Staff

Taylor is working as an Organizer Apprentice in the eastern Kentucky region. Before joining the KFTC team, she studied History and Appalachian Studies at the University of Kentucky and spent three years serving as an AmeriCorps Service Member in West Virginia and Kentucky. She enjoys reading, finding a good swimming hole, and spending time with her dog, Loretta, and her cat, Biscuit. Taylor currently resides in Knott County."

Lakin Dillingham was raised in Knox County and currently lives in Laurel County. She is earning a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and an Associate in Science degree in police studies at Eastern Kentucky University. She served as a volunteer member with KFTC's Cumberland chapter while balancing jobs, school and taking care of her dog, Bella. Joining the KFTC team as an organizer apprentice based in eastern Kentucky, Lakin hopes to see more empowered voices in her community develop and find their places with KFTC and partner organizations.

Ashley grew up in Salyersville, KY and moved to London in 1999 where she now lives with her partner Daniel and his two kids. She joined the KFTC staff in November 2016 as the Operations Associate and provides day-to-day operational support to the Operations Manager and Deputy Director. In her free time she enjoys reading, embroidering (poorly) and half-finishing DIY projects.

Lesley grew up in Paducah and has a passion for social sustainability. Currently working on a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Arts at Murray State, she hopes to meld academic theory with accessible action steps toward a fair democracy. Along with studying, Lesley has volunteered with nonprofits across Haiti, interned with the City of Paducah Planning department, and worked at McCracken County Public Library. In her free time, Lesley will usually be found adventuring with her golden-collie, Aria.

Jerry is KFTC’s Communications Director. He has worked with KFTC for 35+ years in various roles, including balancing the scales editor, media coordinator and occasional financial manager! He lives in Magoffin County.

Michael lives in Madison County and works at KFTC’s Berea office. Michael started working with KFTC in 2017 as a Program Associate to provide support across KFTC’s program of work and organizational needs. He enjoys spending his free time reading outdoors!

Angel grew up in Corbin, KY and moved to Richmond in 2014. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in December with a degree in Sociology. During her time at EKU she minored in Appalachian Studies, which drove her passion to work back home in Southeastern Kentucky after graduating college. She is excited to have the opportunity to work in an area that she loves and cares about, and to continue working towards a just transition!

Beth Howard grew up in Morgan County. She is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a Master’s in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. Beth served for five years as a lead organizer with a grassroots organization in Daytona Beach, Florida called Fighting Against Injustice Toward Harmony (FAITH). She returned to Kentucky in 2011 and worked as a case manager facilitating classes in parenting, job coaching, and interpersonal skills for a multi-county program based in West Liberty and started organizing with KFTC in 2013. Beth is a student of yoga, she is rarely ever without a book, and lives in Lexington with her dog Sandy. 

Alicia is originally from Louisville and holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Louisville with a concentration in Non-Profit Management and a Graduate Certificate in Pan-African Studies. She has been with KFTC since January 2013, spending her first 4 years as the Jefferson County Community Organizer before transitioning into her current role in the spring of 2017. In her free time, Alicia is a volunteer leader with Outdoor Afro and enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and watching indie movies. 

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.