When the 2012 Kentucky Special Olympics are held, a handful of local athletes will likely be competing in some of the wide array of games the venue features each year, but that certainly won’t be the only connection to Clinton County that next year’s series will have.

An announcement made on Monday of this week notes the placement of Garry Gupton to the position of President and CEO of the Special Olympics Kentucky program.

Gupton, a longtime media figure in the Louisville area, is the husband of Clinton County native Terrie Castle Gupton, a 1977 gradutate of Clinton County High School and the daughter of Lindle and Mary Helen Castle of Albany.

Gupton will be the second President and CEO in the program’s 41-year history, replacing Dave Kerchner who announced his retirement in June.

During an email message sent to the Clinton County News on Monday announcing his appointment to the position with the Special Olympics Kentucky program, Gupton, who is from nearby Campbellsville, Kentucky, noted the significance of his family’s endearment to the southern Kentucky region, and his hopes that they would be able to see an increase in participation in the Olympics from athletes in this area.

Gupton said that he hopes the message of his appointment helps to “get the folks in southern Kentucky involved with our athletes and their families. That part of the state is VERY important to me and my family.”

Garry and Terrie Gupton, along with their children, Grant, Grace and Gray, make Louisville their home, but they often return to Clinton County to visit with Terrie’s parents.

In 2009, their son, Grant, was named Special Olympics Kentucky Athlete of the Year, and the following year in Richmond, Kentucky, Grant Gupton carried the Olympic torch on it’s final leg of the traditional journey to mark the start of the 2010 Special Olympic games.

While Gupton will be new to the staff of Special Olympics Kentucky, he is certainly not new to the program. He has experienced Special Olympics as the parent of an athlete – his son, Grant.

Garry and Grant competed in the 2003 National Invitational Golf Tournament, placing sixth in their flight. In the 11 years that the Gupton family has been involved with Special Olympics Kentucky, Garry has been a strong supporter of Special Olympics Kentucky events, serving as emcee of the Inspire Greatness Gala on several occasions and speaking at the Texas Roadhouse Armadillo Classic golf outing.

“The board is very honored to present Garry Gupton as the next CEO for our state,” said Special Olympics Kentucky Board Chair Joel Ross. “We are enthused by his energetic leadership and are excited to serve the families and athletes with him. Garry is not new to Special Olympics and we value his perspectives as he undertakes this critical role and implements the strategic vision for the future.”

Garry comes to Special Olympics Kentucky bringing a track record of success in both the broadcasting and non-profit fields.

The Campbellsville native was a fixture on Louisville Metro TV screens for a decade as the Sports Director at WHAS 11. While there, he managed a sports department that was part of the area’s top-rated newscast. He also developed the station’s “Friday Night Flights” format to cover area high school football. That format has since served as a model for local sports programs in the state and nationwide.

Upon leaving WHAS 11, Gupton continued his broadcasting career through his work with FOX Sports Network and the University of Kentucky’s Big Blue Network. He also launched his own media outlet, the Red and Blue Review Network. The network covers University of Kentucky and University of Louisville sports on eight affiliates in the state, reaching more than 2 million households a week.

It was also after leaving WHAS 11 that Gupton made his first forays into non-profit work. He began as a member of the executive staff at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville. There he helped determine long range goals for one of the largest Baptist churches in America and raised money and trained volunteers to meet those goals. He later founded the Integrity Media Network, which delivers Christian-centered videos throughout the country. Gupton writes, develops and produces the videos and raises the funding necessary for production.

Gupton succeeds Kerchner, who has served in the role from 1972 until his retirement at the end of this year. In that time, Kerchner oversaw the development of Special Olympics Kentucky from a one-day Louisville event into a comprehensive sports and health program for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. In Kerchner’s 39 years of service, the program has grown to offer 15 sports, serve more than 6,000 athletes annually and has added the Healthy Athletes wellness programs and the Young Athletes Program, which serves children as young as two-years-old.

“The board is very grateful for the many years of service that Dave Kerchner has given to the athletes, families, and staff of Special Olympics Kentucky,” Ross said. “His leadership and passion for the mission have guided the organization through decades of development. Dave’s family, friends, supporters and the board know that he will always be an ambassador for Special Olympics. We also acknowledge that there is no way to replace the experience and culture of Dave’s many years of service. We celebrate Dave’s legacy with the exciting appointment of the next CEO of Special Olympics Kentucky.”

Gupton expressed his excitement about his new role in uniquely Kentucky terms.

“Joe B. Hall and I now have something in common; we both replaced legendary Kentuckians,” Gupton said. “Joe B. inherited the winningest college basketball program in America from Adolph Rupp about the same time Dave Kerchner began his pioneering work with Special Olympics.

“Dave recognized long before most others that those with intellectual disabilities can make valuable contributions to their community if we invest in them.

“As a parent of a child with special needs, Dave and his team have provided my son with enriching life experiences that would not have been possible otherwise. Now my family and I have the opportunity to serve those who have given so much to us. What an honor!”

Gupton will officially assume his new role on December 16.

For more information about Special Olympics Kentucky or the leadership transition, contact Dave Kerchner at 502-695-8222 or dkerchner@soky.org, or Garry Gupton at 502-594-1100 or ggupton@soky.org.

Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participation in competitive events is open to all individuals eight years of age or older. Training and competition in local, area, state, and national programs is offered year-round in Kentucky in 15 sports. In addition to its traditional sports competitions, Special Olympics also offers early childhood programming through the Young Athletes Program and medical screenings though the Healthy Athletes Initiative. Special Olympics Kentucky has been changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in Kentucky for 41 years.

Garry Gupton, left, was named this week to the position of President and CEO of the Special Olympics Kentucky program. Gupton is shown with his family, son Grant, wife Terrie Castle Gupton, son Gray and daughter Grace. The photo was made at 76 Falls, just a couple of miles from where Terrie grew up with her parents, Lindle and Mary Helen Castle.