32 SEPTEMBER 2026 Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Troop Leader, Casting for Recovery Tri-State Heartland Retreat Leader What are your most significant professional accomplishments to date? My most significant professional accomplishment has been establishing the Tri-State Heartland program of Casting for Recovery from the ground up. Starting with no existing funds or infrastructure in our region, I helped build a program that provides no-cost retreats and meaningful support experiences for women impacted by breast cancer. Through community outreach, fundraising, volunteer coordination, and program development, I have helped create opportunities for women to connect, heal, and find support during their cancer journeys. Who inspires you, and how has that influenced your professional journey? My aunt, Susan Brooks, inspires me through her strength, resilience, and unapologetic approach to life. She has faced some of life’s hardest challenges, including supporting her family through a child’s cancer journey and later navigating her own battles with breast cancer and kidney cancer. The strength and courage it took to navigate it all are awe-inspiring, honestly. She is intelligent, adventurous, outdoorsy, and a true example of a strong, independent woman who lives life on her own terms. She attended a Casting for Recovery retreat herself, and seeing the impact that experience had on her helped deepen my connection to this mission. Her journey has influenced my professional path by inspiring me to create opportunities for others facing difficult seasons in life. Through my work with Casting for Recovery Tri-State Heartland, I strive to provide women with the same sense of connection, hope, and support that meant so much to her. What kind of legacy do you hope to leave in your career or community? The legacy I hope to leave is one of service, compassion, and community involvement. I want my children and the girls I mentor through Girl Scouts to see that making a difference does not require some over-the-top showing. It starts with simply showing up for others. I’m constantly looking for opportunities to give back alongside my family and troop, whether that means providing Christmas gifts for children in need, collecting donations during community events like Christmas in the Park, or finding other ways to support those around us. My goal is to create a lasting example so that serving others becomes a natural part of life. Whitney Summers Sponsored by Program Coordinator, Casting for Recovery Tri-State Heartland Kentucky Association of County Treasurers and Finance Officers Member, Commonwealth of Kentucky Notary Public, Murray State University Alumni Member, Bardwell Baptist Church Member What are your most significant professional accomplishments to date? My most significant professional accomplishments to date are a hybrid of strong fiscal management and academic contribution. For Fiscal Year 2026, I directed county financial operations by utilizing strategic budgetary controls that yielded a $557,000 General Fund surplus that can be used to invest in future infrastructure. Additionally, I invested excess working capital to maintain a continuing two-year average growth rate of 10% on county investments, maximizing public funds while ensuring daily operational liquidity. On the academic front, I co-authored a peer-reviewed, case-study-style paper published in the Journal of Financial Case Research (Vol. 20, No. 2), utilizing institutional theory to analyze how financial intermediaries engage in political corporate social responsibility (PCSR) and manage reputational risks when “debanking” high-profile clients. Describe a challenge in your career and how you overcame it. Being the youngest appointed County Treasurer in the state at age 23, I faced a double barrier: learning how to effectively execute a complex public role while also overcoming generational barriers to prove that the “young guy” could be a financial professional worthy of respect from older peers. I overcame this by doing what I do best—studying the data in front of me and putting it to work. Building on the legacy left by the previous treasurer, I combined existing data with additional research to build new financial reports and models. I managed to condense overwhelming, 50-plus-page reports into just a few pages that are easily readable for our elected leaders. Doing this didn’t just streamline our office; it earned the respect of my peers and proved the value of my perspective. What kind of legacy do you hope to leave in your career or community? I hope to leave a legacy that inspires the fighting spirit of the average American. There is so much talent in the U.S. workforce, much of which could lead to effective changes if properly applied. I can only hope that when people look at the legacy of my work, it reflects the character of someone who constantly put their best effort forward and adhered to the mentality of “no man left behind.” Carlisle County Treasurer, Carlisle County Fiscal Court Zachary Dowdy
