06/09/2026
Introducing Our Member Spotlight Series 💫
Each month, we’re shining a light on members of WOC & WWAR—women who are building community, leading with purpose, and doing meaningful work across Louisville.
We’re honored to kick off our first spotlight with Kathy Knotts!
Kathy Knotts serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Grants for the Gheens Foundation, one of Kentucky’s largest independent private foundations. She helps oversee approximately $8 million in grants annually in the greater Louisville area, supporting public education, human and social services, quality of place, and the arts. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $175 million in charitable grants—supporting people and organizations working every day to improve lives in Louisville.
Kathy joined the Gheens Foundation in 2014 after serving as managing director of KentuckyShow! and working in marketing, e-commerce, and public relations for Knotts Shoes. She began her career in public relations at Humana, specializing in public affairs, writing, and community relations, and helped produce the company’s first corporate news program.
She currently serves as Chair of Bernheim Forest and Arboretum and is on the board of the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, as well as a member of the Archdiocese of Louisville Development Council. Kathy is a graduate of Leadership Louisville and the Bingham Fellows program and holds a certificate in Executive Nonprofit Leadership from Indiana University.
Since 2020, Kathy has been an active member of Women of Color & White Women Against Racism, participating in monthly fellowship and learning opportunities.
A longtime Louisville resident, Kathy and her husband of 35 years, John, have four grown children and have called Crescent Hill home for over 40 years.
We’re grateful for Kathy’s leadership and the heart she brings to this work💛
