MoxieMoments brings you Jeff Walz, Head Coach, University of Louisville Women’s Basketball, and his best piece of advice.

MoxieMoments brings you Heather Howell, Director of Global Innovation & Trademark, Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands, telling us about her biggest triumph and best piece of advice.

At the time of our taping, Heather was Director of Innovation, Brown-Forman Corporation.

MoxieMoments brings you Paul Hornung, 1956 Heisman Trophy Winner and former Green Bay Packer, chatting about the biggest influences in his life.

MoxieMoments brings you Whitney Austin, Director & Co-Founder of the Whitney/Strong Organization, telling us how she redefines failure.

MoxieMoments brings you Greg Galiette, President of Louisville Bats Baseball Club, Inc., telling us about his biggest triumph.

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. Before 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 two beautiful twin children, Erika & Anthony; & as of this interview, Erika is with the Cincinnati Reds, & Anthony is with HUMANA working as a Cyber Security Analyst.

MoxieMoments brings you Robbie Bartlett, Band Leader of the Robbie Bartlett Band, talks about the greatest influence in her life.

MoxieMoments brings you Tom Jurich, Former-Vice President and Director of Athletics, the University of Louisville, on what drives him.

Tom Jurich cites his motivation to do things right and see results as he leads athletic programs at the University of Louisville.

Since 1997, Tom has made a permanent mark at the University of Louisville by leading an athletic department that has enjoyed tremendous athletic and academic accomplishments. In 2003, Tom began his run as vice president at U of L.

Under Tom Jurich, the Cardinal athletic teams have produced unparalleled success in multiple sports. Louisville’s 2012 – 2013 year marked the first time any university has ever won a BCS level bowl game, placed both its men’s and women’s basketball teams in the NCAA Final 4, and reached the baseball College World Series in the same season.

CBS Sports ranked Cardinals Athletics among the top three nationally for the past three years. Tom and his wife share U of L’s prestigious Hickman-Camp Award and he was named Louisville magazine’s Person of the Year in 2007.

He resides in Louisville with his wife, Terrilynn. They have four children and several grandchildren.

EFFECTIVE OCT. 2017, Tom Jurich was relieved of his duties as the Athletic Director of University of Louisville Athletics

MoxieMoments brings you Summer Dickerson, Founder of Women of the Well Ministry, discussing what she stands for.

Summer Dickerson was a victim of child abuse, sexual abuse & a victim of human trafficking which led to pain, gang violence, sexual torture, drug addiction, mental health illness including PTSD. She was even buried alive and pistol-whipped. While living with and in constant fear for her life, not to mention unrelenting anxiety, Summer was, in her words, delivered through a relationship with Christ. 

Now it is her calling to work with women that are in similar situations and lifestyles. So much so, she has now founded a Ministry called Women of the Well Ministries which has a Residential Program to help women change their lives so they can walk in the destiny God created for them. 

She is also the business owner of a company called Esther’s Soap Company which allows women in her Ministry learn a new trade on how to make all-natural goat milk soap. All proceeds go back to the ministry.

She has a documentary out & is working on a book.

MoxieMoments brings you Tawanda Chitapa,, Zimbabwean Immigrant & American Healthcare I.T. Expert, Mentor, and Soccer Fanatic, telling us about their perception of influencers.

Tawanda is the System Director Business Intelligence, Clinical Value & Healthcare Analytics at Norton Healthcare, with oversight of a team of analysts that use business data, computer techniques & statistical methods to provide insight into business performance & suggested areas of & ways of improving operations. Tawanda joined Norton Healthcare in 2015. Before joining Norton healthcare, he helped implement the Epic EMR (electronic medical record) systems in consultant roles for numerous healthcare organizations, including Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, Sutter Health in Sacramento, California, the Univ. of Miami in Miami, Florida, Lahey Health System in Boston, MA, Inova Health in Virginia, Premier Health in Dayton Ohio, & San Diego Children’s Hospital in San Diego, CA. He began his career as an Implementation Specialist at Epic Systems in Madison, WI. Tawanda is a highly active member of the community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Louisville YMCA, is a Board Member for Volunteers of America Mid-states & a Board of Trustees for the Speed Art Museum. Tawanda Chitapa holds a bachelor’s degree & an MHA, BOTH from W. KY. Univ. Tawanda enjoys watching soccer, exploring sights around the city, and indulging in every foodie experience he can find around Louisville. He lives in Louisville with his son Isaiah and is a native of Zimbabwe, but today an American immigrant success story!

