Four young professionals with strong Clinton County ties were recently recognized and honored at a gala event in Somerset hosted by the newly formed organization, Young Professionals of Lake Cumberland (YPLC).

Clinton County natives Jessic Owens Sullivan, Hunter Shearer, Stephanie Hurst Likins and James England were among the group of young professionals recognized at the gala .

In addition to young leaders from Clinton County, the organization included others recognized among nominees from McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne, Cumberland and Russell Counties.

“Because of my work in various community events, I know first-hand the amount of effort this event took to launch and pull off successfully. Hats off to the organizers, sponsors and committee that worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality, all to put a spotlight on others. Their selflessness does not go unnoticed. We have an abundance of talent in this area and Clinton County doesn’t lack at all!” stated Sullivan of the experience.

The organization’s goal was to recognize stand-out young professionals who have impacted their respective communities or industries.

This “40 Under 40 Awards Gala” was the first event of its kind in the region.

Nominees who live, work or engage in McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne, Clinton, Cumberland, and Russell Counties were eligible for the recognition, as long as they were 40 years old or younger on January 1, 2021.

Likens, Shearer and Sullivan were recognized as professionals in the “40 under 40” category, while England was included in an additional group of “Barely over 40” area professionals.

“It was great to see such great participation from Clinton County in this event. Several locals attended in support of those being honored. We have plenty of talent in Clinton County, and it’s nice to see that not go unnoticed,” said England of the evening.

Likins is affiliated with Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), Sullivan with Kentucky Farm Bureau, Shearer with Hunter’s BBQ and United Country Lakes and Land Realty, and England with Forcht Broadcasting.

In addition to being honored at the event, Clinton County native Hunter Shearer was also involved with the gala in a secondary way.

The awards gala was held at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky and included a dinner, live entertainment and a social hour for attendees to mingle and network. Award recipient and local business owner Hunter Shearer and team catered the event with more than 200 individuals in attendance from across the Commonwealth.

Since late Spring, community members were encouraged to nominate individuals under the age of 40 who have excelled professionally or through civic and community engagement.

Nominations were sent to an independent committee of regional professionals not affiliated with YPLC to score for the final selections of those being honored.

“We have so many incredibly dedicated young professionals in the region committed to community development, bettering the region or accomplishing great feats in their industry, and oftentimes, some of those individuals may not receive well-deserved recognition. That’s what we wanted to do,” stated Kelli Chaney, 2021 YPLC Board President and event organizer.

Annual 40 under 40 events have become commonplace in larger metropolitan areas; however, the Lake Cumberland region has never formally recognized a group of such local standouts in one organized event.

In addition to recognizing the “under 40” recipients, the YPLC board surprised a small group of “Barely over 40” honorees with Regional Impact Awards for their contributions to the Lake Cumberland Region.

Aside from the primary goal of recognizing accomplishments, Chaney says the organization has a secondary motive – promoting regional unity.

We often refer to the Lake Cumberland region as one community. We strongly believe cross-region collaboration is the key to continued growth in terms of economic and professional development, regional tourism and an overall improved quality of life for those of us who call this region home,” Chaney explained. “We all stand to gain by promoting regionalism along with our own individual county or community endeavors. We want to continue to make this the best place to work, live and play in the state.”

Clinton County natives recently recognized as leading young professionals by the regional organization Young Professionals of Lake Cumberland were, left to right, Stephanie Hurst Likins, Hunter Shearer, Jessica Owens Sullivan and James England.