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MoxieTalk with Kirt Jacobs

Kirt Jacobs is the host and producer of MoxieTalk, a talk show that gives an intimate look into the courage, character and defining moments of today’s most inspiring individuals.
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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 30, 2019

Paul Rabil is a Lebanese-American professional lacrosse player with the Atlas Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League and former player of the New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse and the recent founder of a new professional lacrosse organization, the Premier Lacrosse League. He attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, and played collegiate lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University.

Paul was selected 1st overall by the Boston Cannons in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft. That year, he also competed in the MLL All-Star Game.

In 2009, Paul was named the MLL MVP and MLL Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2010, Paul competed in his third consecutive All-Star team and was named First-Team All-Pro.

In 2011, Paul was named the MLL MVP and MLL Offensive Player of the Year for the second time. He also won the MLL Bud Light Skills Competition in 2011, making him the first player to have won both the Skills Competition and the MLL Fastest Shot competition. Many have named him the best lacrosse player in the world.

In 2012, he was declared the MLL Offensive Player of the Year for the third time, tying the league record for most season-ending awards by a player. He also set the single-season points record (72) while playing midfield for the Boston Cannons.[4]

In 2014, he was named to his seventh consecutive All-Star team and named MLL First-Team All-Pro for the sixth consecutive year.

On January 5, 2015, Paul was traded to the New York Lizards, along with fellow midfielder Mike Stone for veteran Max Seibald and draft picks.

Paul played in and started 12 out of the 14 regular season games. He had 24 goals, 15 assists, and three two-point goals in the regular season. On August 1, 2015, he had two goals and two assists in a semifinal playoff games against the Boston Cannons. New York would win in overtime 16-15. On August 8, 2015, Paul had three goals and three assists as the Lizards defeated the Rochester Rattlers 15-12 in the MLL Steinfeld Cup Championship game. This made Paul a two time Steinfeld Cup Champion as he finished off the season with a total of 29 goals and 20 assists. He was named the Coca-Cola Player of the Game MVP of the championship.

Dec 23, 2019

D.B. Woodside is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of the White House Chief of Staff (and later President) Wayne Palmer on the Fox action/drama series 24

Additionally, D.B. is noted for his roles as the bass singer Melvin Franklin in the NBC miniseries The Temptations, and starring as Robin Wood on the WB/UPN series Buffy the Vampire Slayer in their seventh season, as Malcolm Franks in Single Ladies, and as Dr. Joseph Prestridge on Parenthood. He played SEC Prosecutor Jeff Malone in the fourth season of Suits and plays the angel Amenadiel in the Netflix original series Lucifer.

He got his start in the third season of Murder One in 1996, playing Aaron Mosley. After that series’ cancellation, he guest starred on The PracticeSnoopsThe Division and Once and Again. He made a guest appearance on JAG in its final season as FBI Agent Rod Benton. From 2002-03, Woodside starred in 14 episodes of the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Principal Robin WoodBuffy’s boss and son of a Slayer. He followed this up in the following television season, playing the pragmatic Wayne Palmer, the Chief of Staff and brother to President David Palmer on the Fox series 24. Introduced in the third season, he returned to reprise the role as a guest star in the series’ fifth season in episodes 1–2 and 14–18 and returned as a series regular for the sixth season as the President of the United States.

He had a guest role as Marlon Waylord in the 2004 CSI episode “Harvest“. In 2007, he was a guest star on the TV show Grey’s Anatomy in the show’s 4th season episode “Forever Young” wherein he played the character of Marcus. Woodside also guest-starred as a doctor in the series finale of the USA Network series Monk. He had a recurring role on the CW series Hellcats. In 2009, he starred in the first series of the US drama Lie to Me.

He did star as Malcolm Franks on the VH1 series Single Ladies, playing opposite LisaRaye McCoy as Keisha Greene.

In June 2014, he began appearing in Suits as Jeff Malone, alongside his 24 co-star Gina Torres.

He played fallen angel-turned-human Amenadiel in the Netflix original series Lucifer (2016–present).

Dec 16, 2019

Monte Durham is a host on Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta is an American reality television series on TLC which follows events at Bridals by Lori in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs. The series shows the progress of individual sales associates, managers, and fitters at the store, along with profiling brides as they search for the perfect wedding dress. It is a spin-off of Say Yes to the Dress.

Dec 9, 2019

American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer, Tracy Lawrence signed to Atlantic Records in 1991 and debuted that year with the album Sticks and Stones. Five more studio albums, as well as a live album and a compilation album, followed throughout the 1990s and into 2000 on Atlantic before the label’s country division was closed in 2001. Afterward, he recorded for Warner Bros. RecordsDreamWorks RecordsMercury Records Nashville, and his own labels, Rocky Comfort Records and Lawrence Music Group.

