Glasscock to Serve as Executive Director for KEEP

The Kentucky Equine Education Project's board of directors announced Dec. 28 that longtime consultant Will Glasscock will be promoted to executive director Jan. 1.

This follows the announcement by Elisabeth Jensen in September that she would be stepping down from her leadership role in the organization. 

Glasscock began working as a consultant for KEEP in 2017. Since then, he has worked with many different facets of the organization and its mission, including KEEP's advocacy in Frankfort, Ky., and Washington, D.C., the grassroots membership, strategic planning, and the KEEP Foundation. Most recently, Glasscock launched KEEP's Legislative Advocacy Committee, an important element in connecting individuals in the equine industry with legislators in Frankfort and providing education and information on relevant policy. 

Additionally, the board announced that Jensen will remain close to the organization and serve as a consultant with both the KEEP Alliance and the KEEP Foundation. In that role, Jensen will assist KEEP in managing board relations, industry stakeholders, and long-term strategic planning.

Case Clay, chairman of KEEP's board of directors, commented, "Will's significant knowledge of the legislative process and the needs of our industry, as well as his many years with KEEP, will allow for a smooth transition and immediate success in his new role."

Glasscock commented on the announcement and the work ahead, "I am honored to have been asked to take on this position for an organization that is so vital to Kentucky and to Kentucky's horse industry. Thanks to Elisabeth Jensen's leadership for the past five years, KEEP is stronger than ever, and I look forward to building on the organization's success. I also look forward to continuing to work with Elisabeth in her new role and with the KEEP board of directors and its leadership."

Glasscock continued, "Kentucky's horse industry is once again leading the nation and its growth continues on a positive trajectory. It is imperative that we continue working to sustain Kentucky's success. Additionally, we will maintain KEEP's focus on the labor shortages facing the industry, as well as the importance of educating and informing Kentuckians about the true impact that the industry has on the commonwealth's economy." 

Glasscock grew up in Kentucky and attended the College of Charleston and George Washington University. He was in Washington for nearly nine years, where he worked for two members of Congress and as director of government relations for a national trade association. Prior to returning to Kentucky in 2014, Glasscock and his wife Amy took a mid-career volunteer opportunity and spent two years serving as Peace Corps volunteers in rural East Java, Indonesia.

Glasscock volunteers locally coaching youth sports and has served on the boards of the International Book Project, the Kentucky Peace Corps Association, the Clark County Community Foundation, and First Christian Church, Winchester, Ky. Glasscock and his wife have a daughter and reside in Lexington.