY Employees: 289

Company Executive: Nicole Yates, AVP, Growth & Community Engagement

14 New Vista

Previous Rank: 20

No. of Years Ranked: 2

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Nonprofit - Health & Human Services

Web Address: www.newvista.org

Survey Administrator: Mickey Sexton, Chief Operating Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 626

No. of KY Employees: 626

Company Executive: Dee Werline, President and Chief Executive Officer

Spotlight Profile:

New Vista is a non-profit offering mental health, substance use, intellectual and developmental disability and primary care services to the people of Central Kentucky, regardless of their ability to pay. Our dedicated and knowledgeable staff cares for the most vulnerable Kentuckians in our 17-county region with the goal of helping them live their best lives. We also offer round-the-clock access to services through our 24-Hour Helpline, 1.800.928.8000. changemakers – which is why we embrace opportunities

From our members to our employees, Passport by Molina Healthcare puts people first We are proud to be named a 2023 Best Places to Work in Kentucky winner!

Passport by Molina Healthcare is proud to be one of Kentucky's best!

16 Jack Henry & Associates

Previous Rank: 14

No. of Years Ranked: 11

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Financial Services

Web Address: www.jackhenry.com

Survey Administrator: Robert Hewlett, Senior Managing Director

No. of U.S. Employees: 7,025

No. of KY Employees: 307

Company Executive: Robert Hewlett, Senior Managing Director

17 TransUnion (formerly Neustar)

Previous Rank: 3

No. of Years Ranked: 10

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Technology

Web Address: www.transunion.com

Survey Administrator: Jill Guffey, Sr. Director Client Services

No. of U.S. Employees: 5,234

No. of KY Employees: 46

Company Executive: Jill Guffey, Sr. Director Client Services

Spotlight Profile:

Jack Henry (Nasdaq: JKHY) is a well-rounded financial technology company that strengthens the connections between people and their financial institutions through technology and services that reduce the barriers to financial health. Approximately 8,000 community and regional banks and credit unions count on us to help them achieve short- and long-term goals, advocate for positive change, co-create innovative solutions, and support open integrations with fintech’s, who we see as changemakers –which is why we embrace opportunities to work with them. For more than 45 years, we’ve put financial institutions at the center of our modernization – to help them innovate faster, strategically differentiate, and compete successfully. We believe our ability to drive innovation will always be rooted in our willingness to act with people’s best interest at heart. Additional information is available at www.jackhenry.com.

18 Pathways, Inc.

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location: Ashland

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.pathways-ky.org

Survey Administrator: Veronica Nunley, Chief Business Development Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 568

No. of KY Employees: 568

Company Executive: Jennifer Willis, RN, PMH-BC, Chief Executive Officer

Spotlight Profile:

In 1966, a group of concerned citizens incorporated the Nineteenth Regional Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board in response to President Kennedy’s initiative to drastically alter the delivery of behavioral health services. As a result, federal funds were issued to establish the Appalachian Comprehensive Care Center to provide behavioral health services in Boyd, Carter, Greenup, and Lawrence counties. Elliott County was added later when statewide districts were formed and in 1972, the name was changed to Lansdowne Comprehensive Care Center. In 1982, Lansdowne merged with the Cave Run Comprehensive Care Center to become Pathways, Inc. Five additional counties – Bath, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, and Rowan – were added to the catchment area.

19 AssuredPartners

Previous Rank: 24

No. of Years Ranked: 14

Primary Location(s): Multiple Cities Industry: Insurance - Non-Healthcare

Web Address: www.assuredpartners.com

Survey Administrator: Emily Hammer, HR Generalist

No. of U.S. Employees: 742

No. of KY Employees: 279

Company Executive: Ashley Klein, Agency President

20 KentuckyCare

Previous Rank: Not previously ranked

No. of Years Ranked: 1

Primary Location (s): Multiple Cities

Industry: Healthcare - Provider

Web Address: www.Kentuckycare.net

Survey Administrator: Matthew Stevens, Vice President of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 1,145

No. of KY Employees: 90

Company Executive: Michael Hill, Vice President of Operations

21 Total Quality Logistics

Previous Rank: 11

No. of Years Ranked: 11

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Transportation

Web Address: www.tql.com

Survey Administrator: Angela Haulk, Workplace Awards Specialist

No. of U.S. Employees: 10,000

No. of KY Employees: 861

Company Executive: Cory Denbo, Group Sales Manager

24 Musselman Hotels

Previous Rank: 32

No. of Years Ranked: 4

Primary Location: Louisville

Industry: Hospitality/Travel/Tourism

Web Address: www.musselmanhotels.com

Survey Administrator: Tanya Gresham, Director of Human Resources

No. of U.S. Employees: 560

No. of KY Employees: 467

Company Executive: Chester Musselman, President

www.musselmanhotels.com

22 Senture, LLC

Previous Rank: 21

No. of Years Ranked: 7

Primary Location(s): London and Monticello

Industry: Telecommunications

Web Address: www.senture.com

Survey Administrator: Lisa Smith, Director of Human Resources

www.musselmanhotels.com

No. of U.S. Employees: 4,197

No. of KY Employees: 2,692

Company Executive: Ron Dull, President

Spotlight Profile:

Musselman Hotels is an award-winning Hotel Company, but it’s not about the numbers or accolades. Musselman Hotels’ commitment to our associates is what sets us apart from other businesses in Kentucky. Musselman Hotels treats our associates as they were guests in our hotels. Musselman Hotels has a great work environment that is not only a team but a family. We are in the business of taking care of people within the company and encourage our associates to grow with us.

