Congratulations to our EmegeNext and Statesmanship Academy Classes

Ford Gov Center • May 19, 2016

Ford Center Announces 2016-2017 EmergeNext and Statesmanship Academy Classes

The Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center is proud to announce the local-area high school students who have been accepted into the EmergeNext program and the Statesmanship Academy for the 2016-2017 school year. For each program, students are chosen from all four Owensboro-area high schools as well as Ohio County High School, McLean County High School and Hancock County High School.  Students must turn in a completed application, along with the assigned essay before they are accepted into either program. This year the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center will be teaching 98 students about the importance of public service and the many different areas of study in civic education.

EmergeNext is a non-partisan, cooperative program of the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center, the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation. This three-day program is a pre-cursor to the Statesmanship Academy and is focused on identifying, educating, and engaging young leaders in servant leadership in order to make a positive impact on their community. EmergeNext will introduce young leaders to a variety of issues that impact the Greater Owensboro region and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, with a particular focus on developing leadership skills, working together, and learning to compromise to solve problems.

The Statesmanship Academy, is a non-partisan program for high school sophomores through seniors, that focuses on helping students better understand our local, state, and federal governments, while also teaching them the three principles by which Senator Ford conducted his work: civil discourse, cooperation, and the willingness to compromise. Students study a wide variety of issues that affect our local community, state and nation, while also developing their leadership skills. Students who partake in the Statesmanship Academy leave with a greater appreciation of public service, a better understanding of what it means to be a statesman/leader, as well as the ability to look at both sides of an issue in order to find resolution to a problem.

Listed below are the names of students who have been accepted into the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center EmergeNext program and the Statesmanship Academy for the 2016-2017 school year.

EmergeNext Program


Apollo High School:                                       
Macy Dame
Samantha Klee
Christian Leigh
Lynzy Schwarts

 Daviess County High School:
Carter Bean
Ethan Easterday
Addison Hamilton
Daniel Love
Mason Miller
Jay Powers
Lucas Ruckdeschel
Griffan Sayre
David Stevens
Mason Thompson
Houston Watson

 Owensboro High School:
Paige Castlen
Mamie Hale
Mary Grace Hemingway
AJ Iracane
Jack Lashbrook
Parker Medley
Olivia Miller
Clayton Rhoades
Gracie Roberts
Ann Lawton Watson

 Trinity High School:
Alexia Barnett
Avery Barnett
Maddie Boarman
Meredith Harlee
Harlee Keener


Statesmanship Academy 1 – Sophomores


 Apollo High School:
Gracie Bush
Gracie Cart
Carly Kirk
Landon Rafferty
Keely Shocklee
Caroline Shutt

 Daviess County High School:
Lauren Boling
Owen Krahwinkel
Faith Porter
Gracie Westmoreland

 Owensboro High School:
Will Clark
Mitchell Douglas
Eric Epperson
Savannah Gatton
Paul Iracane
Julia Kimbell
Grant Luckett
Isaac Nalley
Austin Sovar
Logan Webb
Zane West

 Trinity High School:
Mary Hardesty
Lydia Lambert


 Statesmanship Academy 2 – Juniors


 Apollo High School:
Camron Blandford
Parker Collignon
Paige Ferguson
Hattie Martin
Laynee Thornton

 Daviess County High School:
Anna Gargus
Madeline Gregory
Ragan Howard
Bailey Hume
Jaclyn Hume
Owensboro Catholic High School
Xavier Evans

 Owensboro High School:
NIcholas Brake
Emily Castlen
Matheus DaSilva
Joseph Gatton
Jacquelyn Gesser
Griffin Haire
Ryan Hodges
Brayden Hood
Blakely McCalister
Jamar Mundy-Schnepp
Hillary Payne
Tabor Payne
Parker Peters
Hannah Wilson


Statesmanship Academy 3 – Seniors


 Apollo High School:
Tyler Garrard
Josh Hay
Adam Hertzler
Ally-Paige Kirk
Johnna Kuegel
Rosie Newkirk
Ambria Patel
Ashton Robertson
Rachel Thomas
Aaron Wimsatt
Olivia Wright

 Daviess County High School:
Adam Bouchard
Jacob Goldman
Lauren Russell
Max Smith

 Owensboro Catholic High School:
Madison Taylor

 Owensboro High School:
Lily Hall
Jenna Hunt
Jack Iracane
Tyler Sovar

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Ford Center receives Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award

By Ford Gov Center • February 19, 2018
Wendell Ford Statesmanship Academy named Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year OWENSBORO, KY– (January 29, 2018) – On behalf of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center was awarded the 2018 Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year Award at the Chamber’s Business of the Year Awards this past weekend. The Ford Center was recognized for their work with the youth of Owensboro through their educational program the Statesmanship Academy. “We are so honored by this award and the validation it gives to our work as an organization,” said Elizabeth Griffith, Executive Director, “We want to thank all of our community partners, our students, and the Chamber of Commerce for recognizing us with this honor. We are looking forward too many more years of educating our youth on the importance of cooperation, civility, and compromise and to continuing Senator Ford’s legacy.” The Wendell H. Ford Statesmanship Academy is a non-partisan program for local area high school students who have an interest in public service and developing their leadership skills. The Academy strives to teach students about the issues facing their community, state and nation as well as the three principles by which Senator Wendell Ford conducted his work: civil discourse, cooperation and the willingness to compromise. The Ford Center strives to teach students to examine both sides of every issue, to learn how to respect another person’s opinion even when it may differ from their own, and that working together should not be seen as a sign of weakness, but as a sign of strength. These ideals are important for our next generation of leaders to understand. For more information about the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center, please visit our website at fordgovcenter.com. Media Contact : Elizabeth Griffith

