Destination Frankfort '25 Speakers

Governor Andy Beshear

First elected Governor in 2019, Andy Beshear is the 63^rd Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Prior to serving as Governor, he served one term as Kentucky’s Attorney General.

Governor Beshear takes pride in being a Governor devoted to economic development, workforce development, and investing in Kentucky’s people. During his first term in office, he announced over $29 billion of private sector investment and projecting over 51,000 new KY jobs. Governor Beshear understands that the tourism industry is the handshake to that economic and workforce development. He works hand in hand with the tourism industry on a regular basis.

Governor Beshear has also led the Commonwealth through multiple natural disasters during which the tourism industry has stepped up to provide housing, financial contributions, and hospitality to our neighbors.

We are natural partners for his goals for the Commonwealth and are very appreciative that he has joined us today.

Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe

Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, represents the 12th Senate District, including Boyle, Mercer, and Woodford Counties and part of Fayette County. She serves as vice chair of both the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee and the Senate Families and Children Committee. Additionally, Bledsoe is an ex officio member of various budget review subcommittees, including Health and Family Services; Education; Justice; General Government and Economic Development; and Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. She co-chairs the Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity statutory committee and is a member of the Licensing and Occupations Committee, the State and Local Government Committee, and the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight statutory committee. In 2024, she co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Task Force and served on the 2024-26 Budget Preparation and Submission statutory committee. 

Bledsoe served as a Lexington City Council member for District 10 for eight years, including four years as the chair of the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, before being elected to the state Senate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and classical studies from Hillsdale College and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky where she earned a master of arts degree from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.  

Bledsoe has previously served as senior program manager and senior policy analyst for the Council of State Governments, which was founded in 1933 and is the nation’s largest nonpartisan organization serving all three branches of government. Additionally, she has been an adjunct faculty member at Midway College and adjunct instructor for the Kentucky Community and Technical College Systems where her focus was homeland security and emergency management. 

She is passionate about serving her community through volunteering. She currently serves on the board of the Kentucky Blood Center and previously served on the boards at the Salvation Army of the Bluegrass, Natalie's Sisters, Assurance Care Center, and the Christian Student Fellowship at the University of Kentucky. She has also worked to support fathers and daughters in Lexington by co-founding Her Knight Dance, which raises funds for parenting initiatives in Central Kentucky. 

Senator Bledsoe lives in Lexington with her husband Todd and two children, Mays (son) and Annabeth (daughter).

Secretary Lindy Casebier

Lindy Casebier, a Louisville native, was appointed by Gov. Beshear in February 2023 as the Secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. Secretary Casebier was appointed as Deputy Secretary for the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet in December 2019 after many years as a public school educator, administrator, legislator and non-profit director. 

Casebier previously served in senior roles within the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. For 18 years, he represented Louisville in the Kentucky General Assembly, where he chaired the Senate Education Committee. Prior to joining the Beshear administration, he served as executive director of Louisville Visual Art.  Casebier currently serves on the boards of Americorps, United Way of Kentucky and Louisville Waterfront Development Corporation. 

Scottie Ellis

Scottie Ellis is the Director of Creative and Digital Services for Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear where she oversees content and strategy for the Governor’s digital and social channels, as well as guides Cabinets across state government on marketing and messaging. Ellis joined the Governor’s administration in January 2020 as the Director of Digital Communications before taking on the role of Deputy Communications Director. Ellis helped lead communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 tornadoes in Western Kentucky and the 2022 flooding in the east. Most recently Ellis created and launched the Governor’s New Kentucky Home marketing initiative to further drive economic investment, attract and retain talent and increase tourism across the commonwealth. Prior to serving Governor Beshear, Ellis held roles at various public relations firms in New York and Kentucky and worked in the tourism industry at the Kentucky Dept. of Tourism and the Kentucky Travel Industry Association. Scottie is a graduate of Western Kentucky University, and currently lives in Louisville with her son Ollie.

Geoff Freeman

As president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, Geoff Freeman is the leading advocate for the $1.1 trillion U.S. travel and hospitality industry. In this role, Freeman is charged with ensuring the industry’s full recovery from COVID-19, positioning the industry to seize emerging opportunities in a post-pandemic market environment and further establishing travel as a vital economic force in the United States. 

Freeman is a seasoned association CEO with a proven track record of building successful organizations that unite member interests, grow member value, increase revenue and unlock growth opportunities. Prior to joining U.S. Travel, Freeman was president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, the trade association for America’s $2.1 trillion food, beverage and consumer products industry. During his tenure, Freeman launched a strategic campaign to transform the association into a powerful, modern advocacy organization aimed at driving growth and delivering sound regulatory and legislative outcomes that benefit industry leaders and consumers. During his tenure, Freeman grew membership by 35 percent and boosted total revenue by nearly 50 percent.

