NEWS RELEASE – July 2, 2026
Austin Maggard named to Kentucky Chamber’s Next Generation Leadership Council
FRANKFORT, KY – Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Vice President of Human Resources Austin Maggard was recently appointed to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Next Generation Leadership Council.
As part of the appointment, Maggard, along with 19 other professionals from throughout the state, is tasked with advancing key issues impacting Kentucky’s economy and long-term growth.
Maggard said he is both honored and excited to participate on the council.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside a diverse group of leaders who are committed to Kentucky’s future,” he said. “It is a privilege to represent ARH, its employees and the communities of eastern Kentucky while helping shape conversations around leadership, workforce and economic opportunity across the Commonwealth.”
Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts said she believes the diverse backgrounds of the council members will prove beneficial as they work together to share ideas and tackle problems.
“The members of this council are already making an impact across the Commonwealth,” she said, “and we look forward to engaging them in conversations about the opportunities and challenges that define Kentucky’s future.”
The Next Generation Leadership Council for the 2026-2028 term includes:
- Danna Barnett, Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Louisa
- Jake Boswell, Independence Bank, Owensboro
- Cara Brooks, Duke Energy, Cincinnati/NKY
- Kyle R. Bunnell, Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP, Lexington
- Dalton Hatfield, Kentucky Power, Ashland
- Kavonte Jones, Brown-Forman, Louisville
- Austin Maggard, Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Hazard
- Chair: Maegan Mansfield, Bacon Farmer Workman / Marcum Engineering, Paducah
- Aaron Marcus, Dentons, Louisville
- Jamaka Martin, PNC, Louisville
- Paul Newcomb, Michelin American Synthetic Rubber Company, Louisville
- Vice Chair: Nick Peak, University of Louisville, Louisville
- Justin Posey, Toyota Kentucky, Georgetown
- Kaelyn Query, Kentucky Event Company, Lexington
- Tanelle Sawyer, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Louisville/Versailles
- Elizabeth Settle, Charter Communications, Lexington
- Karan Shah, Physicians Care Coordination Consultants, Louisville
- Landan Stallons, Planters Bank, Hopkinsville
- Vanessa Vargo, Dean Dorton, Louisville
- Sarah Veazey, North American Stainless, Ghent
For more information, visit www.kychamber.com/nextgeneration.
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About Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) traces its roots back to 1955, when the United Mine Workers of America opened the Miners Memorial Hospital system – a network of 10 hospitals dedicated to providing care throughout the coalfields of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Seventy years later, ARH has grown into a 14-hospital not-for-profit health system that serves more than 500,000 residents of central Appalachia each year. ARH hospitals in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky, and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, ensure that residents, tucked away in even the most remote areas, can access the highest quality of care without traveling hours from home. ARH’s hospitals, clinics, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores, retail pharmacies, and medical spas boast more than 6,700 employees with a network of more than 1,300 providers, making it the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.