Ford Named 2017 Outstanding Civic Education Leadership Award Winner

By Ford Gov Center • May 5, 2017
Kentucky Secretary of States office names Diane Ford as the 2017 award winner OWENSBORO, KY– On behalf of the Secretary of States office, Diane Ford has been named the 2017 Outstanding Civic Education Leadership Award Winner. This award highlights and rewards individuals for their extraordinary efforts to promote civic engagement among Kentucky students. Ford was nominated for this award for her time and service spent working with students in the Statesmanship Academy at The Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center. “This is such an honor for the Ford Center and wonderful recognition of the accomplishments of our incredible students, “ said Diane Ford, “I am proud to be involved in a program whose mission is to encourage our students to engage in their community and solve problems through means of civil discourse, cooperation and compromise.” The Wendell H. Ford Statesmanship Academy is a non-partisan program for local area high school students who have an interest in public service and developing their leadership skills. The Academy strives to teach students about the issues facing their community, state and nation as well as the three principles by which Senator Wendell Ford conducted his work: civil discourse, cooperation and the willingness to compromise. Ford was chosen out of hundreds of applicants from across Kentucky’s sixteen regions. “I humbly accept this award on behalf of the many people whose efforts have made this program a success,” Ford stated, “Our current director, Elizabeth Griffith, our former director, Bruce Kunze, our partners at the EDC, Chamber and local school systems, our board, our students, and the entire Ford family have played vital roles. Of course, Wendell remains our inspiration to continue helping students become more informed and prepared citizens who will be ready to make their communities a better place to live.” As the 2017 statewide winner, Ford will be presented a plaque and $1000 to go toward resources for the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center during the KHSAA Men’s Basketball Sweet 16 Tournament in Lexington, KY on Thursday, March 16th 2017.

Ford Center receives Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award

By Ford Gov Center • February 19, 2018
Wendell Ford Statesmanship Academy named Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year OWENSBORO, KY– (January 29, 2018) – On behalf of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center was awarded the 2018 Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year Award at the Chamber’s Business of the Year Awards this past weekend. The Ford Center was recognized for their work with the youth of Owensboro through their educational program the Statesmanship Academy. “We are so honored by this award and the validation it gives to our work as an organization,” said Elizabeth Griffith, Executive Director, “We want to thank all of our community partners, our students, and the Chamber of Commerce for recognizing us with this honor. We are looking forward too many more years of educating our youth on the importance of cooperation, civility, and compromise and to continuing Senator Ford’s legacy.” The Wendell H. Ford Statesmanship Academy is a non-partisan program for local area high school students who have an interest in public service and developing their leadership skills. The Academy strives to teach students about the issues facing their community, state and nation as well as the three principles by which Senator Wendell Ford conducted his work: civil discourse, cooperation and the willingness to compromise. The Ford Center strives to teach students to examine both sides of every issue, to learn how to respect another person’s opinion even when it may differ from their own, and that working together should not be seen as a sign of weakness, but as a sign of strength. These ideals are important for our next generation of leaders to understand. For more information about the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center, please visit our website at fordgovcenter.com. Media Contact : Elizabeth Griffith

Ford Named 2017 Outstanding Civic Education Leadership Award Winner

By Ford Gov Center • May 5, 2017
Kentucky Secretary of States office names Diane Ford as the 2017 award winner OWENSBORO, KY– On behalf of the Secretary of States office, Diane Ford has been named the 2017 Outstanding Civic Education Leadership Award Winner. This award highlights and rewards individuals for their extraordinary efforts to promote civic engagement among Kentucky students. Ford was nominated for this award for her time and service spent working with students in the Statesmanship Academy at The Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center. “This is such an honor for the Ford Center and wonderful recognition of the accomplishments of our incredible students, “ said Diane Ford, “I am proud to be involved in a program whose mission is to encourage our students to engage in their community and solve problems through means of civil discourse, cooperation and compromise.” The Wendell H. Ford Statesmanship Academy is a non-partisan program for local area high school students who have an interest in public service and developing their leadership skills. The Academy strives to teach students about the issues facing their community, state and nation as well as the three principles by which Senator Wendell Ford conducted his work: civil discourse, cooperation and the willingness to compromise. Ford was chosen out of hundreds of applicants from across Kentucky’s sixteen regions. “I humbly accept this award on behalf of the many people whose efforts have made this program a success,” Ford stated, “Our current director, Elizabeth Griffith, our former director, Bruce Kunze, our partners at the EDC, Chamber and local school systems, our board, our students, and the entire Ford family have played vital roles. Of course, Wendell remains our inspiration to continue helping students become more informed and prepared citizens who will be ready to make their communities a better place to live.” As the 2017 statewide winner, Ford will be presented a plaque and $1000 to go toward resources for the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center during the KHSAA Men’s Basketball Sweet 16 Tournament in Lexington, KY on Thursday, March 16th 2017.