Tracy has released a total of fourteen studio albums. His most commercially successful albums are Alibis (1993) and Time Marches On (1996), both certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He has charted more than 40 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including eight songs that reached the number one position: “Sticks and Stones“, “Alibis“, “Can’t Break It to My Heart“, “My Second Home“, “If the Good Die Young“, “Texas Tornado“, “Time Marches On“, and “Find Out Who Your Friends Are“. Of these, “Time Marches On” is his longest-lasting at three weeks, while “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” set a record at the time for the slowest ascent to the top of that chart. His musical style is defined mainly by neotraditional country and honky-tonk influences, although he has also recorded country pop, Christmas music, and Christian country music. He has won Top New Male Vocalist from Billboard in 1992 and from Academy of Country Music in 1993, and Vocal Event of the Year from the Country Music Association in 2007.

Dec 2, 2019

Bob Baffert is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. His horses have won five Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks. Bob was inducted into Lone Star Park’s Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2009, he was nominated and inducted to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. He was elected alongside one of the best fillies he trained, Silverbulletday.

Nov 25, 2019

Jay Davidson was born in Denver in 1942. At age 12, he went to work cutting grass and started paying rent to help cover living expenses, due to an absentee father. When he was 14, he started work at an amusement park. There he began his drinking career, consuming glasses of leftover liquor from the patrons who partied the night before, but still made good grades and became a leader in his high school’s ROTC program. It foreshadowed what he would become: a highly functioning alcoholic – a successful, rank-climbing Army officer by day, a drunk by night. After finishing high school, He found a job with GMAC and applied for admission to West Point Military Academy but was denied, which, fed his inferiority complex. He stayed with GMAC, rising steadily in the ranks, and attended night school studying accounting at the University of Denver’s Night School & hated it!

In 1963, he met Carolyn Sue Miller and they married on Nov. 22, 1963, the day JFK was assassinated. He was 21 and she was 19.

In 1965, the Vietnam War was escalating, and with his wife’s approval, he decided to enlist, but his wife discovered she was pregnant. Jay might have received an exemption, but he chose to go. Their baby son, Erik, was born with a lung disease & died 36 hours later. Jay buried his son by himself.

In June 1967, Jay was shipped to Vietnam and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. He was promoted rapidly – “Combat was the Key,” he says. If he had stayed 2 more weeks, he would have had another promotion, but “I had had enough.” “I saw life snuffed out, men reduced to a mass of flesh,” he says.

In 1969, Jay returned from the war and he and his wife adopted a boy. After, they had their own son.  However,  the marriage would not last and she filed for divorce.

In 1974, Jay met his 2nd wife-Shirley – both divorcees & they married in Connecticut and within a year, Jay’s son’s, Matthew and Jeffrey and Shirley’s 2 daughters soon went to live with them.  Now he was a family of 6!

Now in his 30’s, a family to support, his drinking had become such an addiction that on the commercial flight home he “got really plastered” and his commander told him he would kick him out of the Army, no pension or promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, unless he got control. Also, he was assigned one summer to supervise an ROTC camp. Work started at 6 am, leading cadets. He stumbled, slurred & smelled. People noticed. His superior officer, Ike Smith, warned him: “Get clean, or you’ll be discharged without honors.” These 2 incidences changed his life, so he dried out, & over time was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. In 1986, he retired highly decorated receiving:

  • The Legion of Merit
  • Meritorious Service Medal
  • Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valor (two awards)
  • The Army Commendation Medal (four awards)

Soon, he was restless & unfulfilled, so in 1988 he took a job in Saudi Arabia as an adviser to the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force. However, in 1991, now back in Louisville and pursuing a social work masters, he was asked to take over the Morgan Center., a homeless shelter for alcoholics and it was “the last thing” he wanted to do. But in December 1991, soon 2 key staffers left and Jay had to run the place himself.

So, in 1992, at age 50 and retired from the military, Jay created The Healing Place, a unique model for residential treatment programs. It is a combination of a “wet/dry shelter” – a homeless shelter and a recovery program. It is a social model, not a medical model, drawing strength from the participants.

In 1995, Jay launched a program for female alcoholics and addicts, modeled after the men’s.

In 1997, Jay’s professional peers tried to close The Healing Place. The Healing Place was accused of treating clients without a license and even mistreatment of clients. Jay and two of his colleagues were criticized and their social work and drug and alcohol licenses questioned. Finally, the Inspector General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky ruled that The Healing Place was not a treatment program but a recovery program. All claims against it were deemed unsubstantiated.

The acrimony wore Jay down. “It was the year from hell,” he admits.

