Rural Advancement

04/16/2026

03/06/2026

Business Dining Etiquette Event🍽️

Ever wondered which fork to use at a formal dinner? Or how to confidently navigate a professional meal? We’ve got you covered!

Join Mrs. Suzanne Hopkins for an interactive Business Dining Etiquette event designed to prepare students for professional dining situations like networking dinners, interviews, and scholarship luncheons.

You’ll learn:
✨ Proper table manners
🍴 How to navigate place settings
🗣️ Professional dinner conversation
🎯 Tips for making a polished first impression

Through live demonstrations and hands-on practice, you’ll leave feeling more confident and prepared for real-world professional settings.

RSVP with the QR code or with the link below before it fills up!
https://forms.microsoft.com/r/M12m68Dz5e

01/06/2026

12/18/2025

We are proud to celebrate the achievement of our inaugural cohort in the Public Leadership Certificate Program powered by One Cross Community!

Leaders from across the region gathered to sharpen their skills in leadership, management, collaboration, communication, teamwork, negotiation, and entrepreneurship to serve the public good and drive lasting community impact.

Thank you to a fantastic line-up of speakers, including Terri Bradshaw, Missy Vanderpool, Dr. Donna Elkins, Dr. Robert Stafford, Kimberly Mckenna-Johnson, and Dr. Roger Huston, and our partners at the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED), Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives, Kentucky City/County Management Association, and Kentucky Rural Education Association who made this program possible!

Thank you to all the participants for your leadership and commitment to helping our communities thrive and become vibrant spaces for growth opportunities!

We are excited about our next cohort on Friday, March 27.

Register today to be part of this transformative program.

📅 Date: March 27, 2026
🕒 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
📍 Location: Campbellsville University – Heilman Welcome Center
💲 Cost: $299: Non-Member | $199: Member | $99: Student
🔗 Register: https://cca.kaedonline.org/EvtListing.aspx

12/01/2025

Rural Advancement is thrilled to announce the launch of the Public Leadership Certificate Program, powered by One Cross Health Clinic! 🚀

In partnership with the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED), Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives, Kentucky City/County Management Association, and Kentucky Rural Education Association, this program is designed for:
· Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
· Education Administrators
· Chamber of Commerce, Tourism, & Main Street Directors
· City Mayors & Councilmembers
· City & County Administrators
· Community & Economic Developers
· County Judge/Executives & Magistrates
· Nonprofit Directors

✨ With a focus on authentic, high-impact leadership training, this certificate equips decision-makers and influencers to lead with vision, integrity, and purpose!

📅 Date: December 15, 2025
🕒 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
📍 Location: Campbellsville University – Heilman Welcome Center
💲 Cost: $299: Non-Member | $199: Member | $99: Student
🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/gMbHwA_f

Course topics include: Communication, Collaboration, Negotiation, Teamwork, Entrepreneurship, Management, and Leadership.
· Strengthen your network and skillsets
· Learn systems-thinking approaches to complex challenges
· Foster bottom-up, asset-based community development
· Help your communities achieve the American Dream

The Public Leadership Certificate Program is your next step in leading community transformation. 💡

Learn more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eHrEx3vU

11/26/2025

KAED is proud to partner with Campbellsville University Rural Advancement and other statewide collaborators to launch a new Public Leadership Certificate Program, a professional development pathway designed to elevate Kentucky’s leaders. This program provides practical training in leadership and organizational development, asset-based community leadership, community and economic development strategies, negotiation, communication, and consensus-building. Participants will learn from university faculty, experienced practitioners, and experts from across Kentucky’s economic development network.

The first cohort begins December 15, 2025 at CU’s Heilman Welcome Center. This flexible, high-impact certificate is ideal for professionals seeking to strengthen their leadership capacity and advance community progress.

Contact Dr. Roger Huston at [email protected] for details.

Register Here: https://cca.kaedonline.org/EvtListing.aspx

11/26/2025

Clawing for Capital: A Roaring Success for Rural Entrepreneurship! 🐾

💡 What happens when bold ideas and student passion collide?

You get the unforgettable energy of Campbellsville University’s inaugural E-Club Pitch Competition! 🚀

Fueled by creativity, courage, and a commitment to making a difference, our student entrepreneurs stepped into the spotlight to pitch their business plans.

🎉 Congratulations to our winners:

Bryce: The Dapper Kernel🥇 Squires & Lee PLLC CPA | 1st Place
Kupa: LuxAI Foundation🥈 One Cross Health Clinic | 2nd Place
Mariano: Soluciones🥉 Branscum Construction Company, Inc. | 3rd Place

We’re deeply grateful to our club sponsor, Awesome Inc, our event sponsor, Abound Credit Union, and our panel of judges who brought wisdom, encouragement, and real-world insight! 🙌

Thank you to the campus and community who showed up, clapped loudly, and helped make this event a true celebration of student potential. 👏

This competition is more than a moment—it’s a movement.

It reflects Rural Advancement’s mission to build a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem where students don’t just dream, they launch.

The future of rural innovation is now! 🌱

10/30/2025

Rural Advancement recently hosted another powerful workshop focused on unlocking rural economic potential. 🔓

Check out the highlights here 👉https://www.campbellsville.edu/about/media/university-communications/news/cus-rural-advancement-initiative-hosts-latest-workshop-on-unlocking-rural-economic-potential.html

Leaders and stakeholders came together to explore innovative strategies to strengthen rural economies, foster collaboration, and drive sustainable growth.

✨ The conversations were rich, the energy was contagious, and the shared commitment to advancing rural communities was inspiring.

Together, we are proving that rural America can be a hub of innovation, resilience, and opportunity.

But this is just the beginning! 🚀

On December 15, 2025, we launch the Public Leadership Certificate Program, powered by One Cross Health Clinic in partnership with the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED).

Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new initiative, and let’s keep building together. 💪

10/03/2025

We can't wait to hear Dr. Roger Huston speak about Rural Advancement as a finalist for the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) Awards of Excellence - Engaged University! 🔥

🚀 See you in Huntsville!

09/22/2025

💸LUNCH & LEARN💸

Free Food + Real-Life Money Hacks
Join us for Financial Literacy Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, Sept. 24th @ 11:00 AM in the Heilman Welcome Center, Classroom 103 🙌

What’s in it for you? 👇
✨ Networking
✨ Refreshments
✨ Tips on financial wellness + smart money moves
✨ A chance to level up your financial future 🚀

🎤 Special Guest: Hollie Sexton Foy, Financial Wellness Director at Abound Credit Union
Don’t miss out—your wallet (and stomach) will thank you! 🏦💡 We cannot wait to see you there!

📍 Hosted by Campbellsville University | Rural Advancement & Abound Credit Union