Tawanda’s favorite saying is that he enjoys mentoring young professionals to grow their wings “so they too can fly.”

MoxieMoments brings you Kelli Campbell, President & Owner of Joseph’s Salon & Spa, chatting about how the salon industry has changed.

As the owner of Joseph’s Salon and Spa, Kelly Flint Campbell sees the growth of her staff and client relationships as her inspiration.

Since the early 1990s, Kelly has been the owner and president of Joseph’s Salon/Spa in Louisville, Ky. Originally opened 40 years ago by her parents, Joseph’s set out to be a beauty destination with highly skilled professionals who have an unwavering commitment to customer service. Joseph’s has grown and now includes the Aveda Lifestyle Salon and Spa.

With her positive spirit, Kelly strives to make a personal connection with her clients. She has helped form an expert staff of 90 who share her “give back” philosophy and desire to achieve professional expertise and superior service. Kelly works diligently on harmonizing beauty, well-being, and the environment for both clients and staff at the salon.

Kelly and her husband have two children and live in Louisville.

MoxieMoments brings you Donald E. Lassere, Former President & CEO, Muhammad Ali Center, talks about what Muhammad Ali was like.

Donald E. Lassere leads the Muhammad Ali Center and fosters its mission of building and expanding on the Center’s educational programs, partnerships, and other outreach initiatives.

He facilitated a comprehensive rebranding process and implemented a strategic plan that focused the Center on the three primary program areas of education, global citizenship, and gender equality.

Donald also launched the Muhammad Ali Global Humanitarian Awards, designed to inspire and encourage young people worldwide to become actively involved in social justice issues that impact their communities, countries and the world.

Prior to joining the Muhammad Ali Center, he served as senior vice president of programs at Scholarship America. In this role, he administered over 1,200 scholarships, tuition reimbursement and education assistance programs amounting to over $160 million annually.

Previous to Scholarship America, Donald spent over 20 years working at top-tier organizations including Gallup Consulting, Enron Corporation, Ernst & Young Consulting, and Verizon.

He currently serves as the chair for the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau and he is on the advisory board for the Family Business Center. He is also on the Jeffersonville County Technical College Presidential Search Task Force.

Donald holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco.

MoxieMoments brings you Trisha Gallagher, Former-Administrative Specialist, Exceptional Child Education for the Jefferson County Public School System}, telling us about her most defining moment.

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

MoxieMoments brings you Jeremy Harrell, the Founder & CEO of The Veteran’s Club-a a non-profit veteran service organization, telling us about his most defining moment.

As a U.S. Army Combat Veteran of Iraqi Freedom, he served honorably for 9 yrs. & was a Non-Commissioned Officer before getting out of the Army in 2008. After leaving the Army, Jeremy went to school at Mid-Continent Univ. studying Bus. Mgt. & started a career in Oper. Mgt. in the Manufacturing & the Supply Chain Logistics Industry. As a man with an Entrepreneurial heart, he wanted to do more to support the Veteran community & founded the Veteran’s Club Inc.

Jeremy has assisted thousands of Veterans in a multitude of ways, such as their nationally recognized Equine Therapy Program, Career Transition for Vets needing employment, Family Outreach Program, & is currently developing the Camp Restoration Community to house & heal homeless veterans.

Veteran’s Club Inc also works heavily in Veteran’s outreach in the community, including raising money for Veteran causes & providing meals job opportunities, & teaching leadership classes to homeless veterans throughout KY. I love this next part; Jeremy also goes into jails & substance abuse inpatient facilities to teach life skills classes in hopes that those in there have the tools needed upon release. Veteran’s Club INC was the 2019 Recipient of the Patriots Award for Veterans Service Organization. This is a national award given by the American Freedom Fund in Washington D.C. every year. Jeremy was also named one of 2020’s Louisville Business First’s 40 Under 40 and KY. Veteran of the Year and was commissioned a Ky. Colonel for his works for veterans in Ky. Jeremy is the Co-Chair for the Veterans Community Alliance of Louisville (VCAL). Jeremy also serves on the Week of Valor planning committee for Lou. Metro Govt. as well as the VA Mental Health Summit planning committee.