In 2005, Kentucky government chose The Healing Place as a “Recovery KY” model and replicated it in 10 new centers.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has recognized it and Dr. Burns Brady, a nationally-known expert in addiction medicine, called it “the best recovery program in the world.”

Today the Healing Place campus is expanding & has several thousand alumni with a 75% recovery rate.

Nov 18, 2019

Jacob Tamme is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Kentucky and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Jacob also played for the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. As one of the top scholar-athletes in the country, he completed his degree in integrated strategic communications in only three years and earned his MBA just before entering the NFL. Known for his contributions back to the community, in 2006, he was named to the National Good Works Team by the American Football Coaches Association, the SEC Community Service Team by the SEC Office, and to the Frank G. Ham Society of Character by UK Athletics.

In 2007, he was one of 15 finalists for the prestigious Draddy Trophy, which is presented to the top scholar-athlete in the country. He gave the acceptance speech on behalf of the 15 finalists at the award ceremony in New York City. Also in 2007, he was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and elected to the first-team Academic All-America squad by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

He was the 2007 recipient of the Bobby Bowden Award, a national honor presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Jacob is a Christian. He has spoken about his faith saying, “My faith is important because it’s the core of why I believe we exist as humans. Faith allows us to spend eternity with God and it fuels my everyday actions. I’ve seen how having faith in God can change lives and it certainly has changed mine.”

Jacob was inducted in 2018 to the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.

Nov 11, 2019

Thierry Rautureau, nicknamed The Chef In The Hat, is the chef/owner of restaurants, Loulay and Luc, in Seattle, Washington.

Chef Rautureau apprenticed in Anjou, France, and at twenty moved to the United States to work at several fine restaurants. He became the chef/owner of Rover’s Restaurant in 1987, and before closing its doors in 2013 it helped make him one of the most recognizable chefs around Seattle. Chef Rautureau has won various awards including the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest in 1998 and has been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre Du Mérite Agricole by the French government. In 2010, Chef Rautureau opened Luc, a French-American café and bar in Madison Valley, Washington. Then in 2013, he opened Loulay Kitchen & Bar, a French-inspired restaurant that balances the upscale aura of Rover’s with the cozy country-style cooking he enjoyed growing up on the farm in France.

Nov 4, 2019

Chief Steve Conrad returned to his hometown to become the Chief of Police for the Louisville Metro Police Department on March 19, 2012.

Chief Conrad began his career as a patrol officer with the former Louisville Division of Police (LPD) in 1980.

He worked his way through the ranks, rising to Assistant Chief in the LPD and later an Assistant Chief in the newly merged Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). As a Lieutenant Colonel with the LMPD, Conrad was Commander of the Administrative Bureau.

Chief Conrad left the LMPD in 2005 to become Chief of the Glendale (AZ) Police Department.

Conrad has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Police Administration and a Master of Science Degree in Community Development from the University of Louisville. He attended the Southern Police Institute (SPI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) National Academy.

Chief Conrad is married and has a step-daughter.

Oct 28, 2019

Born in Wigan, England, Barry Barker has been the Executive Director of the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) since 1994. His core belief that “the quality of life in our communities is only as good as it is for the least advantaged members of our communities” directs his customer-focused approach to service & team-based approach to management that has resulted in increased ridership & service innovations that have received national recognition. Under Barry, TARC was designated in 2006 as the nation’s Urban System of the Year by the Community Transportation Association of America.  The next year, Barry was recognized as the Outstanding Public Transportation Manager of the Year by the American Public Transportation Assoc. In 2012, the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies honored Barry with the Sharon D. Banks Award for Humanitarian Leadership in Transportation.

Locally, Barry has served on more than a dozen non-profit agency boards including in leadership positions, and in 2010, he headed Metro United Way’s annual fundraising campaign. TARC provides 12 million passenger trips a year, with 63% of riders traveling to and from work, and another 20 % on school trips.

“TARC moves the workforce of today & tomorrow, & we’re critical for people to access opportunity & all life has to offer,” Barry said. “I have always been motivated by the belief that the quality of life in our communities is only as good as it is for the least advantaged members of our communities. Access to life’s opportunities is a must if communities & individuals are to thrive. I’ve been fortunate to champion these beliefs at TARC & in the community.”

