Patton Leadership Institute Hold Sixth Session in Pike County

PIKEVILLE, KY (March 14, 2024) – The Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Patton Leadership Institute (PLI) held its sixth session in Pike County on Thursday, March 7, 2024. The cohort visits a different county each session. PLI will visit Johnson County on April 4, 2024.

The cohort met at the Garfield House in Pikeville to have discussion on the book, “The Power of Positive Leadership” by Jon Gordon, where they discussed the importance of having a positive mindset and combating negativity to be an effective leader.

The group then went to UPIKE’s Elliott School of Nursing where Simulation Director and Associate Professor of Nursing, Ashlie Newsome, MSN, RN, CHSE, led a tour of the simulation labs and demonstrated to the cohort how nursing students are trained in real-world scenarios.  After the tour, the group heard from Neil Green of Appalachian Tank, to learn about meeting the staffing challenges of large-scale manufacturing operations. Next, Gov. Paul Patton had a conversation with the cohort about how different positions in various industries require different leadership techniques and how important it is to be adaptive to changing environments.

PLI then returned to the Garfield House where they heard an update on several projects in the City of Pikeville from City Manager, Reggie Hickman. Managing member of Jigsaw Enterprises, Rusty Justice, then gave a presentation on Mayor Hambley’s realization of the Cut-Through Project and how idealist thinking should be firmly rooted in pragmatism.

The group then traveled to Pikeville Medical Center where they were led on tours of various areas of the hospital and learned about the state-of-the-art services and procedures the hospital offers.  To end the day, Chief Operating Officer, Kansas Justice, and Chief Information Officer, Tony Damron gave a presentation on the history of Pikeville Medical Center and its growth over the past 100 years.

“It was really interesting to see all that Pike County has to offer,” said Shane Ford, Store Manager of Super Dollar/Food City. “Hearing from all our speakers and getting to meet Gov. Patton, after whom this program is named, was an honor I won’t soon forget.”

Patton Leadership Institute is a leadership development program of the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. PLI is made up of leaders from across the Chamber’s eight-county region. Participants attend nine sessions over a nine-month period, and the curriculum weaves together topics crucial to the development of community such as education, economic development, healthcare, energy, tourism, and government. Leadership skills are integrated into each session.

For more information about the Chamber or PLI visit them online at www.sekchamber.com or call 606.432.5504.

The Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is located at 178 College Street in Pikeville and serves more than 500 businesses in eight Eastern Kentucky Counties: Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, and Pike. The Chamber’s mission is to serve the businesses of Southeastern Kentucky through a commitment to networking, advocacy, education, and collaboration as we partner together to enhance the business climate in our region.