Outside of his organization, Jeremy travels with an organization called Mighty Oaks Warrior Program to help struggling veterans in weeklong retreats in CA, OH, TX, & VA. & was selected as a Community Influencer for the Mayor of Louisville’s Synergy Project bridging the gap between citizens & police. As if that was not enough commitment, Jeremy was selected to serve on the Governor’s Challenge Team to help develop a policy to combat SMVF-(which stands for Service Members, Veterans & their Families) suicides in KY. He is even a very active leader in his church, SEast Christian in Louisville, & independent from his organization, Jeremy is often called upon by local & some national news affiliates when it comes to Veteran related topics not limited to PTSD, Homelessness, Suicide, Policy, Foreign Policy, and more! Jeremy is married to his lovely wife Erin, & they have 3 daughters named Brooklyn, Mattie & Lola & 1 son named Collin.

MoxieMoments brings you Leah Travisano, Professional Figure Skater, Personal Trainer, Online Health Coach & Make-Up Artist, talking about what she stands for.

Leah graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science & minor in Nutrition from Miami Univ. in Oxford, OH. She skated on the Varsity skating team & qualified for Team USA representing her country in Croatia, Prague, & Switzerland. After graduating, Leah became a professional figure skater with Holiday on Ice touring in Europe, a make-up artist & even a medical sales rep. she even continues to skate for pleasure & gives back to her community by coaching & mentoring young skaters in Louisville.

In 2018 she put her college degree to work & became a Certified Personal Trainer at Proformance. In 2019 Leah started her own online fitness business, Leah Travisano Fitness LLC. Since inception, she has helped hundreds of women reach their goals of becoming healthier, more robust, & more confident. I admire Leah’s training philosophy of a very individualized approach to meet her client’s needs. Through skating, she learned the importance of mental toughness, goal setting, &   the ability to turn obstacles into opportunities. She works together to improve your physical health and your mental health. She considers herself a client’s coach who is here to guide you on YOUR path to success & self-love.

Leah lives in Louisville, KY, with her husband Pete and their dog Marvin.

MoxieMoments brings you Major General (retired) Robert S. Silverthorn Jr., an United States Army Attorney and Counselor at Law, telling us about his best piece of advice.

Major General (retired) Robert S. Silverthorn Jr. credits growing up in a military family as his inspiration and drive to achieve excellence.

Robert has served the United States in the military and as a counselor of law. He is a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and was mobilized for Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He also served during the Global War on Terror from 2001 to 2005. Robert retired as Major General (2 stars) in 2008. He received many military decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, two Bronze Stars, an Air Medal, seven Meritorious Service Medals, and three Army Commendation Medals.

He ran for election to the 30th Judicial Circuit in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 and 2009, he was appointed circuit judge to the Jefferson Circuit Court.

He is a graduate of the Brandeis School of Law and the United States Army War College. Robert carries a lengthy civilian volunteer history in Louisville and has served on advisory boards for several charitable organizations, including the Salvation Army, Susan G. Komen Fund, and the American Red Cross. He has also appeared on television and radio as a military analyst.

An avid reader, his hobbies include flying planes, reading historical works, and playing golf. Robert and his wife, Rusty, reside in Louisville and have two adult children and four grandchildren.

MoxieMoments brings you Josh Miller, Co-Founder + CEO of IDEAS xLab, telling us about he wants to be remembered.

MoxieMoments brings you Ouita Michel, Owner of Ouita Michel Restaurants Group, telling us about the note she'd write to her past self.