Oct 21, 2019

Trisha Hernandez Gallagher was born in Lakenheath, England on a Royal Air Force Base. She came to the US at 2½ & grew up all over the USA. During her younger years, Dr. Gallagher considered New Jersey home, as she spent summers and her high school career in the Garden State. Now, after 16 years in Louisville, she considers it home. Dr. Gallagher is the proud mother of two sons, Cole, 19, & Liam, 17. She follows in her son’s footsteps, with Cole being one of the youngest guests ever on MoxieTalk, our 213th guest! Liam, her youngest, dreams of being a future MoxieTalk guest. Dr. Gallagher earned her B.S. in Psychology from Penn State, M.Ed. in Special Education from West Chester University., & Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Organizational Development from the University of Louisville. Dr. Gallagher works as an Administrative Specialist for the Exceptional Child Education (ECE) Department in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). Currently, she focuses on students with special needs & compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and legislation. She works with the JCPS Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Team, as well as the Parent Advisory Council (PAC).  Prior to 2018, she worked with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families for 21 years. Her dissertation focused on the social networks of parents of students with autism as a proxy measure of social capital.  Previously, Dr. Gallagher supervised programming for children with autism & trained school/district/state/national groups of professionals on Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs). As a member of the state autism team, Dr. Gallagher, assisted in the development of the Kentucky Family Guide for Autism, coordinated the 1st model classrooms for Kentucky’s partnership with the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC), and contributed to the development of the KY Department of Education’s Guidance Document for Autism. Last year, Dr. Gallagher reviewed the latest set of EBPs for the NDPC

Oct 14, 2019

Ferdinand Risco is a native of Philadelphia earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Ferdinand was also a Distinguished Military Graduate commissioned as a Regular Army Infantry Officer & spent 10 years in the U.S. Army. Today, Ferdinand serves as the Executive Director for (TARC), the largest public transit agency in the Commonwealth of Kentucky carrying 15 million annual passengers and is responsible for the leadership and direction for all operations in the system. Ferdinand’s experience includes freight transport, manufacturing, warehousing & transportation. He has also worked in operations, maintenance, employee and labor relations, human resources, diversity & inclusion. As a former Army officer, Ferdinand has helped government agencies and later fortune 500 companies earn awards & distinctions for their best in class results.  As a transit executive and former college professor, Ferdinand is highly sought after as a lecturer on many topics including diversity, inclusion, & equal employment practices, supplier diversity, disadvantaged business enterprise certification, leadership & workforce development. Ferdinand’s community involvement even led to a 2009 appointment. by New Haven, Connecticut Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. to their Board of Education, and then a 2011 appointment to the Connecticut State Board of Education by Governor Dannel P. Malloy and service on the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Boards of Education. Ferdinand is a graduate of Leadership-APTA and was Chairman of the association’s Workforce Development Committee. Ferdinand is also an ENO Center for Transportation’s Transit Executive Seminar graduate. Now in Louisville, Ferdinand continues his service to the community, serving on the Boards of The National Safe Place Network, The Healing Place and as Secretary for The Louisville Urban League, as well as Greater Louisville Inc. – Louisville’s  Metro Chamber of Commerce, Kentuckians for Better Public Transportation & The Louisville Tourism Committee. Ferdinand is married to his beautiful wife Stacy & they have 4 children.

Oct 7, 2019

Dr. Wayne Tuckson is a native of Washington, D.C. & a graduate of both Howard University and the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C.  He completed an internship in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the St. Louis University Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, and a residency in General Surgery at Howard University Hospital.  He then completed both research and clinical fellowship in colon & rectal surgery in the Department of Colon & Rectal Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.  After a year as a Clinical Associate at The Clinic, he returned to Howard as an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and as chief of the Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery. In 1994 he left Howard and joined the faculty at the University of Louisville, College of Medicine in the Department of Surgery as an associate professor.  He remained at the University for 7 years until July of 2001 when he left and started a private practice. KentuckyOne has employed him as a colon and rectal surgeon since 2008.  His clinical interests are in the treatment of fecal incontinence, the prevention & treatment of cancer of the rectum, the management of anal diseases, & the management of postoperative anal pain. To address the apparent disparity in health status in the minority & disadvantaged Kentucky populations, IN 1995, Dr. Tuckson organized The African-American Health Initiative, Inc, (TAAHI). The goal of TAAHI was to improve the “health IQ” or “health literacy” and encourage and foster more responsible participation, by patients, in their own healthcare. TAAHI sponsored conferences on topics such as cancer and healthy eating. To reach a broader audience TAAHI developed the TV show, Kentucky Health (nee Louisville Health). Today, Kentucky Health still airs on the KET network & is hosted & produced by Dr. Tuckson. He has been involved in many community activities including the Air Pollution Control board., Park Duvall Family Health Center board, & the board of the Louisville Metro Department of Health & Wellness. He has given many community presentations to churches, community groups, & local radio & TV news shows. He has received 2 Mayor’s Citations for community service in Louisville & The Thomas S Wallace Jr. Award for “Leadership Role in the Promotion of Health Awareness and the Well-Being of all Citizens of Jefferson County.” Recent recognition includes the “Lyman T. Johnson Distinguished Leadership Award in 2015” from the Louisville Central Community Centers, Inc & a “Real Black Men” certificate of recognition from the Louisville Defender newspaper. He is currently the president of the Greater Louisville Medical Society. Dr. Tuckson is married to the lovely Brenda B. Tuckson and has two sons named Wayne L. Tuckson and James H. Clay. 