25 Columbia Gas of Kentucky

23 Galen College of Nursing

Previous Rank: 23

No. of Years Ranked: 6

Primary Location(s): Multiple Cities

Industry: Education

Web Address: www.galencollege.edu

Survey Administrator: Allyson Wolfe, VP of HR and Chief Cultural Officer

No. of U.S. Employees: 1,077

No. of KY Employees: 350

Company Executive: Mark Vogt, CEO

Previous Rank: 7

No. of Years Ranked: 5

Primary Location: Lexington

Industry: Utility

Web Address: www.columbiagasky.com

Survey Administrator: Britiney Hancock, Manager-HR Business Partner

No. of U.S. Employees: 7,342

No. of KY Employees: 246

Company Executive: Kimra Cole, President & COO Kentucky

“We treat people right!”

TALENT PIPELINE MANAGEMENT (TPM®): Engaging Businesses Through Strategic Partnerships

Talent Pipeline Management (TPM®) is an employer-led and demand-driven approach for businesses to create and manage talent ‘supply chains’ by projecting talent needs and aligning those with education and workforce development systems. Through this partnership, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation’s Workforce Center was called upon to utilize the TPM® tool to engage employers in the process to build a stronger workforce aligned to the needs of Kentucky’s key economic sectors.

Through TPM®’s workforce solution strategies, Talent Pipeline project managers work to convene businesses into employer-led industry collaborative groups statewide; provide personalized talent solutions to ensure Kentuckians are trained, developed, and upskilled; and improve collaboration with education and workforce partners by using our real-time data.

TPM® in Education

Kentucky schools face a crisislevel teacher shortage. The Kentucky Chamber Foundation is working to provide solutions to the education industry by engaging superintendents in a collaborative group. The goals of the collaborative group are to:

• Create efficiencies in talent supply chains and expand and evaluate the work already being done

• Raise awareness for the industry as astatewide voice

• Create additional work-based learning opportunities in education

• Increase utilization of alternate routes into education career pathways that support the quality and integrity of educators

• Explore partnerships and opportunities to address the teacher shortage and fill open positions

Through the support of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, TPM® project managers have recruited nearly 40 school superintendents to join a working collaborative group. Additionally, engaging educational organizations like Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC), a Best Places to Work winner, has proven vital to the group’s success.

Currently, the group is exploring ways to expand the utilization of Option 9, a new alternative route to

TPM Education Network

education certification that allows a person to complete a bachelor’s degree and initial teacher certification in three years while working in a non-teaching position in a school district. This alternative route would allow districts to “grow your own” by upskilling current paraeducators and teachers’ aides to become certified educators. There is also an opportunity to market this route to underrepresented populations. Additionally, the group is working to create an education job shadow playbook that districts can implement to encourage students to consider a career in education.

Superintendent partners continue to be engaged and dedicated to this work. We look forward to building on these goals and projects to promote and strengthen the education industry.

In addition, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation is currently building a team to address workforce challenges in the healthcare industry. At the end of 2021, Kentucky hospitals across the state reported 13,423 full-time equivalent (FTE) vacancies across thirteen professional groups, a statewide hospital workforce vacancy rate of 17.1 percent. Registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are the largest profession of direct-care providers, and hospitals reported 5,060 RN and 331 LPN vacancies, for a combined vacancy rate of 22.1 percent.

KHA2021WorkforceSurveyReportPublished2022.pdf (memberclicks.net)

If we aren’t proactive, this situation will not improve. In partnership with the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA), the Kentucky Chamber Foundation is working to build a team of five regional pipeline managers to work directly with hospitals across the state to address these workforce challenges. These pipeline managers will work with both Kentucky Hospital Association member institutions and education and training providers to build the pipelines to ensure that the future of healthcare in Kentucky has the nursing workforce needed to ensure Kentuckians can receive the care they need and deserve.

To connect with us on this work, please reach out to Sara Tracy, Hospital TPM® Senior Pipeline Manager with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, at stracy@ kychamber.com or Callie Miracle, Talent Pipeline Project Manager, at cmiracle@kychamber.com.

Callie Miracle Sara Tracy

Current TPM Superintendents

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