Bluegrass APPA was founded in late 2017, by a group of Kentucky college facility managers who wanted to see the State of Kentucky grow in terms of collaboration and sharing best practices for their facilities. Along the way, the group learned that the best way to promote best practices is to help peers by providing scholarships for training and bringing training into the state in the form of toolkits, workshops and conferences.
I began my career in higher education in 2012 with the University of Kentucky. As the Associate Director of Facilities Services, I provide management oversight and direction for operational areas including Grounds, Custodial Services, Waste, Recycling, and Trucking Services, and Event support. I studied Political Science and Police Administration and received my BS degree at Eastern Kentucky University. After receiving my Master of Public Administration degree (EKU) I began a 27 year career in public service at the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government in Lexington, KY.
Derrick Singleton has been Vice President for Operations and Sustainability at Berea College since 2013. He has a wide array of responsibilities for the Institution including: Facilities & Engineering, Human Resources, Dining Services, Auxiliary Retail Businesses, Governmental Relations, Risk Management, Continuous Improvement, the College Post Office and oversight of the College’s 9,000-acre Forest. Prior to joining Berea, Derrick spent the first 24 years of his career in various corporate executive roles in Engineering and Operations Supply Chain Management with Sherwin-Williams and Coors. Derrick has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky, a BS in Biology from Eastern Kentucky University, and an MBA from Sullivan University.
I have been working at NKU for 4 years but I have been in the facilities industry for 10 years now. My peers know me as the go to guy with technology questions. I took on the role of President as a way to give back to an organization that has helped grow my career. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two dogs as well as coaching a baseball team.
I have been with the University of Kentucky since 2011, and in the Facilities Management department since 2018. In my current position, I help obtain and coordinate any training that the employees of the Facilities department may need. I help coordinate everything from professional development and skills training to safety training and licensure. I have a passion for what I do and have been working in the field of training and development for twenty years. In my career, I have also worked to help transportation employees, doctors and nurses, elected officials, professors, and many others get the training that they need in order to develop themselves personally as well as professionally. I love the training opportunities that APPA provides, and I am happy to have the opportunity to work with APPA’s training programs as a part of the Bluegrass APPA board. Outside of work, you’ll usually find me eating at and reviewing restaurants or hanging out at home with my cat, Bella..
I have been at NKU for 27 years, but I am new to the custodial industry. After 26 years in University Printing as the Pressroom/Bindery Supervisor, I have found a new home/career in NKU’s Facilities Management.
Taking on the Training challenge for Bluegrass APPA seemed like a natural fit since I need all of this type of training myself. In my free time, I enjoy writing and playing music, cooking and golf.
Elizabeth Gafford is the Coordinator of Resource Conservation at Western Kentucky University, where she manages solid waste, recycling, compost, and Surplus operations. She appreciates that working in Facilities provides plenty of opportunity for creative problem solving, whether the daily challenge is auctioning used cars, responsibly managing 100,000 withdrawn books, or keeping wriggling maggots at bay. She is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Bluegrass APPA chapter and looks forward to building and strengthening relationships with organizations and institutions across the state. Off campus, Elizabeth is a mother of three, and loves walking, biking, hiking, the philosophy and practice of yoga, phenology, and gardening.
Sarah Beth Horn is a graduate of Murray State University 2008. She has been in the Architectural Hardware and Security Industry for 6 years and with ASSA ABLOY for 2. Sarah has serviced the Commonwealth of Kentucky professional since her graduation in 2008. Sarah Horn is professional associated with ASHE, ASIS, Infragaurd, IFMA, and has a passion for fire safety.
In her free time Sarah can be found hiking in the many state parks with her Australian Sheppard Cash
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