THE IDEA
The Lexington Forum first started as a project idea out of the 1983-1984 Class of Leadership Lexington - a program run by Commerce Lexington to help grow and inspire future leaders in our community. Throughout the year, a group of classmates came across an effort to legalize liquor on Sundays in Fayette County, a hot topic of the day that they felt deserved greater attention than what it was currently gaining.
THE PLAN
Inspired by the prospect of getting more involved in their community and making a real impact on an issue that was of huge importance to the city, Larry Smith and Ralph Coldiron spearheaded a mission to put together a group where views of the younger business community could be heard. They began by meeting in hotels and other locations around town, until they found their current home at Base249.
GROWTH
The group soon gained traction as their meetings continued, hosting notables Mitch McConnell and Dee Huddleston when they were first running for the Senate, as well as many other important figured in our community to talk about the conversations that really mattered to citizens. The goal was always simple, provide Lexington with a Forum that provides great networking opportunities and a chance to be a part of a fun and influential group whose focus is always on leaning more about issues that affect our community, our state, and our country.
THE FUTURE
Today, we have an amazing group of passionate members who are dedicated to having community conversations that matter. Each month, we cover a different topic of great importance to our community and present a bi-partisan approach to gaining more information on each topic. We hope that you have a chance to join us, and to help continue our mission to make a lasting impact on Lexington.