A current project of Dr. Tuckson’s is the documentation of the role of the Louisville Red Cross Hospital & African-American healthcare during the Jim Crow era in KY.

Sep 30, 2019

In 2008, Corky Taylor retired to the beaches of Sarasota, Florida, following an illustrious career in business. An army brat who grew up in Hawaii, Corky was regaled in his youth with colorful tales of his great-grandfather, Henry Kraver, the self-made entrepreneur who founded the KY. Peerless Distilling Co. in Henderson, Kentucky. in 1889. Kraver shuttered the distillery on the eve of Prohibition, and it lay dormant for nearly 100 years. A collegiate golfer, Corky graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business from Murray State University and founded financial firm Bencor, Inc. in Louisville and remained at the helm for more than 20 years, before selling his thriving business and setting his sights on a simpler life. But Corky soon returned to Louisville, fueled by a desire to honor the legacy of Henry Kraver and resurrect the family business. Corky felt that when he bottled that 1st rye—the 1st in almost a century for our family—was one of the most rewarding moments of his life. Corky soon after purchased a historic building from the 1890s, in the heart of Louisville, and set about bringing Peerless back to life. His son Carson, a builder by trade, revitalized the building and transformed it into a state-of-the-art distillery. Meanwhile, Corky spent 18 months procuring Kraver’s original distilled spirits plant (DSP) #50, a testament to the 4th-generation entrepreneur’s fortitude.

For perspective, DSP #’s issued to new distilleries today is above 20,000. Corky proudly opened the doors to his modern-day Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company in 2015 under DSP 50.

Running the family business alongside his son has brought him untold gratification, yet he insists on the utmost caliber in every aspect of his distillery. As the sole proprietor of Peerless, Corky isn’t interested in cutting corners. Rather than purchase distilled spirits from another producer, he let his inaugural rye whiskey age in barrel for 2 years before selling a single bottle. For Corky, quality is paramount, and he’s deeply committed to producing only the finest rye and bourbon.

His passion for handcrafted quality is matched only by his dedication to his family. Peerless has remained in family hands for five generations, and the business is now bonded to stay in the family for at least five more generations.

Sep 23, 2019

Since Sept. 1984, Greg has served 35+ years with the Louisville Redbirds, Louisville RiverBats and now Louisville Bats. He has held roles as diverse as now Senior Vice President, Assistant General Manager, Marketing Director, Sponsorship Sales Director, Promotions Director, Sales Manager, Group Sales Manager, Redbirds Ticket Manager, Redbirds Public Address Announcer & Director of the 1991 & 2008 AAA All-Star Games held in Louisville.

During this time-frame, Greg even did a stint as the Louisville Riverfrogs Hockey Club’s Assistant General Manager & owner from May 1995 to May 1997. Prior to his career in professional sports, he was an Account Executive with the Xerox Corporation from 1983-1984.

In 1983, Greg received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Louisville, with a major in Marketing, is a 1978 graduate of Eastern High School in Middletown, KY.

Greg is married to his lovely high-school sweetheart Kelly, & they have 2 lovely twin children Erika & Anthony, & as of this interview, Erika is with the Cincinnati Reds, & Anthony is with HUMANA working as a Cyber Security Analyst.

Sep 16, 2019

As President of Texas Roadhouse, Inc., which owns & operates more than 575 restaurants in 49 states & 9 countries, Scott joined Texas Roadhouse in 2002 as the Chief Financial Officer and was promoted to President in 2011 and retired on June 20th, 2019.  Before joining Texas Roadhouse, Scott was employed by YUM! Brands, Inc. & Burger King Corp. where he began his career in 1987.  Scott earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1986 & his MBA from the University of Miami in 1989. He serves or has served on a variety of non-profit boards throughout Louisville, including Leadership Louisville, Louisville Metro Police Foundation, & The Healing Place, which is a nationally recognized drug and alcohol addiction recovery program for men and women. Scott and his wife, Elena, reside in Louisville, Kentucky and have 2 sons, Chris, Nick, and a daughter Emily.

Sep 9, 2019

Joe Herron is a South African born beverage entrepreneur who has founded 3 beverage companies; Nutrisoda – sold to PepsiAmericas in 2006, Crispin Cider – sold to MillerCoors in 2012 & now Copper & Kings. All 3 companies have their roots in Louisville, Kentucky and he feels fortunate to finally be able to establish their first company actually based in Louisville.

