LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Over 1,000 business leaders came together last night at the Kentucky International Convention Center for Greater Louisville Inc.’s Annual Meeting. The gathering included remarks from GLI leadership and a fireside chat between keynote speakers Bill Carstanjen, CEO & President of Churchill Downs Inc., and Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA of America, to discuss the economic impact of the 150th Kentucky Derby and 2024 PGA Championship. The event also featured the presentation of four prestigious awards.
“2024 is shaping up to be a big year for our community, and GLI’s Annual Meeting is the perfect place to come together to build excitement and engagement around opportunities for growth in the year ahead,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc. “We have a rare opportunity to sell our region to prospective businesses and talent on an international stage twice in one month. I look forward to working with Louisville’s business leaders to show off our region’s assets.”GLI presented three organizations with Silver Fleur-de-Lis awards, which are given each year in recognition of outstanding contributions over the past year to make Louisville a better place to live and work. Thank you to Vo-soft and CDI for sponsoring these awards. This year’s recipients were:
- CenterWell Senior Primary Care for the successful opening of several senior-focused primary care centers in Louisville and their impact on underserved communities. The award was presented by Lyndon Pryor, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, and accepted by Nick Judd.
- Derby City Gaming Downtown for the grand opening of their downtown location, which will drive positive economic growth and downtown tourism. The award was presented by Katherine Armstrong, Vice President of Culture, Churchill Downs, Inc., and accepted by Garth Williams.
- Four individuals were recognized for purchasing Valhalla Golf Club and preserving the club’s Louisville legacy. Valhalla Golf Partners, LLC, is owned by Junior Bridgeman, Jimmy Kirchdorfer, Chester Musselman, and David Novak. The award was presented by Purna Veer, president and founder of V-Soft Consulting Group, and accepted by Jimmy Kirchdorfer and David Novak.
In addition, GLI recognized Mike Mountjoy with the Gold Cup Award. The Gold Cup was established 50 years ago and has only been awarded 25 times to leaders in the community who demonstrate a lifetime of dedication to growing the region. Mountjoy is a founding partner in the predecessor firm to Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP (MCM) and has led many regional civic organizations. He has served on the Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce boards, Community Foundation of Louisville, Greater Louisville Project, Louisville Orchestra Foundation, and Louisville Library Foundation. Mountjoy is also a co-founder of Soccer Holdings LLC, a professional soccer holding company that owns Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC. Presenting this year’s award to Mountjoy were previous recipients Sandra Frazier (2023), Alice Houston (2020), and Bill Samuels Jr. (2018).The evening concluded with a keynote fireside chat between Carstanjen and Waugh, moderated by Carolyn Tandy, SVP & Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Humana. The keynote focused on the economic impact of both the 150th Kentucky Derby and the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, which takes place in Louisville in May. The month-long festivities leading to the Kentucky Derby are expected to generate an economic impact exceeding $400 million. Following the Kentucky Derby, in mid-May, Valhalla Golf Club will host the PGA Championship for the fourth time, drawing an estimated 200,000 spectators, with more than half expected to travel from outside Kentucky.
“As we embark on this historic 150th anniversary, it is important to reflect on the immense effort and dedication that has gone into making the Kentucky Derby the iconic event it is today,” said Carstanjen. “It is a time when the city of Louisville comes alive with a collective spirit of excitement and anticipation as we prepare to witness and participate in something wonderful, and its enduring success is a credit to countless individuals throughout the city. I look forward to preserving and building upon the magic of this timeless tradition with Louisville’s business community. I am thrilled that this year’s excitement will be followed and amplified by the energy of the esteemed PGA Championship.”“All of us at the PGA of America are thrilled to be returning to Louisville for the 106th edition of the PGA Championship,” said Waugh. “The Annual Meeting Keynote was a spectacular reminder of what makes Louisville a tremendous place to stage our Major Championships. We are eternally grateful for the incredible support received from the Louisville business community. It was an honor to share the stage with Bill last night, and I look forward to returning to Louisville in May.”The event also included special performances from the Academy of Flamenco Arts, and the famous Churchill Downs call to post. Attendees took photos with the official 2024 PGA Championship trophy and a historic Kentucky Derby trophy. GLI also unveiled its Annual Report, highlighting major accomplishments from 2023, including bringing more than 1,600 new jobs to the region.
