Staff

Morgan joined our staff in summer of 2009. She was born, raised, and still lives in Knox County, surrounded by her extended family.  Morgan enjoys spending time with her husband and their two wonderful children. She works out of our London office.

Tayna Fogle is a mother of two young men, a grandmother of eight, and a basketball player extraordinaire. In order to stand up for the issues that were important to her family, she had to bravely defend against harsh drug sentencing policies and learn to navigate bureaucratic mazes to regain her right to vote. Tayna has created Re-entry programs, trainings and ministries in many Kentucky counties. She has been a motivational speaker and community activist, Developer and past Instructor of “Steppin To A New Beat” and the Re-entry/Employment Specialist for Ex-Offenders. Tayna has empowered others for 11 years with the Kentuckians For The Commonwealth as she volunteered, worked on campaigns for the right to vote. She is a former felon that paid her debt to society.  She was the captain of a SEC championship basketball team at the University of Kentucky in 1982. She is also a former drug abuser. She spent several years in prison. She believes that her story has inspired and motivated many citizens to take part in this movement of restoring an individual’s self esteem, dignity, and self respect. 

I have been blessed to work for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth in Northern Kentucky since 2010, and with the Scott County chapter since 2013. If you share our commitment to justice and a desire for a strong democracy then please join us at an upcoming KFTC event!

Alex is a recent graduate from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Sociology and Criminology. She has been learning about, and participating in community organizing for a couple of years now, and it is something that she is very, very passionate about. She is incredibly excited about this Organizer Apprenticeship and especially about being as involved with KFTC as possible and helping to build new, empowered leaders to assist in making our future happier, healthier and fair. 

Laura is a graduate of Western Kentucky University , where she majored in Phiolsophy and Public Relations. She has been a member of KFTC for several years, having served on the Steering Committee and Economic Justice Committee, with a special interest in housing issues. She feels that engaging the arts is a critical part of our organizing strategy. She lives in Bowling Green with her husband, dog, and two cats. In her free time, Laura enjoys playing cello in a local alternative rock band.

Jessica has been on KFTC's Organizing Team since September 2006, first working with with the Economic Justice Committee and the Leadership Development Committee, and now is Co-Director of the Organizing Team. She grew up in south-central Kentucky, moved out of state for three long years, and got involved with KFTC in 2004 when she moved back to Kentucky. Jess lives in Lexington with her family. 

Amy joined KFTC’s staff team in 2008. As Development Director, she works to build grassroots power by building KFTC's membership. She's originally from Letcher County and now lives in Berea with her husband, Mike, and daughters Ellie and Claire. She’s inspired by the energy and commitment of KFTC members and hopes to be like them when she grows up. Her first book, a novel for children called Callie Rose, was published in 2012.

Erik is our Website Manager/E-Organizer.  He grew up in Corbin and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.  He was involved with KFTC in a number of different roles as a member before joining the staff and is excited about integrating the website and social media into our organizing strategy.  He currently lives in Lexington with his wife and  two daughters. He spends some of his free time geeking out on sci-fi, playing board games, and helping at his wife's yarn store, Rebelle. He is an accomplished knitter and always willing to teach others.

Becky grew up in Louisville and is excited for the chance to join KFTC's staff as an Organizing Apprentice. They studied History and Political Science at Oberlin College and have spent time living in Philadelphia working as an outdoor educator. They spend their free time hiking, climbing, practicing Capoeira, and staying up late dreaming of communities built on love, mutual care, and resource sharing. 

Burt is our Executive Director.  He is a graduate of Auburn University and has been with KFTC since 1983.  His responsibilities include leadership identification and development, campaign development, organizer training, strategy development and fundraising.

James Line grew up in the Louisville area and has lived in Bowling Green for the past four years. A graduate of Western Kentucky University with a degree in Political Science and minors in History and Journalism Writing, James has been active in the Southern Kentucky chapter of KFTC, focusing on issues such as housing justice, LGBT fairness, and voter empowerment, and in the summer of 2016, he interned with the ACLU of Kentucky. A fan of dogs, pasta, and Star Wars, James is thrilled to continue his work with KFTC as an Organizer Apprentice.

At 9 years old Alvin accompanied his mom to the Jefferson County polls on Election Day, leafleting voters in support of new school taxes to improve education for students with learning disabilities. As teachers, writers, journalists and parents, Alvin and his spouse/partner Fannie have advocated and organized for civil rights, education, prisoner rights, First Amendment freedoms, environmental protection and voter rights for 40 years. Alvin taught writing and journalism at Morehead State, Shawnee State and Ohio's maximum-security prison in Lucasville. Alvin and Fannie are members of the Rowan County KFTC chapter. They have organized for health care, pension reform, immigration and voter rights during the last year. Alvin grew up in Middletown. His family roots are from Appalachia, where he has lived since 1974. He has two grown children, a son and daughter, and a grandson living in Morehead.

Dave is our Democracy Organizer, working to build a Democracy in Kentucky while advancing issues, empowering people, and making sure our next elected leaders are a little more deserving of titles like "Representative."  He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with degrees in History and Political Science and has expeirnece organizing with the Kentucky Democratic Party, union organizing ith SEIU, and most recently was Deputy Director of the Center for Media Justice in Oakland, CA.  He now lives in Covington, KY after coming back to us after 5 years out of state.  He's also a giant nerd who loves sci-fi.

Nikita grew up in Louisville and is a KFTC Organizing Apprentice at the Lexington office. Nikita is a 2016 graduate of the Dual BA Program between Columbia University and Sciences Po, where she received degrees in Human Rights and Political Science. After five years away, Nikita has returned to Kentucky to work on the issues she feels most passionate about, in the place she calls home, with the organization that first sparked her interest in activism. In the past, Nikita has participated in the Humanity in Action John Lewis Fellowship for civil and human rights, organized with Columbia Divest for Climate Justice, and served as a summer organizer with the Responsible Endowments Coalition. Immediately prior to her time at KFTC, she spent a year on the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, where she completed a Fulbright research grant on community participation in responses to climate change.

Jessie began with KFTC in 2013 and works as a Program Associate. She is a graduate of the University of Louisville with a degree in Communication Art & Design. She also holds a Master's Degree in Public Affairs from Indiana University, with an emphasis on sustainable development. Jessie enjoys cooking, traveling, shopping for books, and she lives in Johnson County with her dog Marley. 

DeBraun Thomas is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Lexington in 2008. After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2012, he began working as an intern at Lexington's NPR station WUKY and was brought on staff in 2013. History and storytelling are big passions of his and he was able to do both in producing The Unghosting of Medgar Evers (2012) and a documentary on the March on Frankfort (2013) for WUKY. DeBraun does a weekly feature on local musicians in Lexington called Local Music Monday and is also the host of the Crunkadelic Funk Show which airs Saturdays at 9pm on WUKY.  Speaking out on social issues is something he's felt is his duty as a person of color. In 2016 DeBraun founded the Take Back Cheapside Movement, a coalition of various organizing groups with the goal of removing confederate statues located at Cheapside, the site of a former slave market in Lexington. In addition to producing radio features and organizing, DeBraun also spends his time writing and performing music. He released his first album, All My Colors Are Blind, in 2015 and continues to perform regionally with his band. DeBraun is looking forward to working with KFTC and gathering more tools to use in the fight against oppression.