His family has lived in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Minneapolis & now call Louisville home where they reside in the Highlands neighborhood.

The Joe soundtrack features My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Houndmouth, Nick Cave, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Herbie Hancock, the Clash, the Jayhawks, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Wilson Pickett, The Cherry Faced Lurchers, and Bright Blue. And the Spotify Discover playlist. And the Spotify Copper & Kings Playlist of the day. Not to mention Binge TV watching is a hobby – Game Of Thrones, Westworld, The Man In the High Tower, The Night Of, Stranger Things, The Wire, Mad Men, Deadwood, have had them up all night. Forest Gump makes us cry. Every time. Monty Python makes us laugh. Every time. The Coen brothers make us laugh & cry. Every time.

Joe is married to his partner Lesley and they have 2 children – Matthew  & Georgia-May, a “Terrierist” – Milo, & Springer Spaniel – Parker. Both of whom believe that they are actually human, and the kids think that the dogs are better treated than they are.

Sep 2, 2019

Teddy Abrams is a widely acclaimed conductor, as well as an established pianist, clarinetist, & composer.  As Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra & Music Director & Conductor of the Britt Classical Festival, Teddy also served as Resident Conductor of the MAV Symphony Orchestra in Budapest, which he first conducted in 2011. A tireless advocate for the power of music, he continues to foster interdisciplinary collaboration with organizations including the Louisville Ballet, the Center for Interfaith Relations, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Speed Art Museum, & the Folger Shakespeare Library. His extensive community outreach continues to reach new audiences & bring classical music into increasingly diverse communities.

Teddy’s previous seasons have included debuts at the Kennedy Center & with Colorado, North Carolina, & New Jersey Symphonies, as well as a return to the New World Symphony. Recent guest conducting highlights include engagements with the San Francisco, Houston, Vancouver, Phoenix, & Jacksonville Symphonies; Florida Orchestra; & Louisiana and New Mexico Philharmonics. He has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Indianapolis Symphony, & recently conducted them with Time for 3 for a special recording for PBS. Prior to these stints, he served as Assistant Conductor of the Detroit Symphony from 2012-2014.

From 2008 to 2011 Teddy was the Conducting Fellow & Assistant Conductor of the New World Symphony (NWS) & conducted many performances, including subscription concerts & numerous other full & chamber orchestra events. He has conducted the NWS in Miami Beach, Washington, D.C. & at Carnegie Hall, with a recent return to conduct the NWS on subscription with Joshua Bell as soloist.

An accomplished pianist & clarinetist, Teddy has appeared as a soloist with a # of orchestras—including play-conducting the Ravel Piano Concerto with the Jacksonville Symphony in Fall 2013—& has performed chamber music with the St. Petersburg String Quartet, Menahem Pressler, Gilbert Kalish, Time for Three, & John Adams, in addition to annual appearances at the Olympic Music Festival. Dedicated to exploring new & engaging ways to communicate with a diverse range of audiences, Teddy co-founded the 6h Floor Trio in 2008. Together, they founded & direct GardenMusic, the music festival of the world-renowned Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami; they continue to tour regularly throughout the U.S.

Teddy studied conducting with Michael Tilson Thomas, Otto-Werner Mueller and Ford Lallerstedt at the Curtis Inst. of Music, & with David Zinman at the Aspen Music Festival; he was the youngest conducting student ever accepted at BOTH institutions! He is also an award-winning composer & a passionate educator – he has taught at numerous schools throughout the USA. His 2009 Education Concerts with the New World Symphony (featuring the world premiere of one of Teddy’s own orchestral works) were webcast to 100’s of schools throughout South Florida.

Teddy performed as a keyboardist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, won the 2007 Aspen Composition Contest, and was the Assistant Conductor of the YouTube Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 2009.  He has held residencies at the La Mortella music festival in Ischia, Italy & at the American Academy in Berlin.  He was a proud member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra for 7 seasons, & graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music, having studied piano with Paul Hersh.