Since 2001, when Ouita & her husband, Chris, opened the Holly Hill Inn in Midway, Kentucky, she has made locally grown ingredients a priority in her world-class cuisine within her family of restaurants. Many bourbon aficionados will find her restaurants along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – such as Holly Hill Inn or Wallace Station Deli & the Midway Bakery in Midway, Kentucky. The Windy Corner Market & Restaurant, Smithtown Seafood, or Smithtown at the Summit & Honeywood are all in Midway. Since its inception, Ouita’s has collectively purchased over $2 million of Kentucky – grown meats, dairy & produce! She has been a James Beard Foundation Award nominee for Outstanding Restaurateur & Best Chef in the Southeast. Ouita and Chris are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She is a member of Slow Food USA; deacon & free community supper coordinator for Midway Christian Church; Board member of FoodChain, a non-profit food incubator in Lexington, Kentucky, & Woodford Forward, a land-use group; Hindman Settlement School, which is dedicated to enriching Central Appalachian culture; a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Other honors include the Fayette Alliance Agricultural Excellence Award & Bluegrass Tomorrow’s most prestigious honor, the Josephine Abercrombie Award. This award is given to a person who contributes tirelessly to improve the quality of life in Bluegrass. She is also the Chef-in-residence, Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky. Ouita and her restaurants are regularly featured in local and national media, such as CBS This Morning, USA Today, Southern Living & Garden & Gun. Ouita, Chris & their lovely daughter, Willa, live in Midway in a 200-year-old cabin with an expansive garden adjacent to where else? The Holly Hill InnIT

MoxieMoments brings you Samantha Fish, Contemporary Blues Artist-Bourbon & Beyond, on what Moxie means to her.

“You should always get outside of the box,” Samantha Fish says while discussing her boundary-breaking new album Belle of the West. “Challenging yourself is how you grow.”

After launching her recording career in 2009, Samantha Fish quickly established herself as a rising star in the contemporary blues world. Since then, the charismatic young singer-guitarist-songwriter has earned a reputation as a rising guitar hero and powerful live performer while releasing a series of acclaimed albums showing her restless creative spirit, consistently taking her in new and exciting musicals directions.

The New York Times called Fish “an impressive blues guitarist who sings with sweet power” and “one of the genre’s most promising young talents.” Her hometown paper, The Kansas City Star, noted, “Samantha Fish has kicked down the door of the patriarchal blues club” and observed that the young artist “displays more imagination and creativity than some blues veterans exhibit throughout their careers.”

Having already made it clear that she’s more interested in following her heart than she is in repeating past triumphs, Samantha Fish delivers some of her most compelling music to date with Belle of the West, her fifth studio album. The deeply soulful, personally charged 11-song set showcases Fish’s sublime acoustic guitar skills as well as her rootsy, emotionally resonant songwriting.

Such memorable new originals as “American Dream,” “Blood in the Water,” “Need You More,” and “Don’t Say You Love Me” demonstrate the artist’s knack for organic Americana songcraft. At the same time, a trio of cover tunes—R.L. Burnside’s “Poor Black Mattie,” Lillie Mae’s “Nearing Home,” and the Jimbo Mathus-penned title track—attest to her considerable interpretive skills as well as her varied musical interests.

“To me, this is a natural progression,” Fish notes. “It’s a storytelling record by a girl who grew up in the Midwest. It’s very personal. I focused on the songwriting and vocals, the melodies and emotion, and bringing another dimension to what I do. I wasn’t interested in shredding on guitar, although we ended up with a few heavier tracks. I love Mississippi blues; there’s something very soulful and authentic about that style of music, so this was a chance to immerse myself in that.”

Fish recorded Belle of the West in the relaxed, rural creative atmosphere of the legendary Zebra Ranch Studios in the North Hills of Mississippi with producer Luther Dickinson (of North Mississippi Allstars fame). She worked previously on her 2015 album Wild Heart. The studio team included some of the region’s most iconoclastic musicians, including Dickinson, solo artist and Jack White associate Lillie Mae (whose distinctive vocals are featured on “Nearing Home”), much-traveled juke- joint blues artist Lightnin’ Malcolm (whose featured on “Poor Black Mattie”), Squirrel Nut Zippers founder Jimbo Mathus, upright bassist and beloved solo artist Amy LaVere, Tikyra Jackson, Trina Raimey and Shardé Thomas, granddaughter of the legendary Southern bluesman Otha Turner.

