The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP)'s executive vice president, Elisabeth Jensen, will retire from her position at the end of the year. During Jensen's leadership, which began in 2018, she oversaw the daily operations of the organization and was integral in expanding KEEP to address new issues facing the industry, as well as advancing the goal of preserving and promoting the horse industry's role as Kentucky's signature industry. KEEP is a highly visible advocate in Frankfort, Ky. and Washington, D.C. for both expanding the number of visas available to the industry for immigrant labor, as well as for building the infrastructure for creating a home-grown workforce.
The KEEP Board of Directors is currently performing a search to hire Jensen's replacement. Jensen will continue to serve on the KEEP Board following her retirement.
“Elisabeth has been an incredible asset to the horse industry and we are grateful to have had her at the helm during some of the industry's most serious challenges,” said Case Clay, Chairman of KEEP's Board. “Without her leadership at KEEP, the industry would not be on the solid footing that it is today. There are many challenges and tasks ahead and that is why we are grateful that Elisabeth has agreed to join the KEEP Board of Directors. Her continued input will be immensely valuable to the organization.”
Jensen worked closely with the Kentucky Legislature in 2021 to secure the passage of legislation that maintained historical horse racing as a revenue stream for the industry, resulting in increased purses, greater field sizes, and more equine businesses relocating to Kentucky. She also led KEEP's advocacy to ensure that land-use decisions are made locally to protect the irreplaceable farmland across Central Kentucky; fended off threats of rising tax rates and protected tax exemptions, both related to the horse industry; and worked in partnership with the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center to create the Equine Talent Pipeline initiative.
“A major career and lifestyle change brought me to Kentucky to work in the horse industry for over 20 years,” said Jensen. “It has been a dream to come to work every day in an industry I love and it has been an honor to be an advocate for the horse in Kentucky and across the U.S. I look forward to the opportunity to focus more time and energy on my and my husband's cattle farm and being more involved in family businesses.”
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