Aug 26, 2019

Born to Ira & Ambie Kilburn in 1991, Caleb Kilburn was raised in Salt Lick, a rural eastern Kentucky town, on his family’s dairy farm. These years taught him the meaning of hard work and endowed him with an impressive array of mechanical skills which would prove invaluable later in life when he was called on to help build Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. After graduating Valedictorian of his high school class in Bath Co., he attended Morehead State University where he pursued his love for the sciences. It was during this time that Caleb became fascinated with the art of distillation.  He claimed it to be the perfect balance of chemistry, biology, & physics. His fascination led him to obsessively research the process & science of distillation.  His research went beyond traditional means, as he attended many of the distillery tours in the area, requesting opportunities to shadow at several of them. In 2013, between his college sophomore & junior years, Caleb paid his way through a Distiller’s course offered by the Distilled Spirits Epicenter, in Louisville, KY. It was during this course that Caleb befriended 2 of the instructors who would later become his mentors. Rob Sherman, President of Vendome Copper & Brass Work in Louisville, KY, & Pete Kamer, the retired Head Engineer of Barton Brands in Bardstown, KY. Each provided Caleb with educational opportunities and advice over the course of the next year. In the summer of 2014, each mentor recommended Caleb work with the startup Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. Originally assigned to general construction tasks, Caleb quickly proved his valor by persistently taking on more and more responsibilities. Thanks to his upbringing and research, he was more than capable of managing the installation of the mechanical systems & distilling equipment. By the end of summer, Carson & Corky Taylor, the family ownership of Kentucky Peerless, formally offered Caleb the position of Head Distiller. Caleb balanced the latter portions of the construction with his last semester of college, during which he developed the computer control system that was integral to Peerless’ creation of an exceptional whiskey. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Chemistry, & then started full time at Kentucky Peerless the following week. After several months of preparation, on March 4th, 2015, Caleb distilled Peerless’ 1st barrel of whiskey in 98 years. In the Fall of 2017, his dream continued as Peerless’ Kentucky Straight Rye earned industry-wide respect when it was named the #15 whiskey in the world by the Whiskey Advocate. Despite his uncanny intellect & meteoric rise in the craft spirits’ world, Caleb remains modest regarding his accomplishments. He doesn’t consider himself a Master Distiller and is quick to correct anyone who mistakenly calls him one. He states he holds that revered title for his idols and heroes. Humility aside, as one of the youngest distillers in the history of the industry, Caleb has produced some handcrafted whiskey that rivals the finest in the world.

Aug 19, 2019

Shug McGaughey began working as a trainer in 1979 and to date has won more than 240 graded stakes races. In 1986, he got his big break when Ogden Phipps hired him to train his stable of horses. In 1988, he won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in the United States. Among his many wins, Shug has captured the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Travers Stakes three times each and won the 1989 Belmont Stakes with Hall of Fame Champion Easy Goer as well as the 2013 Kentucky Derby with Orb. Shug’s nine Breeders’ Cup victories rank second to D. Wayne Lukas. Among the other horses, he has trained are back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Lure and Hall of Famer Personal Ensign. He has accomplished the rare trifecta of training a Breeders’ Cup winner, her daughter, and her granddaughter in the troika of Personal Ensign, My Flag, and Storm Flag Flying. In 2013 he won his first Kentucky Derby with Orb.

In 2004, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. At his induction ceremony, he said: “My deepest debt of gratitude always has been and always will be to the Phipps family” and “My affiliation with the Phipps family is one of the great highlights of my life. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Aug 12, 2019

Born August 10, 1965, Mike Smith is an American jockey who has been one of the leading riders in U.S. Thoroughbred racing since the early 1990s, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2003, and has won the most Breeders’ Cup races of any jockey with 26 Breeders’ Cup wins. Smith is also the second leading jockey of all time in earnings with over $312 million. In 2018, Smith rode Justify to the Triple Crown, becoming the oldest jockey to win the title at age 52.

Jul 29, 2019

Dick Wilson’s philanthropic history starts in the late 1980s when he co-founded the Louisville Dream Factory at the request of Jane Eubank & 5 other friends of her:

  • BANKER, (CHESTER MISBACH)
  • LAWYER (CARSON PORTER)
  • HAIR STYLIST (CAROL SANDERS)
  • & 3 OTHER FRIENDS INCLUDING DICK

Today they now have over 33 chapters nationally with over 25,000 dreams granted & 1500 locally.

Another local charity which Dick wholly founded was the Robin Hood Project-by taking corporate excesses like computers and voice mailboxes, from motels etc.…  and distributing them to the poor through the coalition for the homeless coordinated 24 shelters throughout Louisville.

Dick states he has founded or cofounded dozens of charities with the basic model of BEG-BORROW & SCROUNGE

Dick has also been instrumental in a recovery center @ 25TH & Market that now serves 800+ folks in weekly recovery meetings. In addition to supplying over 1,400 jobs in the last 13 months with MS-IL staffing as a collaborator, as well as, maintaining <2% drug test failures as well. All with a non-paid staff and all expenses are level with self-supporting donations.

Prior to Dick’s philanthropic efforts, he served in the Vietnam War as a combat photographer and graduated from the University of Louisville.

Dick & his lovely wife, Ardi, have a real mission for philanthropy. To show you how passionate they are, here is a list of the several charitable organizations, they have had an instrumental hand in founding or co-founding including:

  • The Dream Factory
  • The Robin Hood Project
  • Drive Cancer Out
  • World Sight
  • & Ardi’s Bears

In recognition of his dedication to his community, Dick has received numerous awards & distinctions.

