An update on the progress of Interstate 69 will be the program for the April Power in Partnership monthly breakfast of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce on April 14 at 7:30 a.m. at the Julian Carroll Convention Center. Assistant State Highway Engineer and State I-69 Coordinator Paul Looney, P.E. will be the featured speaker. Caring People Services is the sponsor.           

The breakfast will also include the recognition of the 26 local high school students who recently completed the Youth L.E.A.D. program coordinated by the Leadership Paducah Foundation. 

Looney currently serves as the Assistant State Highway Engineer for Project Development and is the Project Manager for the I-69 corridor. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. 

The Youth L.E.A.D. participants are juniors from four local high schools and a home school. Youth L.E.A.D. is a program designed to develop and prepare students for future community support and leadership roles in Paducah-McCracken County. The selection of class participants was conducted in partnership by the school administrators and the Leadership Paducah Foundation Board of Directors. Class members take part in a six-month educational course beginning with an orientation retreat and concluding with their graduation. The students spend one day a month for five months learning about human needs and service learning, communication and career development, business and economy, law and government, and healthcare in Paducah and McCracken County.  

Members of Youth L.E.A.D. Class #5 include: 

• Community Christian Academy – Maddy Brown 

• PATCH Home School – Layton Estes 

• McCracken County High School – Zachary Althouse, Barton Christmas, Bailey Cissell, Brycen Flynn, Joshua Grogan, Robert Hicks, Hallie Poat, Henny Ransdell, Dylan Richards, Sarah Shaikh, Vincent Shiben, Olivia Sin, Will Sivills, Hannah White, Peighton Wix 

• St. Mary High School – Olivia Griffin, Karina Romero 

• Paducah Tilghman High School – Will Denton, Jose Roberto dos Remedios, Hunter Grubbs, John Holtgrewe, Claire Kelly, Bryson Wells, Maddie Ybarzabal

Below are the details of the breakfast:

When: Thursday, April 14, 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Where: Julian M. Carroll Convention Center, Ohio Room

Speaker: Paul Looney, P.E., Assistant State Highway Engineer and State I-69 Coordinator

Sponsor:  Caring People Services

Special Recognition: Youth L.E.A.D. Graduation

Cost: $15 members, $25 non-members

Special Note:  The breakfast is being held one week later due to Spring Break. 

If you are not a Power Card holder, please make your reservations by Tuesday, April 12, by 5 p.m. to the Chamber at 443-1746 or info@paducahchamber.org