Blueprint Kentucky to host Pathways to Prosperity: A Rural Kentucky Virtual Summit
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 2, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Blueprint Kentucky is hosting Pathways to Prosperity: A Rural Kentucky Virtual Summit 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Kentucky’s rural leaders, practitioners, policymakers, nonprofit partners, educators and community stakeholders are invited to participate in an online summit focused on emerging priorities affecting rural communities. The day is designed to highlight practical strategies, shared challenges and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.
“With so much rapid change in the world, community leadership often feels reactionary,” said Daniel Kahl, Ph.D., Blueprint Kentucky associate director and one of the session moderators. “Having a summit like this one allows us to touch base, learn from each other and stay current on information and research that can help us be more confident and competent in addressing challenges.”
The agenda will showcase professional speakers and interactive session discussions, giving participants opportunities to learn best practices in strengthening their communities, growing local economies and building a more resilient future.
The keynote speaker is Christine Sorensen, lead community development specialist, state operations at United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. Sorensen’s keynote will address forces that are shaping rural Kentucky, including demographic shifts, infrastructure needs, economic transition, health and housing pressures, and the importance of local leadership.
Sorensen has over 30 years of experience in the rural economic development field with roles as economic development director, regional fund-chief loan officer, state and regional USDA community development coordinator, and national program coordinator for three USDA rural development initiatives. She was the first customer experience team lead within the USDA Rural Development Innovation Center and has facilitated and supported state-based events for USDA in over 28 states.
Additional session topics include:
- Rural Health: Local health needs being addressed through the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Program, as well as curriculum and programs hosted by UK Cooperative Extension Service to address community health.
- Land Use and Housing: Housing development and industrial pressures on farmland use, as well as innovative partnerships among local governments, developers, lenders, nonprofits and residents.
- Civic Engagement and Leadership: Examining opportunities and concerns related to public participation and civic engagement for sustainable policy and action to support rural communities and community readiness.
- Tourism and Placemaking: Highlighting tourism as an economic development strategy, with attention to destination development, local assets, small business support, downtown revitalization and regional collaboration.
At the conclusion of the summit, the goal is for participants to better identify rural priorities across health, housing, economic development and tourism; provide practical examples, questions to take back to their communities and potential partners for follow-up; and inform future programming, policy conversations and technical assistance opportunities.
In addition, Blueprint Kentucky will be providing attendees additional toolkits to take with them and use. One of those toolkits is Understanding Community Benefits Agreements for Data Centers: A Toolkit for Kentucky Communities and Extension Professionals, which will serve as a discussion point for communities interested in being informed and prepared for data center location decisions.
“This summit is more than a conversation about rural challenges," said Alison Davis, Ph.D., assistant vice president of land-grant engagement and executive director of Blueprint Kentucky. "It is an opportunity to highlight what is working, elevate local leadership and equip communities with ideas, partnerships and tools that can be put into action across Kentucky."
Registration is $35 and online registration will remain open until 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Registered attendees are encouraged to use the Whova platform to connect, discuss and share ideas and resources. Whova will be used to share relevant resources and provide discussion questions for attendees to connect before, during and after the event.
Learn more about Blueprint Kentucky.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.