A few awards include:

  • The Bell Award
  • The American Institute of Public Service Jefferson Award
  • The AFL-CIO’s Public Service Award
  • & The Ron Horvath Community Award.

When he’s not working directly with or guiding the many organizations he supports, you can find Dick spending quality time with friends & family.

His favorite hobbies include collecting cars, art and antiques, and traveling with his wife: the ever-lively & beautiful Ardi Wilson.

Jul 22, 2019

Jay Davidson was born in Denver in 1942. At age 12, he went to work cutting grass and started paying rent to help cover living expenses, due to an absentee father. When he was 14, he started work at an amusement park. There he began his drinking career, consuming glasses of leftover liquor from the patrons who partied the night before, but still made good grades and became a leader in his high school’s ROTC program. It foreshadowed what he would become: a highly functioning alcoholic – a successful, rank-climbing Army officer by day, a drunk by night. After finishing high school, He found a job with GMAC and applied for admission to West Point Military Academy but was denied, which, fed his inferiority complex. He stayed with GMAC, rising steadily in the ranks, and attended night school studying accounting at the University of Denver’s Night School & hated it!

In 1963, he met Carolyn Sue Miller and they married on Nov. 22, 1963, the day JFK was assassinated. He was 21 and she was 19.

In 1965, the Vietnam War was escalating, and with his wife’s approval, he decided to enlist, but his wife discovered she was pregnant. Jay might have received an exemption, but he chose to go. Their baby son, Erik, was born with a lung disease & died 36 hours later. Jay buried his son by himself.

In June 1967, Jay was shipped to Vietnam and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. He was promoted rapidly – “Combat was the Key,” he says. If he had stayed 2 more weeks, he would have had another promotion, but “I had had enough.” “I saw life snuffed out, men reduced to a mass of flesh,” he says.

In 1969, Jay returned from the war and he and his wife adopted a boy. After, they had their own son.  However,  the marriage would not last and she filed for divorce.

In 1974, Jay met his 2nd wife-Shirley – both divorcees & they married in Connecticut and within a year, Jay’s son’s, Matthew and Jeffrey and Shirley’s 2 daughters soon went to live with them.  Now he was a family of 6!

Now in his 30’s, a family to support, his drinking had become such an addiction that on the commercial flight home he “got really plastered” and his commander told him he would kick him out of the Army, no pension or promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, unless he got control. Also, he was assigned 1 summer to supervise an ROTC camp. Work started at 6 a.m., leading cadets. He stumbled, slurred & smelled. People noticed. His superior officer, Ike Smith, warned him: “Get clean, or you’ll be discharged without honors.” These 2 incidences changed his life, so he dried out, & overtime was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. In 1986, he retired highly decorated receiving:

  • The Legion of Merit
  • Meritorious Service Medal
  • Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valor (two awards)
  • The Army Commendation Medal (four awards)

Soon, he was restless & unfulfilled, so in 1988 he took a job in Saudi Arabia as an adviser to the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force. However, in 1991, now back in Louisville and pursuing a social work masters, he was asked to take over the Morgan Center., a homeless shelter for alcoholics and it was “the last thing” he wanted to do. But in December 1991, soon 2 key staffers left and Jay had to run the place himself.

So, in 1992, at age 50 and retired from the military, Jay created The Healing Place, a unique model for residential treatment programs. It is a combination of a “wet/dry shelter” – a homeless shelter and a recovery program. It is a social model, not a medical model, drawing strength from the participants.

In 1995, Jay launched a program for female alcoholics and addicts, modeled after the men’s.

In 1997, Jay’s professional peers tried to close The Healing Place. The Healing Place was accused of treating clients without a license and even mistreatment of clients. Jay and two of his colleagues were criticized and their social work and drug and alcohol licenses questioned. Finally, the Inspector General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky ruled that The Healing Place was not a treatment program but a recovery program. All claims against it were deemed unsubstantiated.

The acrimony wore Jay down. “It was the year from hell,” he admits.

In 2005, Kentucky government chose The Healing Place as a “Recovery KY” model and replicated it in 10 new centers.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has recognized it and Dr. Burns Brady, a nationally-known expert in addiction medicine, called it “the best recovery program in the world.”

Today the Healing Place campus is expanding & has several thousand alumni with a 75% recovery rate.

Jul 15, 2019

Rebecca & Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters creating their own brand of Roots Rock ‘n’ Roll: gritty, soulful, and flavored by their southern heritage.

Originally from Atlanta and currently living in Nashville, they are descendants of tortured artist and creative genius Edgar Allan Poe.

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