Freeman joined the Consumer Brands Association after serving for five years as president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA). In that role, Freeman led a successful effort to reform and modernize the AGA, build public support for the gaming industry and open new pathways for industry growth. Under his leadership, the AGA spearheaded a multi-year, research-driven campaign to demonstrate gaming’s broad support across the political spectrum and promote the industry’s role in spurring economic growth, job creation and tax revenues in communities across more than 40 states where gaming is legal. That campaign created the tailwinds needed to advance AGA’s signature initiative achieved under Freeman – the legalization of sports betting in the United States. While leading AGA, Freeman drove a 200 percent increase in membership and doubled association revenue.

Freeman previously served as COO of the U.S. Travel Association from 2011 to 2013, helping to conceive and lead a campaign that resulted in the passage of the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act, which was hailed as “the industry’s biggest legislative victory in a decade.” In the aftermath of 9/11, Freeman created a blue-ribbon panel headed by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to analyze how to improve travel security without compromising travel efficiency. This effort led directly to the creation of TSA PreCheck. Both the Travel Promotion Act and TSA PreCheck demonstrate Freeman’s ability to identify industry opportunities, craft a winning policy response and drive campaigns that succeed in gaining broad support among diverse stakeholders. 

Freeman’s previous experience includes roles at APCO Worldwide, America’s Health Insurance Plans and Freddie Mac.

Rep. Chris Fugate

First elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2016, Representative Chris Fugate serves Kentucky’s 84^th House District, which includes all of Breathitt, Owsley, and Perry counties. A ranking member of the House Majority Caucus, he has earned a reputation as an outspoken advocate for the people of Eastern Kentucky and developing the region’s economy through adventure tourism and other economic development opportunities. 

Fugate chairs the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Protection, Tourism, and Energy and serves as a member of several committees: Appropriations and Revenue; Natural Resources and Energy Committee; Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee; and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee. An active member, Fugate also participates in the Pro-Life Caucus; Kentucky Sportsmen’s Caucus; Mountain Caucus; Kentucky Israel Caucus; and the Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperatives Caucus.

A retired Kentucky State Police Trooper, Fugate currently serves as the pastor of the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Hazard. He also is involved with Project Hope and the Boys and Girls Club. Representative Fugate resides in Hazard with his wife Angelina. They have two children, Christopher and Samantha Jo.

Currently serving his second tenure as state tourism commissioner, Mangeot returned to the office in 2020 following a previous stint from 2012 to 2016. In 2023, under his guidance, visitor spending and economic impact to Kentucky hit record highs, totaling $13.8 billion and 79.3 million travelers, a 4.5% increase over 2022. The state also broke an all-time record last year with nine new tourism development projects that are set to generate an estimated $292 million in economic investment and create more than 550 jobs. Based on the industry’s success, Kentucky Gov. Beshear and the Kentucky General Assembly approved the largest budget in the history of Kentucky Tourism.

Inclusivity is also at the heart of his leadership. He launched the state’s DEI initiatives and training programs for travel industry partners and created the first state-driven marketing campaigns to attract African American, Hispanic and LQBTQ+ travelers.

Mangeot serves multiple boards with distinction, including those of the U.S. Travel Association, Brand USA, Travel South USA, where he recently completed a term as chairman of the board, Southeast Tourism Society, and Kentucky Travel Industry Association. In previous roles, he has also served as President and CEO of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development and was the executive director of the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourism Commission. 

He was named the 2024 State Tourism Director of the Year by his national peers. The award recognizes excellence in marketing, promotion and individual leadership within the honoree’s state. 

Sara Osborne

Sara Osborne has been with MML&K Government Solutions since 2013. Over that period she has developed a wide-ranging client portfolio and has emerged as the state’s leading lobbyist for the travel and tourism industry. 

As the former Executive Director for the Office of Intergovernmental Services in the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Sara brings a strong insight into the state’s legislative process to the government relations team. Through her prior work experience, Sara has been directly involved with our state government’s various cabinets, agencies and Governor’s office. Prior to her position as Executive Director for the Office of Intergovernmental Services, she was the Director of Business Services and Legislative Liaison for the Office of Secretary of State. She also spent a year and half with the Department for Local Government. 

