By Lorie Hailey
The Lane Report
FRANKFORT —The only woman currently holding a constitutional office in Kentucky shared lessons she learned on the campaign trail Wednesday with group of women business leaders.
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes spoke at the Women Leading Kentucky luncheon at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.
She told the group that while 53 percent of Kentucky’s registered voters are women, less than 20 percent of state legislators are women. She also encouraged other women to get involved in their communities and their government.
Grimes decided to run for public office when she realized that the only woman holding a constitutional office, Crit Luallen, was retiring.
“I hope to inspire and nurture more women to be a part of this process,” she said.
Grimes shared three lessons she learned on the road to becoming the 76th Kentucky Secretary of State, the first of which was something she learned as a private practice attorney.
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care,” she said.
The second idea is, “A leader with no followers is just someone taking a walk,” Grimes said.
The third lesson she heard in a prayer before one of her campaign speeches. The minister prayed that Grimes would ‘keep her eye on the donut, not on the hole.’
“Don’t be so focused on results,” she said. “Focus on the relationships you make. I think you’ll find you smile along the way.”
Women Leading Kentucky is a professional, non-profit group of women and men whose collaborative mission is to create business and leadership opportunities for women. The group has awarded more than $91,500 in scholarships to Kentucky women since starting the scholarship program in 2001.
Learn more at womenleadingky.com.
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