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Mar 26 • All day
Hutton School of Business (HSB)
17th Annual Business Forum for Young Professionals
March 26, 2026
The Hutton School of Business is proud to announce the 17th Annual Business Forum for Young Professionals scheduled for March 26, 2026, on the beautiful campus of the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY.
The Business Forum is a simulated business conference designed to prepare young professionals as they enter the business workforce. On the day of the Forum, concurrent speakers present in two sessions, while a keynote speaker presents in one main session.
Each year, more than 200 students attend the Business Forum. In the sixteen (16) years of the Business Forum, more than 3,200 Cumberlands students have had the opportunity to network with more than 70 successful business people willing to share their professional advice and experiences.
As with any professional conference, all students must pre-register and choose which sessions to attend. Students not only attend the Forum sessions but critique each session's value as part of their educational experience. They are encouraged to ask questions and engage the speakers in conversation.
Student benefits from participating in the Business Forum include:
- Shaping of the student's professional development
- Expansion of knowledge of various professional fields and available opportunities
- Exposure to a wealth of professional knowledge and experience
- Creation of networking opportunities
Fee:
Thanks to our sponsors, the Business Forum for Young Professionals is free for all attendees!
Registration:
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Featured Speakers
Jonathan Westbrook
CEO
East & Westbrook
Jonathan is the CEO of East & Westbrook Construction Co., Inc., prior to that role he served as President since 2008. Jonathan has over 20 years of construction and management experience, from working as a laborer to managing and overseeing construction operations for projects all over the United States.
Thanks to an experienced and energetic team of construction professionals, East & Westbrook has seen continued growth from its modest roots and currently employs over 250 team members.
Prior to joining East & Westbrook in 2003 Jonathan worked in Management for Home Depot and earned the “Excellence in Leadership Excel Award” from their district.
Jonathan currently serves on boards for Kentucky Workforce Development Board, Baptist Health System, Greater Louisville, Inc., and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the LaGrange Rotary Club and is also Past-President. He has served as Chair of the Oldham County Educational Foundation, Chair of the Oldham County Chamber Economic Development Board, Chairman of the Board of the LaGrange Baptist Hospital, Chair of the Kentuckiana Works Regional Workforce Board, board member for the Kentucky-Indiana Exchange, a Regional Leadership Coalition, Oldham County Schools Local Planning Committee, and YMCA.
Jonathan Westbrook and his wife Beth are both graduates of South Oldham High School and University of Louisville and have been married for over 20 years. They have four children currently in school at South Oldham Middle, South Oldham High School, and University of Louisville. Jonathan has been a volunteer debate coach, volunteer soccer, hockey and basketball coach and PTO member in addition to other community involvement.
Jonathan has a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Louisville College of Business and an MBA from Sullivan University. While at the University of Louisville, Jonathan was a national semi-finalist for two consecutive years for the UofL Debate Society and is a McConnell Scholar Alumni.
McKenzie Hines
Associate Manager, Executive Compensation
Yum! Brands
McKenzie Hines (formerly Wheeler) is an Associate Manager in Executive Compensation at Yum! Brands, the global restaurant company behind iconic brands including KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger & Grill. With eight years of experience in human resources, McKenzie has built a broad foundation across employee relations, benefits, and compensation, bringing a well-rounded perspective to her work.
A proud alumna of University of the Cumberlands, McKenzie earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Business Administration in 2014. (Go Pats!) She went on to complete her master’s degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of Louisville in December 2019.
McKenzie began her career at University of Louisville Hospital, joining the organization as an HR Coordinator while completing her graduate studies. She progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, including HR Business Partner, HR Manager, and Benefits Manager, before transitioning to Yum! Brands in 2023 to continue her work in benefits. She moved into executive compensation in 2025, where she now focuses on designing and managing compensation packages for director-level and above roles across Yum!’s global organization.
Outside of work, McKenzie enjoys life with her husband Spencer and their two beloved orange cats. A connoisseur of good food, she spends her free time exploring the vast restaurant scene in Louisville and baking on the weekends!
Justin Posey
Senior Analyst, Corporate Communications
Toyota North America
Justin Posey is a senior analyst in corporate communications at Toyota Motor North America, Inc., where he leads corporate branding, reputation management, media relations, and external communications strategies for Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing
operations, including its largest global production facility and North American production engineering headquarters in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Before joining Toyota in 2019, Posey built extensive experience in government, public policy, and nonprofit sectors in Washington, D.C.
He began his career in 2008 as an aide in the United States Senate, progressing through multiple roles before serving as a deputy press secretary. In 2015, he joined The Heritage Foundation, one of the world’s most influential think tanks, as communications manager and was quickly promoted to senior communications manager. In this role, he advised executives on strategic messaging, led media relations efforts, and coordinated with partner organizations to generate measurable impact on key issues before Congress and federal regulatory bodies, including monetary policy, tax, energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, and transportation.
A native of Montevallo, Alabama, Posey holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from The University of Alabama and an MBA from the University of the Cumberlands. A committed community leader, he serves on multiple nonprofit boards, including Scott County United and The Lexington Forum, where he is president-elect. He is a graduate of Leadership Central Kentucky and provides strategic guidance as a member of Step By Step Lexington’s advisory committee.
He and his wife, Madyson, reside in Versailles, Kentucky, with their four kids.
Kaelyn Query Caldwell
CEO, Kentucky Event Company
Director, Center for Entrepreneurship
Originally a side hustle, Kaelyn Query Caldwell (Founder + CEO) started her career in events and hospitality while in high school, as part of an internship program offered at her school. She quickly realized a passion for planning, and continued to plan and manage events on the side through high school and college. After managing two restaurants during college and post-college, she took a leap of faith and turned her side hustle into a true career, launching her first (official) business in 2013. She’s since opened a number of operations in the Kentucky market, and has produced countless events across the U.S. and abroad. Kaelyn has served in every aspect of the industry, from washing dishes to welcoming c-suite executives - and everything in between.
Kaelyn is an award-winning entrepreneur, based in Lexington, KY. CEO of Kentucky Event Company (event management firm), LexEffect Venues (venue management firm), and Big Ideas/Small Business (consulting firm + podcast host). She is an author ("So Worth It"), guest speaker, and lecturer - teaching entrepreneurship. She serves on several boards including the Fayette Education Foundation (chair), Lexington Children's Theatre (chair), Dean's Leadership Counsel (University of Kentucky), Leadership Lexington Alumni Association (Chair), National Small Business Association, Economic Development Investment Board, and more. She has served on a number of strategic planning committees for non-profits and school organizations, and has worked at the city, state, and federal level on a number of policies impacting small businesses in the U.S. Issues she's worked on include; workforce re-entry, unemployment, taxation, infrastructure, COVID policies, workforce development, childcare, small business health insurance, frivolous lawsuit laws, and more.
She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor's in Communications, and has her MBA from LSU with a focus in International Business and Small Business Enterprise.
Brian Wallace
Founder
NowSourcing & Innovate Summit
Brian Wallace is the Founder and President of NowSourcing, an industry leading content marketing agency that makes your complexity simple, visual, and influential.
Brian has been named a Google Small Business Advisor for 2016-present, joined the SXSW Advisory Board in 2019-2022 and became an SMB Advisor for Lexmark in 2023.
He is the Founder of Innovate Summit, entering its 3rd year in May 2026.
