UK alum leads with heart as he serves his community

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 4, 2026) — Looking back, Bobby Clue credits the University of Kentucky with providing far more than an education. It was where a young student from Somerset, Kentucky, discovered his passion for leadership, developed lifelong friendships and laid the foundation for a career centered on serving his community.  

Clue, the youngest of three adopted children, is the son of a career U.S. Air Force officer and an interior designer. He describes himself as an extreme extrovert who is energized being around other people. Coming from a small town and a small high school, he told himself he was completely comfortable to blend into the background a bit at UK. However, blending in does not aptly describe the outgoing young man who loved sports, the outdoors and his friends, nor does it aptly describe the political activist, administrator or the community leader he is today.

Clue graduated from the UK College of Arts and Sciences in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and again in 2003 with a master’s degree from the UK Martin School of Public Policy and Administration. He currently serves as executive director of the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce.

From an early age, Clue had a keen interest in government, politics and world affairs. His passion for public service continued to grow throughout college, where he became actively engaged in campus leadership and civic involvement.

An interest in politics began as early as high school. He recalls moments in time that made a lasting impression on him such as when Bob Doyle visited Somerset on a campaign stop while running for president. Clue also attributes his political interests to his parents.

“They were well-educated and traveled the world,” Clue said. “They lived through a world war. I remember dinner parties where they would discuss world events, politics and government. They always challenged me and would ask, ‘What are you going to do when you grow up, and how are you going to make the world a better place?’ These are the questions I’m using now to challenge my daughters.

“Getting involved with politics on campus helped me narrowly define what I was going to do with my life,” Clue said. “I also attribute my appreciation for the state of Kentucky to UK and the people I met and the experiences I had there that I would have never had at a small campus or in a small town. Lexington has such a diverse collection of people and there are so many unique opportunities. I truly love Lexington and I never expected in a million years to move back to Somerset.”

Clue says he thrived at UK and loved learning. He especially loved his political science class taught by one of his favorite professors, Penny Miller, Ph.D., who encouraged him to get involved on campus.

“We thought differently about a lot of things, but she was a wonderful mentor to me. She helped me get my first internship in Frankfort.”

Clue credits UK for shaping the person he is today politically and in business, which he says is the common connector for people in the political world. One campus event, between the Republican party chair Ellen Williams and the Democratic party chair Nicky Patton, opened a door of opportunity for what was to come next in Clue’s career.

“I knew after that debate that I wanted to work for Ellen Williams,” Clue said. “I walked right up to her afterward and told her I didn’t know how to do it, but I wanted to work for her someday. I was offered a job after graduation as the deputy finance officer for the Republican party of Kentucky. I did that for a while before moving back to Lexington to work for Scott Crosbie as the finance director for his mayoral race.”

Clue went on to work in Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s administration for three years before opening his own consulting firm, Bluegrass Consulting Services, working for local and statewide candidates on their election or reelection campaigns.

Clue’s search for opportunity didn’t end there. He took a job with a large law firm, West Virginia-based Steptoe and Johnson. The firm focused on energy work like coal, oil and natural gas. Clue was their government relations officer for Kentucky, Ohio and part of West Virginia.

During Clue’s 15 years living in Lexington, he built a successful career and became deeply rooted in the community. But life has a way of shifting priorities. As his parents’ health declined and with his two older siblings living out of state, Clue knew it was time to come home. Returning to Somerset wasn’t just a career move — it was an opportunity to be there for his family when they needed him most.  

“Sometimes the best decisions aren’t the ones that make the most financial sense,” he said. “Moving back to Somerset meant taking a substantial pay cut, but it also meant being there for my parents when they needed me most. Looking back, it was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I believe it led me exactly where I was meant to be.”

Fifteen years ago, Clue moved back to his hometown without a plan in place for what he was going to do. Following a suggestion from a friend, he interviewed for and got the job as executive director of the Somerset Pulaski Chamber of Commerce.

“Today, we have one of the most successful business organizations in a multistate region, so we’re bigger than any chamber in West Virginia, bigger than two-thirds of the chambers in Virginia and we are the largest business-supported organization in Kentucky until you get to the golden triangle on Bowling Green. We’ll have over 1,300 members by the end of the year. To put that in perspective, I think Lexington has about 1,800 members, so we have a highly successful chamber — but that certainly did not happen overnight.”

The chamber just completed its 13th annual Young Entrepreneur’s Academy, an 18-week program to teach middle and high school students how to start and run their own businesses. The students pitch their ideas to local investors and winners earn a full four-year scholarship to Campbellsville University. To date, the chamber has given out more than $1.3 million in scholarships to local high school students.

Clue believes that, although supporting local businesses is at the core of the chamber’s mission, giving back to the community is equally important. Nearly every chamber program is designed to strengthen Somerset and Pulaski County for future generations. Clue says one of the chamber’s proudest initiatives is its commitment to education. Each year, the chamber’s annual Holiday Auction funds six scholarships for students attending Somerset Community College. To date, the chamber has raised more than $300,000 and provided 140 scholarships, helping local students achieve their educational goals.

“Investing in young people is one of the most meaningful things we do,” Clue said. “Education changes lives, and we’re proud to help make those opportunities possible.

“Many of our scholarship recipients are the first in their families to attend college, and that’s something that never stops inspiring me. Helping make that dream possible is one of the chamber’s greatest accomplishments.”

Clue said the chamber has experienced tremendous growth during his tenure, and he is grateful to have been part of an incredible team that helped make that success possible.

“I want our chamber to be visible and known for bringing people together and making the best version of ourselves here in Pulaski County,” he said.

Clue says serving his community is truly his greatest joy.

“My greatest accomplishment is the ability to help people that need help,” Clue said. “I am a steward of this community. When I can see a business that was struggling and we were able to help that business succeed, that’s the greatest thing for me.”

What you may not know about Bobby Clue

Clue is a semi-professional, competitive foosball player. His interest began in junior high school when he and his friends discovered a foosball table in a bowling alley. His parents gave him a professional table for Christmas that he still has today. Clue says he “practically lived on that table” as a kid, sometimes spending as much as eight or nine hours a day playing. He has traveled to other states to attend world championship foosball tournaments. Although college life and a career took him away from the sport, he reengaged with foosball when he moved back to Somerset. He is classified by point standing as an expert player.