Martha Layne Collins Award

Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award

In 1999, the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award was created and presented to former Governor Collins for her contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its people. This award recognizes Kentucky women of achievement who inspire and motivate other women through their personal, community and professional lives.

Winners of the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award are honored at our May conference where they will participate in a panel discussion about the challenges and lessons learned on their journey to becoming an outstanding leader.

2020 Recipients will be recognized at the Business & Leadership Conference

Wednesday, May 20, 2020
8:30am – 3:30pm
Marriott Griffin Gate, Lexington

2019 Martha Layne Collins Award Winners

Laura Boison

Market President
BB&T

Laura Boison is a bank president, community-oriented board member and volunteer, mentor, mother, wife and small business owner. In her role as Market President with BB&T, she is responsible for the success of bank’s investments and brand. She has served in multiple executive positions during her thirty years with JPMorganChase and previous banks. In several positions, including her time at USBank as Market President for Lexington and her current role as Market President with BB&T for Central, South and Eastern Kentucky, she holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve in that position.

Laura has advocated for women throughout her career. She initiated policy changes at First Security National Bank/Bank One (now JPMorganChase) to increase flexibility in family medical leave, sick leave and flex hours; she identified and organized strategies for more active lending for small business and women-owned businesses; and she has mentored numerous emerging professionals.

Laura completed both her MBA and a Bachelor’s in Accounting at the University of Kentucky. She remains involved at University of Kentucky through her support for Gatton College and involvement in the UK Alumni Band. She has also continued her education through numerous executive programs including the program at University of Virginia with JPMorgan Chase, and has been invited to share her experience as a lecturer on banking at schools in Louisiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Laura’s is deeply involved in developing the prosperity of the Lexington community. She is currently serving as Commission Chair of the Visitor and Convention Center Commission. Among other community roles, she serves on the Executive Committee of the Transylvania University Board of Trustees, is active on the board of Chrysalis House, has served in the past as Chair of Bluegrass Care Navigators/Hospice and Women Leading Kentucky, and was also the Treasurer for YMCA of Central Kentucky. She served eight years on the Executive Committee for Commerce Lexington and as Board Chair of the Family Care Center. She was a member of the Women in Kentucky Committee during Governor Patton’s administration, was named Volunteer of the Year by Commerce Lexington in 2012, and nominated to the list of Outstanding Women of the Year in Central Kentucky in 1998.

Sharon Currens

Executive Director
Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Sharon Currens was one of the founders of Lexington’s Rape Crisis Program in the late 1970’s and in 1987 she became the Executive Director of the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Sherry has grown the organization’s staff from 1 to 22. Sherry has advocated for reforms to the domestic violence protective order statute including a provision requiring local governments to make protective orders available 24 hours a day, as well as the expansion of protective orders to victims of dating violence. In the late 1990’s, Sherry and her staff trained law enforcement and justice officials in Kentucky and seven surrounding states to ensure domestic violence protective orders were enforced across state lines. Under Sherry’s leadership, Kentucky was a laboratory for implementation of the full faith and credit provisions of the Violence Against Women Act.In 1996 and 2007, Sherry organized advocates to seek justice for women serving prison sentences for killing their abusers. Thanks to her efforts, two governors granted clemency and pardons to 18 domestic violence survivors. In 2018, KCADV returned more than $30,000 to survivors in the community through its Purple Purse Fund, which supports survivors through financial crises such as car repairs, medical bills, and rental/deposit assistance. For the past 20 years, under Sherry’s guidance the needs of survivors from under served and culturally specific populations are met. Some examples of this include:

• Project Safe ensures that domestic violence services are available and accessible to survivors living with disabilities.
• An immigration advocacy project designed to ensure the availability and accessibility of services to immigrant survivors of domestic violence.
• Ensuring the availability and accessibility of domestic violence services and substance use treatment to survivors struggling with addiction.
• Training for member program staff that highlights implicit bias and safe and affirming care for survivors who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
• A clemency initiative designed to address the needs of women in prison.

Previous Winners

2018