Sara has had the rare opportunity to work under two different gubernatorial administrations in separate states; she has played important roles for both former Governor Steve Beshear’s Office and the former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen’s administration. She graduated from Centre College with a B.A. in Government and a minor in Religion. Sara was selected and served as a delegate for Kentucky to the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Renee Shaw is the Director of Public Affairs and Moderator at KET, currently serving as host of KET’s weeknight public affairs program Kentucky Edition, the signature public policy discussion series Kentucky Tonight, the weekly interview series Connections, Election coverage and KET Forums.Since 2001, Renee has been the producing force behind KET’s legislative coverage that has been recognized by the Kentucky Associated Press and the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Under her leadership, KET has expanded its portfolio of public affairs content to include a daily news and information program, Kentucky Supreme Court coverage, townhall-style forums, and multi-platform program initiatives around issues such as opioid addiction and youth mental health. 

As an award-winning journalist, Renee has earned top awards from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, with three regional Emmy awards, and Kentucky Associated Press honors for public affairs programming. She has also earned numerous awards from civic, education and community organizations.  

Recently, Renee was awarded a national media award from Mental Health America that honors individuals making a difference in the mental health field, particularly in prevention and early intervention. Shaw was recognized for her decades-long dedication to examining issues of mental health and opioid addiction. 

Shaw was inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2017. She has been honored by the AKA Beta Gamma Omega Chapter with a Coretta Scott King Spirit of Ivy Award; earned the state media award from the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2019; named a Charles W. Anderson Laureate by the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet in 2019 honoring her significant contributions in addressing socio-economic issues; and was recognized as a “Kentucky Trailblazer” by the University of Kentucky Martin School of Public Policy and Administration during the Wendell H. Ford Lecture Series in 2019. That same year, Shaw was named by The Kentucky Gazette’s inaugural recognition of the 50 most notable women in Kentucky politics and government.   

In 2022, she was honored with Women Leading Kentucky’s Governor Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award recognizing her trailblazing path and inspiring dedication to elevating important issues across Kentucky.  In 2023, Renee was inducted in the Silver Circle Society of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and into Western Kentucky University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.     

Renee is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Kentucky, and a longtime member of the Frankfort/Lexington Chapter of The Links Incorporated, an international, not-for-profit organization of women of color committed to volunteer service. She has served on the boards of the Kentucky Historical Society, Lexington Minority Business Expo, and the Board of Governors for the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  

Renee is a sought-after speaker on media, public policy, and political issues. She travels the state moderating and emceeing community events.

Rep. Pamela Stevenson

Colonel Pam Stevenson, US Air Force, Retired, was born and raised in a union family, in Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating from Brown High School, she accepted a four-year ROTC scholarship at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. In 1981, she completed her Bachelor of Science in business (finance) and in 1984, she graduated from the IU Maurer School of Law. She immediately entered active duty with the United States Air Force. Admitted to both the Indiana and Kentucky bars, she has been licensed to practice law since 1984.  

During Colonel (r) Pam’s 27-year service as an attorney, she provided legal services to military members and programming to equip and empower military members and their families. As a senior officer, she successfully led complex administrative divisions, provided global leadership for attorneys, paralegals and staff and gained an international perspective from living or working in 11 countries. She has held the positions of law enforcement advisor, section commander, flying squadron adjutant, defense attorney, chief prosecutor, law teacher, appellant court commissioner, staff judge advocate, chief of civil law for MAJCOM, and JAG Corps technology chief. She teaches at the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law.  

Colonel (r) Pam was taught the power of faith, family and service, by her amazing parents. A catalyst for social change (a world that works for all), Col Pam is active in local and regional communities. Examples include; Board Member, Personal Counseling Services (mental health services), Chair, American Bar Association (Legal assistance for Military Personnel); Board Member, Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center (healthcare for the poor), Vice Chair; EMERGE Kentucky, (training women to run for Office), Vice Chair; NABVETS (helping veterans transition into local communities), Advisor; OneWest (fostering economic development for Louisville), Bingham Fellow Founding Member; and Oak Grove Baptist Church, Associate Minister and Sunday School Teacher. She is a former student at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. 

Colonel (r) Pam is the Founder of the Stevenson Law Center, a not-for-profit law firm dedicated to providing holistic solutions for veterans, the elderly and working families. She has been married to Thomas Shannon for 42 years. They have two adult children, Tamay and Thomas (and a grand dog, rabbit and dog). Colonel (r) Stevenson is honored to continue her public service as Kentucky State Representative for the 43rd District and was recently elected as the Minority Floor Leader. She loves to quilt.