Guthrie Opportunity Center Foundation Board of Directors
Dick Heaton
Board Chairman
Dick is an Owner / Dealer Principal of Conway Heaton Ford Chrysler in Bardstown and also serves as the managing partner of Heaton and Conway Realty and H & H and Associates real estate development firms. He is a past member of the Bardstown City Council and is the current Mayor of Bardstown. Dick is a graduate of Centre College in Danville, KY.
Frank B. Wilson
Board Secretary
Frank is President & CEO of Wilson & Muir Bank in Bardstown. He currently serves on the boards of the Bardstown Industrial Development Corporation, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, the Kiwanis Club of Bardstown, and is a former member of the Bardstown City Council. Frank is a graduate of Centre College in Danville, KY and the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.
John Haydon
Treasurer
John is a Bardstown native and a parent of a GO Center participant. He currently serves as Vice President of Haydon Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries Armag Corporation and Haydon Materials, LLC. John is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University.
Kathleen Llewellyn
Director
Kathleen is a Bardstown resident and a licensed California attorney specializing in estate planning, trusts and probate cases and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, Kathleen represents various nonprofit organizations and serves on the Boards of several California nonprofits. Kathleen also has extensive experience within the financial sector. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA and the Monterey College of Law in Monterey, CA.
William Kenneth Rapier, Jr.
Director
Ken is a lifelong resident of Bardstown and owns and operates Kenny’s Cleaners of Bardstown and serves as a Broker / Owner / Partner with Demaree & Hubbard Real Estate Company in Bardstown. Ken has also served on a number of boards, including those related to the dry-cleaning business, banking, and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Ken is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.
Kim Huston
Director
Kim serves as President of the Nelson County Economic Development Agency and as Chairman of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development – Kentucky Workforce Investment Board. She is also a member of the Lincoln Trail Area Development District Workforce Investment Board and the Board of Directors for the Bernheim Forest.
Sarah Hite
Director
Sarah is a Bardstown native and a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones. She serves on the Bardstown Foundation for Excellence in Public Education, as well as other public education committees in the Bardstown School District. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Louisville and holds the designation of Accredited Asset Management Specialist from the College for Financial Planning.
Juli Hibbs
Director
Juli is a Respiratory Therapist and began her career at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta where she held various leadership roles in the intensive care area. She currently lives in Bardstown and is employed by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, a world renowned medical device company, and has proudly achieved numerous top sales awards and honors.
Rose Ann Lucas Downs
Director
Rose Ann is Owner/President of Top Six, Inc., a new home construction business. She serves on the Bardstown Foundation of Excellence in Public Education Board and is a therapy dog handler visiting special education students throughout the Bardstown City Schools district. She is an active member of St. Gregory’s Parish serving in various ministries as well as being a member of the Parish Council. Rose Ann is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.
Thomas Hamilton
Director
Thomas joined the GO Center Board in 2024, and resides in Bardstown with his wife Kelsie, and three children. Thomas is an attorney in Bardstown, with a focus on elder law, special needs planning, and general business matters.
Sam Lacy
Director
Sam is a Bardstown native and Executive Director of the Bourbon Capital Alliance, a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in downtown Bardstown. He received his undergraduate degree from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, as well as his Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky.
Bobby Lee
Director
Bobby Lee is Director of Regulatory Compliance with Heaven Hill Distilleries, where he has been employed since 2007. Bobby’s work includes leading the HH team responsible for United States and Canadian compliance, customs compliance, state compliance activities, and approval of state and federal financial incentives for capital projects. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of Louisville in Business Administration with a concentration in accountancy. As a lifelong resident of Nelson County, Bobby is committed to local improvement and economic development and has actively engaged in community service since his days as a Bethlehem High School student. Bobby resides in Bardstown with his wife, Karen, Director of Grants with Western Kentucky University, and especially enjoys spending time with his six grandchildren.
Patrick D. Guthrie
Emeritus
Pat, a Bardstown native, has founded, owned and operated several successful businesses, including Healthcare Financial Advisors, Inc. (HFA), a national firm that provided hospital financial consulting services. Prior to its sale in 1998, HFA was one of the largest financial consulting businesses to the healthcare marketplace in the U.S. Pat has also served as a Board member of several non-profit organizations in the Southern California area where he currently resides part – time. Pat is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY.
Tony Hall
Emeritus
Tony is a Bardstown native and owner of EH Construction, LLC, in Brooks, KY. EH is a general contractor specializing in commercial, industrial, and institutional projects throughout Kentucky and Indiana. Tony also serves on the Board of Directors for the Bullitt County, KY YMCA.
Lee Evans
Emeritus
Lee has had various levels of experience in professional theater, television, public relations for non-profit organizations, and political campaigns. She has participated on numerous civic and arts boards and was the proud recipient of the 2010 “I Believe Award” for service to the non-profit Nelson County Industries. Lee attended the Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music, Ohio State University and is a graduate of the University of Louisville.
Scarlett Hibbs
Emeritus
Scarlett is a lifelong Bardstown resident with strong community ties. She has owned and operated Hibbs & Associates, a local CPA firm, for nearly 30 years and has been associated with several area nonprofit organizations, assisting both professionally and in a volunteer capacity. Scarlett is a graduate of the University of Louisville.
Norma Jean Haydon
Emeritus
Norma Jean is a retired speech therapist with experience working in the Bardstown, Nelson County, Marion County, and Washington County school systems. She has served on various local nonprofit and foundation boards. Norma Jean holds an undergraduate degree in Speech / Language Pathology from Spalding University in Louisville, KY and Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Louisville.
Matthew Hite
Emeritus
Matthew is a Bardstown native and has been practicing law for over 20 years. He currently serves as the Nelson County attorney and maintains a private law practice with the Hite Law Group, PLLC. Matthew is an active member of St. Joseph Parish in Bardstown as well as several other local non-profit boards and organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Business and the University of Louisville College of Law.