THE GHEENS FOUNDATION
+1.502.584.4650
The Gheens Foundation
401 West Main Street Louisville KY 40202
Phoebe A. Wood - Chair of the Board of Trustees
Phoebe Wood joined the Gheens Foundation as a Trustee in 2006 and became Chair of the Board on January 1, 2026. Ms. Wood is Founder and CEO of KirtleyWood, a board governance advisory firm, and Principal of CompaniesWood, a firm that specializes in investing and advising early-stage companies. Ms. Wood retired as Vice Chair and Chief Financial Officer of Brown-Forman Corporation following 24 years in financial leadership at Atlantic Richfield, now BP.
Ms. Wood is a corporate director of Invesco Ltd., PPL Corporation, and Leggett & Platt. She previously served on the boards of Pioneer Natural Resources Co., Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc, and OshKosh B’Gosh.
Ms. Wood chairs the board of The American Printing House for the Blind, which is building the most inclusive museum in the world, The Dot Experience. She is a Trustee emerita of Smith College, her alma mater. She has an MBA from UCLA and was named one of 100 Inspirational Alumni of the Anderson School of Management. She is Treasurer of Chatham House Foundation, associated with the British think tank, a member of the Committee of 200, the International Women’s Forum, and the Junior League.
Ms. Wood was named to the National Association of Corporate Directors “Directorship 100” in 2018, was recognized as one of the Junior League’s national Forty Over 40 and received the Junior Achievement Kentuckiana Hall of Fame and Kentucky Chamber’s Investor of the Year awards.
Lori H. Flanery, President & CEO
Lori Hudson Flanery joined the Gheens Foundation as President & CEO in November of 2025, having served as a trustee since 2018.
She most recently held the President & CEO role at New Directions, one of Louisville’s largest nonprofits. Lori previously held legal and executive roles in Kentucky’s state government, including as Secretary of the Finance & Administration Cabinet for Governor Steve Beshear, and practiced law in the private sector early in her career.
Lori’s civic engagement includes service on several nonprofit boards as well as advisory committees for local, regional and national financial institutions. She was the 2024-2025 President of the Rotary Club of Louisville and continues to be an active member of the Club.
Lori holds a B.A. in English (with honors and in the Honors Program) from the University of Kentucky, as well as a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. She resides in the Louisville area with her husband, Kevin, where together they enjoy four adult children and two grandsons.
Lori can be reached: lori@gheensfoundation.org (502)996-8098
Kathy Knotts, Sr. Vice President & Director of Grants Management
Kathy came to The Gheens Foundation in 2014 after serving as managing director of KentuckyShow! and director of marketing, e-commerce and public relations for Knotts Shoes. She began her career in public relations with Humana, specializing in writing and community relations, and produced their first corporate news program. Kathy graduated from Murray State University with a B.A. in Journalism and minors in art and public relations.
She currently serves on the boards of Bernheim Forest and Research Arboretum, Louisville Free Public Library Foundation and is a member of the Archdiocese of Louisville Development Council. Kathy is a graduate of Leadership Louisville and Bingham Fellows and holds a certificate in Executive Nonprofit Leadership from Indiana University's Lilly School of Philanthropy.
Kathy can be reached: kathy@gheensfoundation.org (502)584-4652