The DeCesare Group Podcast

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Dr. Michelle Trawick, Chancellor of SKYCTC. https://southcentral.kctcs.edu/ This week’s guest just completed her first year as Chancellor of South Central Kentucky Community and Technical College. Dr. Michelle Trawick has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, including nearly 20 years at WKU, her u...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Historian Sam Terry. https://samterryskentucky.com/ As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, Sam Terry shares his thoughts on what Kentuckians should better understand about this state’s role in shaping the nation, which historical figure from Kentucky he believes deserves far more national...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Kelley Paul, wife of U.S. Senator Rand Paul. As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, Kelly has written two children’s books that tell the story of America’s founding and revolutionary history. Good Night Little American and Good Night Young American came out on June 2nd and tell the story o...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with John Gregory, Executive Director at the Kentucky Center for Leadership. John has more than 20 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, dedicated to developing individuals, strengthening teams, and building cultures where employees can thrive. His expertise spans Human Resources, Training, Leadership Deve...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Dr. Evelyn Thrasher, Dean of WKU’s Gordon Ford College of Business. https://www.wku.edu/business/ In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, twelve WKU graduate programs landed among the best in the country—including five from the Gordon Ford College of Business. Dr. Thrasher breaks d...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with John Harnage, owner of Kentucky Thermal Institute. John is being recognized nationally this week after being named the 2026 Small Businessperson of the Year for Kentucky by the U.S. Small Business Administration. It’s one of the nation’s highest honors for small business leadership. Kentucky Thermal Institute is b...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Alex Downing, President and CEO of Franklin Bank and Trust. https://www.fbtco.com/ Downing talks about his transition from accountant to leading the College Heights Foundation to leading Franklin Bank and Trust. He’s also has a lifetime of memories (and memorabilia) from WKU where his father served as president fr...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Maureen Carpenter, President and CEO of the Barren County Economic Authority. https://barrencoea.com/ Carpenter talks about Glasgow’s recent historic milestone, ranking No. 9 in the nation among micropolitan communities in the 2025 Site Selection Governor’s Cup rankings, based on the number of economic development...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Julie Milam, Executive Vice President of Partnership Services at the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. https://www.bgchamber.com/ Milam is widely known across South Central Kentucky for her long-standing commitment to community development and economic growth having spent 17 years as General Manager at WNKY-...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Dr. Gary Houchens, Board Chair for Chesterton Academy. https://chestertonbgky.com/ For the first time in more than a half a century, Bowling Green will be home to a Catholic High School beginning this fall. Chesterton Academy is a faith-based, academically rigorous high school opening initially to freshmen and sop...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, host Jim DeCesare sits down with Kevin Wallace, newly appointed Director of Corporate Development for ABR Systems Group. https://www.abrsg.com/ Wallace has earned numerous state and national coaching honors and is recognized for his leadership and lasting impact on high school football in Kentucky. He retired after the 2025 season with a career record of 37...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Bowling Green City Manager Jeff Meisel. https://www.bgky.org/ Meisel began his career with the City in 2002 as City Treasurer, was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2006, and became City Manager in 2018. He’s only the sixth city manager in Bowling Green’s history! Meisel has an update on the long awaited Rive...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Dr. Martha Sales, Vice President of Student Success and Dean of Students at WKU. https://www.wku.edu/admin/staff/studentexperience With her 27 years of grant writing experience, Dr. Sales has been awarded 20+ million for students' success. It would be hard to overstate the impact she has made at WKU. Aside from he...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Dave Deerman, executive coach, author, speaker, and longtime ministry leader. Over his 43 years in ministry, Dave has served as a church planter, lead pastor of a 1,000-member congregation, executive pastor in two megachurches, and an executive in real-estate research. Today, he works with MVP Leader Group, a nonp...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Santa Claus! In honor of Christmas week AND the 100TH EPISODE of The DeCesare Group Podcast, Jim talks with Santa about all the preparations that go into the busy holiday season! He also gets into how many years his agent, Nick Wilkins, has kept him booked and busy here in South Central Kentucky. https://www.faceb...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Retired Lieutenant General Steven L. Basham. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/467205/steven-l-basham/ General Basham is back in Bowling Green after serving more than 36 years in the United States Air Force in various leadership roles across the Department of Defense. His most recent assignme...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Jeff Fields. Jeff is the Founder and CEO of Cheetah Clean Auto Wash, one of the fastest growing, privately held carwash platforms in the Kentucky/Tennessee and Mid-South Area. https://cheetahclean.com/ He talks about how he took a small automotive detailing operation in Bowling Green and transformed it into Cheeta...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, host Jim DeCesare welcomes Allison Mefford, Director of the Education Foundation for Warren County Public Schools. Allison shares exciting news about the upcoming IMPACT Center for Leadership and Innovation, set to open in 2026 in Warren County. Designed as a state-of-the-art hub for both students and educators, the IMPACT Center will serve middle and high...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Mike D’Eramo, CEO of Graves Gilbert Clinic, to discuss an alliance between GGC Health and Ascension Saint Thomas, a formal, clinically integrated partnership designed to transform how outpatient care is delivered across southcentral Kentucky. https://www.gravesgilbert.com/ This collaboration brings together two tr...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, host Jim DeCesare sits down with Miles Leach, Founder and CEO of Kanbol, Inc in Auburn Kentucky. https://www.kanbolinc.com/ Miles is the brains behind an innovative and sustainable way to create packaging from one of the U.S.’s most abundant crops, corn. Chances are you have used some of these eco-friendly disposable food containers. He talks about the orig...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with State Senator Mike Wilson . He currently serves as State Senator for District 32 which includes Warren, Simpson, Logan and Todd counties. He is the Senate Majority Whip serving in Senate leadership. Mike serves on several committees and sub-committees in the Senate such as Education, Economic Development Tourism &...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Dr. Ryan Quarles, President of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. https://kctcs.edu/ KCTCS has sixteen community and technical colleges including SKYCTC here in Bowling Green. Ryan is also a former legislator, a former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner and a ninth generation farmer at Quarles Far...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower. https://warrencountykysheriff.com/ Sheriff Hightower has served in the position since late 2018. He began his law enforcement career in 1994 at the Bowling Green Police Department. His leadership skills were developed through his 21 years of military service and continuing ed...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, host Jim DeCesare sits down with Lifeskills President and CEO Joe Dan Beavers and Lifeskills Director of Legal and Governmental Affairs Whitney Westerfield. https://www.lifeskills.com/ Lifeskills Industries is a vital organization that’s been South Central Kentucky’s premier provider of mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities services...

This week on The DeCesare Group Podcast, join Jim DeCesare for his conversation with Johan Mirkovic, Vice President and General Manager of The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs in Simpson County. https://themintkentuckydowns.com/ Mirkovic explains the hype around Kentucky’s largest sportsbook opening this month at The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs in Simpson County. Whether it's college foot...