“I wanted to do this acoustic-electric record and tap into the style and swagger of Mississippi,” Fish states, adding, “Any time you dive into another place, another vibe and a new group of people, you’re challenging yourself to grow musically. I felt very at home at a Zebra Ranch, and I’ve known Luther and Malcolm for years, so it was a very comfortable situation. When you’re making a record like this, it has to feel natural if you want people to respond to it.

Belle of the West follows on the heels of Fish’s March 2017 release Chills & Fever, which achieved top 10 status in the Billboard Blues charts. Here she expanded her stylistic arsenal to take on a set of lesser-known vintage R&B gems, with help from members of garage-soul stalwarts the Detroit Cobras. “Having these two very different records come out back to back this year has been liberating,” says Samantha.

The creative drive that fuels Belle of the West and Chills & Fever has been a crucial element of Samantha Fish’s approach from the beginning. Growing up in a musical family in Kansas City, Missouri, she became obsessed with music early in life, taking up drums before switching to guitar at 15. By the time she was 20, she had formed her trio and self-released her first album. She soon caught the ear of the renowned blues label Ruf Records, which in 2011 released Girls with Guitars, which teamed her with fellow axewomen, Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde. The same year saw Ruf release Fish’s solo studio debut, Runaway. The album was named Best Artist Debut at the 2012 Blues Music Awards in Memphis.

Black Wind Howlin’ (2013) and Wild Heart (2015) followed, winning considerable critical acclaim and further establishing Fish as a prominent presence in the blues community. Wild Heart reached the top slot on Billboard’s blues chart. She also collaborated with blues-rock veterans Jimmy Hall and Reese Wynans on The Healers’ 2013 project. In addition, she jammed onstage with blues icon Buddy Guy and guested on Devon Allman’s album Turquoise.

Fish continues to maintain the same hardworking, prolific approach that’s carried her this far. “I think I’ve always had that,” she says. “Music is my life, so what other choice do I have but to go out and make music? We do tour quite a bit, and maybe it’s kind of crazy to put out two dramatically different albums in one year. But I like to work hard. This is who I am, and this is what I do, and when I’m writing and recording and touring is when I feel the most like myself. And now we have a moment where people are paying attention, so I have to make the most of it. I feel like I have a lot to say right now, so why not say it?”

Her musical future is an open road as far as Samantha Fish is concerned. “I’m never gonna be a traditional blues artist because that’s not who I am,” she asserts. “But it’s all the blues for me. When Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf came out, what they were doing didn’t sound like anything done in blues before. So you have to keep that kind of fire and spirit. I will never do Muddy Waters better than Muddy Waters, so I have to be who I am and find my best voice.

MoxieMoments brings you Katie George, Sportscaster & 2015 Miss Kentucky USA, telling us about a note she'd write to her past self and how she wants to be remembered.

Katie George sees her daily challenge to make herself and others better.

Louisville-native Katie graduated from Assumption High School, where she played volleyball for Coach Ron Kordes. She received several volleyball sports accolades and was featured in the 2010 Faces in the Crowd in Sports Illustrated magazine. Among her many accomplishments and recognitions, Katie led her team to the Regional 7 Tournament Championship twice, was named in Under Armour’s All-American Watch List, and was also named Region 7’s Player of the Year.

Katie came to the University of Louisville volleyball team and quickly moved to a starting position. She spent her summer overseas for the USA National Collegiate Team, winning the silver medal at the European Global Challenge Tournament in Pula, Croatia.

Having no previous experience in beauty pageants, Katie was crowned Miss Kentucky USA In 2015 and competed in the Miss USA pageant, finishing in the top 15.

MoxieMoments brings you Robert Curran, Artistic Director of the Louisville Ballet, telling us about their personal inspirations.

Trained at The Australian Ballet School & having enjoyed an exciting & fulfilling career with The Australian Ballet as a Principal Artist, Robert took the passion & discipline he developed as a dancer & set his sights on diversifying his knowledge, skills & abilities.

With education and experience, he continually expanded his ability to move his own body on stage &, through this, move an audience through a wide range of emotions. Beyond his dancing career, he strives to move people towards a satisfying encounter with dance.

