Grace Gorrell has worked for the University Of Kentucky College Of Agriculture for 27 years.  She served as a County Extension Agent for 4-H in Shelby and Fayette Counties, as the Assistant Director for Agriculture Alumni and Development and is currently the Assistant Director for the Center for Leadership Development.  Grace’s undergraduate degree is from the University of Kentucky in the area of Management and Family Economics.  She received her Maters at North Carolina State in Adult and Community College Education with a minor in Public Administration.

She has a tremendous passion for helping others discover that the “do” have leadership abilities and in turn help them understand how they can use those skills to improve their professional and personal life.  In her role at the Center she coordinates and teaches leadership programs for adults as well as young people. She also assists Dr Lori Garkovich in teaching the 300 level leadership course offered by the department.

Grace was instrumental in working with Commerce Lexington in developing the “Unbridling the Leadership in Kentucky Communities Conference”, that in 2005 featured Dr John Maxwell author of “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” and will be featuring Dr Ken Blanchard, the author of the “One Minute Manager “ on November 8, 2006.

After last year's conference Dr Maxwell made the following statement about Grace, “I have often said that the number one quality of a leader is the ability to make things happen.  Grace Gorrell does this as well anyone I have ever known.  Her leadership is magnified by her ability to also make things happen for others.  Leadership is influence and Grace is loaded with it!”

She is married to Brian Gorrell and they have a daughter Cassady and two sons Todd and Shawn.