H. Lynn Ledford
If there ever was a 24-7 guy, General Ledford is he! He simply can’t stop. Name a civic or business organization in Bardstown, KY and Lynn is not just a member of the group; he’s also an active officer. When they named him “Citizen of the Year” in Bardstown the local paper editorial said “Ledford has been an excellent example to his peers and to a younger generation many who have forgotten – never knew- what personal service and sacrifice are all about.” General Ledford does have a little spare time now… he recently retired as President and CEO of a Bardstown bank although he still maintains an office in the building and serves as Chairman of the Board. Carlene (Mrs. Ledford) took a new job that requires a lot of out of town travel short after Lynn’s retirement. We didn’t ask questions.
Jan D. Camplin
We call her “Lady Jan”. It is not only an extremely accurate way to describe our newest Trustee but, it also helped us to differentiate between her and her late husband Jan M. Camplin. Lady Jan is rather diverse in her abilities and passions. If she’s not a member of every civic and business organization in Muhlenberg County Kentucky, we don’t know which one she has missed. Her pasttimes range from enjoying horse racing to attending the symphony. Be careful if she ever invites you to a gathering of the Dempsey family (the “D” in her name). They number in the hundreds and they all talk at once.
Jim Lindsey
General Lindsey is one of the outdoorsmen on the Colonels Board. If he had a choice, rather than his picture you’d see a picture of his dog, Shooter. Jim is a Vietnam Vet who turned to marketing and advertising following his military days. He and Mary Alice are the parents of two young men. Somewhat to Mary’s chagrin, both are much like their dad. Each Colonels Trustee is assigned a group of grant applicants to be responsible for. “The requests for funds to purchase wheelchairs for the disabled really tug at my heart,“ says General Jim. He also has a soft spot for programs that restore Kentucky’s original wildlife, such as the Elk Restoration Program.
John S. Shropshire
General Shropshire is a soccer dad! (All four kids have played, one at the Division 1 college level) He has also served on the board of at least ten non-profit organizations in the Lexington, Kentucky area. We don’t know how those other non-profits deal with it… but we check the University of Kentucky sports schedule before scheduling official Board functions. You see, John’s real sports passion is any game a Wildcat team is playing. In his spare time, General Shropshire answers his own phone in the office from which he runs a group of banks scattered across central Kentucky.
Paul Schulte
You know those survey guys who never call you or me to get our opinions? Well, Paul is one of them. Kidding aside, the research Paul conducted for the Kentucky Colonels has been extremely valuable. Now that he is on the Board, we get his advice for free. The Fortune 500 Companies throughout North America that are on the client list of his firm are no doubt envious. The Colonels’ Board is just one of many non-profit organizations benefiting from Paul’s wisdom. The list includes Bellarmine University’s Board of Overseers, the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau , the Louisville Science Center and the Speed Art Museum Board. Paul and Sue Shulte live in Louisville. They have two sons. Paul became a Kentucky Colonel in 1970. He was nominated by Congressman Ron Mazzoli.
T. William Samuels, Jr.
A rocket scientist!!! Are we talking about the Bill Samuels we all know and love??? Indeed the Bill Samuels who turned his daddy’s whiskey into a Kentucky Icon, designed the thrust ejection nozzle for the second stage of the Polaris A-2 missile. He’s also an author, lecturer, lawyer, father, conservationist, member of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees, Kentucky’s representative on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce board…and that’s all before lunch. In the afternoon, he has enough professional and community involvement to keep several people busy. Of course, he continues to run the family business (Maker’s Mark) for which mint julep lovers will be forever grateful.
Barbara K. Dutschke
If a woman could apply to be Ms. Christmas, Barbara would be first in line. Each year her Louisville home is decorated with as many as 18 Christmas trees. She also has a passion for Art Deco and Pink Flamingos (proving that not everyone is perfect). Professionally, General Dutschke is a Media Specialist. As a recognized national expert on Radio, TV, Newspapers, etc., she has taught Master level media courses at the University of Louisville, lectured at the Medill School of Journalism and has been a featured speaker for the National Yellow Pages Industry Convention. Barbara’s charitable work has benefited organizations such as Prevent Blindness and Special Olympics. “I have had a very blessed life and feel a responsibility to give back”, she says, “The Honorable Order is an incredible chance to make a real difference on a larger scale.”
Kevin Doyle
Kevin Doyle is a fun guy but when it comes to business his training as a CPA kicks in and he becomes downright practical, maybe even straight laced. You can imagine his reaction when we asked him to check out and report on the request we received from an organization that wanted us to fund the purchase of two reindeer. As are all our Trustees, Kevin is extremely community oriented. He and wife Cathy are very involved with their church; Kevin works with Boy Scouts, the YMCA, Rotary Club and among other things, serves on the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy which is charged with licensing and regulating Certified Public Accountants and CPA firms in Kentucky.
Hal Sullivan
Our newest Board member, Hal Sullivan, probably didn’t know how his personal life would be impacted by joining the Colonels’ Board. His first “duty” was to attend Kentucky Colonels’ Day on Millionaire’s Row and it turns out wife Debe had never been to a thoroughbred race. Well, wouldn’t you know that the long shot she bet on in the first race actually won and now she’s hooked! In his professional life, Hal is a Certified Financial Planner and manager of the Paducah, KY branch of a national brokerage firm. His involvement in community affairs in Paducah is beyond extensive. The Chamber of Commerce, Public Library, Rotary Club, Greater Paducah Economic Development Corp, United Way and on and on goes the list of organizations he participates in.
Mark Bastin
Mark Bastin is the youngest of three brothers, the oldest of those three is Glen Bastin the Honorable Order’s Senior Ambassador. And while Ambassador Glen might proclaim it was his work with the organization that led to the inclusion of his “baby” brother on the Board, that isn’t the whole truth. General Bastin represents the Southeastern region of Kentucky from his base in Pulaski County where he has had many successful years as a businessman and civic leader. His community involvement ranges from chairing the Tourism Commission for that tourist dependent region to one he is especially proud of… serving as the only lay member of the local court systems’ “Drug Court” which works to get chemical dependent people through treatment programs. Mark and Linda have three “former” children and four grandchildren.