Robert is motivated by the form that a dancer gains from training in the traditions of classical ballet, where respect & discipline can facilitate breathtaking strength & freedom.

He is also inspired by the innovation that forms the function of any artist, that being to bravely & boldly express oneself through art for the greater good of a community.

As Artistic Director, Robert contributes to the Global Arts Community, enriching his knowledge of the art form to which he has devoted his life.

He is excited by & committed to the Louisville community with its great respect for the arts and its exciting perspective on the future.

MoxieMoments continue with Chef Dallas McGarity, the Executive Chef & Owner of The Fat Lamb Modern Kitchen & Bar & Portage House Restaurants, telling us about his biggest triumph.

More about Chef McGarity, He grew up in rural South Carolina; his mom & mamaw instilled a passion for food early. After going to culinary school at Johnson & Wales University & working in Charleston, SC, for many years.

In 2004, he moved to Louisville and was encouraged that the food scene had much to offer a young chef & fell in love with the city.

After working at several Louisville fine dining places as Executive Chef, he was ready to open a restaurant as Executive Chef & Owner. With the help of his wife, Laura, The Fat Lamb ModernKitchen & Bar opened in Nov. 2016. The small, open-kitchen concept has received a great response from the highlands neighborhood within which it is located & continues to serve both local patrons & visitors upscale comfort food with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients.

In March of 2018, Chef Dallas was approached to purchase Portage House Restaurant in Jeffersonville, IN. The riverfront view of the old house that the restaurant sits in was so charming that he & his wife decided it was time to expand. As a result, Portage House re-opened on March 23rd, 2018, with a new menu & new owners.

Portage House & The Fat Lamb continue to provide exceptional cuisine & fantastic service with unique atmospheres.

Since then, Chef Dallas has also taken on the Louisville food service operations at Copper & Kings Distillery with Alex&nder, the 3rd-floor lounge/bar serving a creative menu that changes frequently.

With all these different projects going on & a family life to maintain, Chef Dallas continues to support the community by doing many charity events each year & trying to give back to the community whenever possible. Dallas has received such Honors and Awards as:

• Food Network’s Chopped Champion
• Four-time James Beard House Dinner Invitee (2006, 2009, 2011, 2014)
• Louisville Business First Forty Under 40 Honoree (2017)
• Euphoria food & wine festival participant Greenville, SC (2013 -present)
• Charleston wine & food festival participant (2015)
• Atlanta food and wine festival participant (2012)
• Lou. Chapter ACF Chef of the year (2013 & 14)
• Sophisticated Living Magazine featured chef
• Food & Dining Magazine featured chef
• Slow Food Bluegrass member & supporter

Charitable Contributions & events Dallas has contributed to are: Bourbon & Bowties, Taste of St. Raphael, Home of the Innocent Backyard BBQ, Cabbage Patch Settlement House, Conrad Caldwell house; Gilda’s club; Highland Presbyterian Weekday School, Mama-to Mama; JCPS Chef’s Club for Elementary Students, State Fair Cooking demonstrations; March of Dimes; APRON Inc; Bloom Elementary School; Louisville Leopards among many others.

Dallas & his lovely wife Laura & 2 children reside in Louisville.

Explore our first moxie moment with Rob Dietrich, the Master Distiller & Blender of METALLICA | BLACKENED™ American Whiskey, giving his best piece of advice.

A little “back-story” on how BLACKENED came to be as follows:

BLACKENED began as a collaborative effort between Metallica & Master Distiller & Blender Dave Pickerell.

Sadly, Dave passed away in late 2018, shortly after the launch of BLACKENED.

In 2019, Master Distiller Rob Dietrich joined the team as Master Distiller & Blender taking the helm as Master Distiller & Blender in Dave’s passing and guardian of Dave’s legacy blend.

As unapologetic masters of the craft in their respective fields, they’ve built world-renowned legacies by carving out new spaces and bringing their singular, incendiary perspectives to everything they touch. Unlikely collaborators on the surface, their shared creative fire and dedication to craft make them anything but.

Together, they’ve created BLACKENED – an unconventional whiskey of uncompromising quality.

