Bridget is many things to many people; a wife, mother, marketing director, podcaster and entrepreneur; but rather than boring you with what she does, let me share more about who she is.  She is someone who is curious about her life and discovering more about herself and becoming the person she was designed to be.  She is a woman on a mission to learn more, love more and live more.  By choosing to dream out loud and show her four daughters how to pursue what they want in life, she is showing them and those around her that it’s possible for them too.  

Bridget is passionate about building a community where those in it feel seen and heard.  Her mindset is focused on bringing others along and making space to allow everyone to shine.  

As someone in her early 40’s, she’s finding out that you’re never too young to start building the life you want and always remember, if the dream is in you – it’s for you! 

Dr. Robert F. Long has dedicated his career to helping people help themselves improve the quality of their lives and the communities in which they live. The central commitment has been to the development of the next generation of leaders, preparing them for the challenges they will encounter and helping strengthen their capacity to positively impact the lives of others.

Bob retired in 2016 after serving as the Visiting Distinguished Professor of Nonprofit Leadership at Murray State University, in Murray, Kentucky. Prior to joining Murray State in 2008, Bob spent sixteen years with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation where he served as vice president for programs. His portfolio included the areas of philanthropy, community leadership, civic engagement, and traditions of giving. Before joining the Foundation, Bob was engaged as the endowed McElroy Professor of Youth Leadership Studies at the University of Northern Iowa. He started his career as a youth development specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service in Illinois and Nevada.

After years of direct service work in youth and community development, Bob was given the opportunity to step into the national arena when he was appointed to the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development in 1990. This began a journey to support the development of community leadership on the international stage, illustrated by a decade of engagement with the Salzburg Seminar on Global Civil Society Development.

During his years at the Kellogg Foundation, Bob led major funding initiatives to advance diverse philanthropic transitions. For this work, he received The Changing of Philanthropy Award in 2005 from the Women’s Funding Network. He was listed three different times among the “Top 50” most influential people in the nonprofit sector by the Nonprofit Times. Bob’s life-long dedication to capitalizing on diversity as a central asset in community building was recognized in 2016 with the Murray State University President’s Award for Diversity and Inclusion. It symbolizes a core principle around which Bob’s life is guided.

Expertise in the worlds of nonprofits and philanthropy is based in decades of engagement with the growth and development of the sector, its infrastructure, and responses to educational needs of the field. Beyond the funding initiatives at the Kellogg Foundation, Bob has been and continues to be actively involved in the development of many nonprofit organizations and coalitions, the full range of types of foundations, and a variety of higher education programs of study.

Born and raised in rural southern Illinois, Bob received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in educational leadership and evaluation from the University of Illinois. Bob and his wife, Patricia, live in Murray, Kentucky. Their daughter and two sons work in the areas of behavioral health, higher education administration, and college student affairs.

Danielle Tharp Clore is the executive director/CEO of Kentucky Nonprofit Network. Prior to founding KNN in 2002, Danielle held leadership positions at the Commonwealth Fund for KET, Eastern Kentucky University, Special Olympics Kentucky, and Christian Care Communities. She was selected in 2017 by Women Leading Kentucky as a recipient of the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award and was a 2015 finalist for the Excellence in Advocacy Award by the Professional Women in Advocacy Conference, Washington DC.  She was recognized by the Lane Report as a Top Woman in Business in 2019 and by the Kentucky Gazette as a 2020 Notable Woman in Kentucky Politics and Government. Danielle is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Transylvania University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kentucky Martin School of Public Administration. Danielle’s current community service work includes public policy committee member, National Council of Nonprofits, and advisory board member of First Nonprofits.  A life-long Kentuckian, Danielle is a native of Bardstown, grew up in Pineville, and now resides in Lexington with her husband and two children.

As a Maxwell Leadership Certified Speaker, Trainer and Coach, Nathan provides leadership workshops and executive coaching for businesses and organizations throughout the community. He spent nearly 2 decades in education and nonprofit leadership as an executive director, development director, and school administrator and currently serves as the executive director of HOPE Calloway, a nonprofit that works with people to help them overcome homelessness. Nathan holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts Degree in Christian Leadership. He is the current chairperson of CUBS, a local nonprofit network with the purpose of strengthening nonprofit organizations and providing opportunities for organizations to work together.

Heidi Shultz moved to Murray, KY to attend Murray State University. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Finance and master’s degree in Business Administration, Heidi began her professional career in the banking industry. She continued her education by attending the American Bankers Association’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

With over three decades of leadership and customer service experience, Heidi leaped at the opportunity to lead the expansion of Independence Bank into the Calloway County market. Over the past ten years she has built a team of banking professionals whose common goal is to provide everyday excellence with a community driven focus.

As a strong advocate for giving back to the community, Heidi has partnered with a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the years. Currently she actively serves with Journey Church, is a board member of HOPE Calloway and Kids Against Hunger, and is a trustee for the MISD Foundation of Excellence.

Moments that bring Heidi the greatest joy include time spent with her husband, Scott, and their children Alex and Addie. Together they enjoy exploring the Kentucky Lake area as well as embarking on adventures outside the commonwealth. 

Aaron is a Vice President and Commercial Lender with Community Financial Services Bank (CFSB) in Calloway County. Before his transition into commercial banking, he was involved in the nonprofit community for 10 years in executive roles at United Way and the Chamber of Commerce. He served as the Chamber of Commerce’s CEO for 4 years while focusing on increasing the City of Murray’s business friendliness initiative, starting and growing Young Professionals of Murray to over 100 members, and securing the sale of an unused portion of the Chamber’s property for economic development. Aaron attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program and has a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. He earned his M.B.A. and B.S. from Murray State University.

Aaron is married to his college sweetheart, Annie, and have two sons Parks (5) and Campbell (1). They love living in historic downtown Murray, KY, and cheering for the Racers. Aaron is a founding member of the local Dolly Parton Imagination Library (2013), a board member with the Murray Calloway County Community Foundation, and involved with The Blue & Gold Standard, a nonprofit focused on NIL opportunities for Murray State student athletes.

Dr. Kieffer currently serves as Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies at Murray State University. She also serves as Executive Director of the Nonprofit Resource Center which provides technical support for nonprofit organizations across West Kentucky. She is the president of the Association of Arts Leadership Educators (SALE) and sits on the Board of Directors for Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts. She serves on the strategic planning committee for NACC (Nonprofit Academic Centers Council) and on the editorial board of JNEL (Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership). She holds a PhD in arts administration from Florida State University, an MPA from Tennessee State University, and a BFA from Jacksonville University (FL). Her research focuses include developing capacity at nonprofit arts organizations serving rural communities and improving communication between rural arts organizations and public funding agencies. Her consultation practice focuses on inter-sector collaboration. Her current project, Rural Arts Management, is a textbook to be published by Taylor & Francis in 2024 (co-authored with Dr. Jerome Socolof). She is published in Business Issues in the Arts, Local Government in Small-town America, Journal of Nonprofit Innovation, American Journal of Arts Management, International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education, and the International Journal of Social, Political, and Community Agendas in the Arts. She currently lives in Murray, Kentucky with her husband and two sons who call her “Dr. Mommy.”