Leadership Owensboro is a Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce talent development program focused on educating, engaging, and empowering individuals while also exposing participants to a variety of topics and issues.
Objectives of the Program
- Improve the quality of life in the Greater Owensboro region by developing leaders
- Identify key individuals with demonstrated leadership qualities and concern for Owensboro’s future
- Provide participants with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Greater Owensboro community’s opportunities, needs, challenges, and resources
- Expose participants to a wide variety of current local leaders and notable persons through various types of networking opportunities
- Encourage independent thinking, fresh perspectives, and approaches
- Empower participants with relevant community issue knowledge and future possibilities for their engagement in leadership roles
Each year, individuals are selected through a competitive application process to be a part of the Leadership Owensboro program. The Leadership Owensboro Curriculum Committee, comprised of regional community leaders, meets regularly to build agendas for the program to educate the class as much as possible on relevant and timely topics. Program sessions are held monthly from September to May at various locations in our community.
Leadership Owensboro Class of 2027 Nominations Are Now Open!
The Leadership Owensboro Class of 2027 Nomination Packet can be found here. Please submit to Vice President Kitty Jones at kjones@owensboro.com by July 3, 2026.
Applications will be sent to all nominees by July 6, 2026 and applications will be due July 31, 2026.
Class of 2027 Schedule
Please see the schedule below and block the full day (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) to attend class sessions unless otherwise noted.
- Thursday, September 17 – Friday, September 18, 2026
- Mandatory overnight retreat at Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Owensboro Downtown/Waterfront
- Thursday, October 22, 2026 (Economy and Innovation)
- Thursday, November 12, 2026 (Education in our Community)
- Thursday, December 17, 2026 (Human Needs and Services)
- Thursday, January 14, 2027 (Healthcare in our Community)
- Thursday, February 11, 2027 (tentative)
- Optional: Owensboro Day in Frankfort (Graduation Points granted for attendance)
- Thursday, February 18, 2027 (C. Waitman Taylor Jr. Government Day)
- Thursday, March 18, 2027 (Justice Day)
- Thursday, April 15, 2027 (Philanthropy and Arts & Culture in our Community Day)
- Thursday, May 20, 2027 (Changing Our Community Day)
- Thursday, June 3, 2027 | 7:30 a.m. / 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Graduation Day)
- Morning: Leadership Owensboro graduates presented to the community at Rooster Booster
- Evening: Graduation Celebration & Reception (Remarks at 5:15 p.m.)
Leadership Owensboro has an alumni base of more than 1,000 civic, business, and education leaders.
In addition to attending sessions, class members complete assignments and participate in community meetings and events to meet their graduation requirements.
For additional information about Leadership Owensboro, contact Kitty Jones.