Rob serves as the guardian of Dave’s original recipe and brand steward moving into the future. He’s widely known for his ability to fuse traditional distilling methods with unique artistry.

Rob is well-regarded for his unique limited-release, cask finish expressions such as Snowflake, Sherry Cask, and more.

Rob is responsible for every aspect of production and is committed to maintaining the original recipe, artisanal methods, and handcrafted approach to creating world-class whiskey.

Rob Dietrich initially learned the art and science of distilling from legendary Jess Graber, whom he proudly calls his mentor. His passion for music was honed across 10 years spent in the music business with Bill Graham Presents as a freelance agent for various venues like Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Fillmore in San Francisco and managing tours and festivals.

He is a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and served from 1992 to 1995.

His two tours in Somalia and relief operations in Haiti helped shape his life-affirming philosophy.

Eric is deeply passionate about raising awareness of mental, physical, & sexual abuse within Independent Baptist Churches & is currently producing a documentary on the subject.   

His accompanying podcast, Preacher Boys, launched in Jan. 2020, quickly surpassed 200k downloads in just 9 months!

As Host & Creator of The Preacher Boys, he sits down with brave survivors who shed light on DECADES of physical, mental, & sexual abuse within the Independent, Fundamental Baptist movement,  as well as a 2^nd Podcast called Film School’d-that has featured directors, actors, writers, academy award-winning FX artists, & more film industry experts.

Since 2013, he has fulfilled various media production roles, including as a videographer, photographer, writer & graphic designer. His work has taken him to over 20 states & 13 different countries & has included a documentary film, an 8-episode mini-series, several commercials.

Dr. Khiani is 1 of 5 siblings & is the son of Jaikrishin & Veenu Khiani.

Kamal specializes in Diagnostic Radiology with Subspecialization in Musculoskeletal Radiology.

He is a unique individual with degrees in BOTH engineering & medicine, graduating Summa Cum Laude with Masters in Electrical Engineering from the J.B. Speed School of Engineering in 1997 & the UofL School of Medicine in 2002.

Before those 2 massive academic achievements, in 1995, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering.

He then completed his pre-med training @ the UofL-affiliated hospitals from 2003-04, & his Radiology Residency @ the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA., from 2004-08 & his Musculoskeletal Radiology fellowship @ the Yale University School of Medicine from 2008-09.

In addition, he graduated valedictorian (that’s 1st in class) from his 1990 Fern Creek High School graduating class, & if all those educational milestones were not enough to keep him busy, he enjoys Ballroom Dancing, Golf, Basketball, movies, board games & spending time with his beautiful wife Jamie, & his 3 beautiful daughters Anjali, Raina, & Ellie as well as his son Lukis.

Kamal was instrumental in finding a solution to a rare disease called severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). For short- a variation of the so-called “Bubble Boy Disease” that made Raina wildly susceptible to fungal, bacterial & viral infections. As a result, she needed a bone marrow transplant, which was apt to kill her.

The Whitney/Strong Organization is a non-profit focused on responsible gun ownership & ending gun violence by taking a non-partisan approach to legislation in Ohio, Kentucky & on the federal level by acting on data to implement educational opportunities & funding research to find science-based steps to reverse the pervasiveness of gun violence.

Impassioned after surviving a Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting in Cincinnati, OH., Whitney cofounded Whitney/Strong with her husband, Waller.

Under her leadership, Whitney/Strong has executed a # of responsible gun ownership solutions, including securing the 1st hearing on gun safety legislation in Frankfort in over a decade & with a bipartisan coalition of KY. State Senators.

Joining Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to announce the STRONG Ohio legislation, responding to the community call of “Do Something” after the Dayton Oregon District shooting in 2019.

Distributing over 12,000-gun locks across KY. & OH. thanks to a partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics & the support of the National Shooting Sports Fdtn.

Before her calling, Whitney was employed by Fifth Third Bank for 15 years as VP, Digital Lending Product Mgr.

In 2018, Whitney & her team launched the 1st omnichannel digital lending application in the industry.

A wife & a mother of 2, Whitney earned both undergraduate & graduate degrees at the Univ. of Louisville.

She enjoys traveling to new locations with her family, musical theatre, college basketball, & getting outdoors.