Broadway Across America's Leslie Broecker to Chair 2010 Festival

• Author:
  KDF Press Office


• Date Published:
  06/12/2009

The Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc., Board of Directors elected Leslie Broecker as Chair of the 2010 Festival at its annual meeting on June 9 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Broecker is President of Broadway Across AmericaÂ’s Midwest Region. She follows the successful leadership of Chris Dickinson, a Managing Partner with Gresham, Smith and Partners, who will continue serving as Immediate Past Chair of the Derby Festival.

"I'm very excited. The Derby Festival is an incredible community asset," said Broecker, a native of Louisville.  "I look forward to the opportunity to lead this wonderful organization into the next decade. The 55th edition of the Kentucky Derby Festival promises to once again be something special."

Broecker was first elected to the Derby Festival Board in 2004 and has been a member of the KDF Executive Board since 2005. She has served on the Festival's event committee for Kroger's Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront, Chow Wagon, U.S. Bank Great BalloonFest and They're Off! Luncheon, among others.

Michael E. Berry continues as President and CEO of the Festival. James A. Hillebrand, President, Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co., was elected Chair-Elect and Wendy Jacob, Vice President/Regional Employment Manager, BB&T, was elected Vice-Chairman. Chris Whelan, Director of Communications and Brand Management, E.ON U.S., was elected Treasurer; David Nett, Marketing Manager, The Kroger Company, was elected Secretary.

Elected to the Festival's Executive Board were: Tony Edwards; Steve Langford, Vice President and General Manager, WAVE-TV; Norma Oberst; Trish Osborn, Senior Vice President, American Founders Bank; Chris Padgett, Corporate Director of Marketing, Humana Inc.; Michael Sadofsky, Senior Vice President/Director of Marketing, Republic Bank & Trust Company; Mike Shea; Todd Schumacher, Vice President/Market Manager, Cox Radio; Suzann Thompson; and Robert C. White, Chief, Louisville Metro Police Department.

Joining the 75-member board as newly elected directors were: James H. Brammell, Vice President/Chief Engineer, Louisville Water Company; Merilyn Coslow, President, The Fillies, Inc.; Brannon Dixon, Market Manager, Walmart; Charles F. Hoffman II, Salaried Personnel Manager, Ford Motor Company; Stephen Karem; Joseph W. Phelps; Lisa A. Stevenson and E. Page Stuart.

The Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc., is a private, not-for-profit corporation served by a professional staff of 21 and governed by a 75-volunteer board. The FestivalÂ’s 70 events entertain more than 1.5 million people annually and generate an estimated impact of $93 million for the local economy.