Kentucky
From home economist to VP, University of Kentucky alum leads GE Appliances kitchen cleanup enterprise
University of Kentucky alum Cynthia “Cinthy” Fanning, is the current vice president of kitchen clean up products at GE Appliances. At the company’s Appliance Park global headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, the $450 million installation of two new dishwasher manufacturing lines has created approximately 1,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.
Fanning recalls what this moment meant for the company.
“Becoming the number one dishwasher manufacturer in the country was a huge achievement,” Fanning said. “When you work at a company like GE Appliances, there are so many different and exciting opportunities.”
Fanning has spent more than three decades managing products, leading teams and building strategic growth plans at GE Appliances. Some of her responsibilities include new product development, manufacturing, merchandising, sales and more, working with suppliers like Lowe’s and Home Depot.
For Fanning, pursuing a graduate degree in the Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles (MAT) program at the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment was one of the best decisions she made.
“The University of Kentucky has a great reputation, and I love textile science, apparel and merchandising,” Fanning said. “I knew there was a good opportunity to get real– world experience, which was really important to me and valuable for my career. I got to do meaningful projects that led me to GE Appliances.”
UK Textiles Testing Lab and home economics co-op
As a graduate student in 1991, Fanning was a teaching assistant in the Textiles Testing Lab, housed in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management at Martin-Gatton CAFE.
Under the direction of Elizabeth Easter, UK professor and consultant for textiles and textile care, the lab is a hub for the textile and apparel industry on campus — providing assistance in the development, evaluation and performance of new or existing products.
GE Appliances has utilized the services of the Textile Testing Lab to evaluate detergents, laundry equipment and clothes care since 1993. Recently, GE Appliances donated four washers, two dryers and one water softener to upgrade all consumer laundry equipment in the Textile Testing Lab.
“Over the years, Cinthy and GE Appliances has supported our research and acquiring appliances and kitchen, dishwasher and laundry equipment for the Textile Lab,” Easter said. We remain grateful for Cinthy and GE Appliances for their on-going support of the lab.”
While working with Easter in the lab, Fanning was also able to get a home economics in technology cooperative position with GE Appliances, developing and testing GE branded cooking products. In this co-op experience, Fanning’s work led to an awarded patent for developing algorithms in GE Appliances’ “CleanSensor” dishwasher launch in 1995.
These first-and experiential learning opportunities at UK helped Fanning learn important skills that still shape her personally and professionally as a leader at GE Appliances.
“I came from the lab,” Fanning said. “I loved my experience with Dr. Easter while working on real-life projects that were valuable for GE Appliances, and it was a great way to learn about the industry. I learned determination, having a strong work ethic and the value of mentorship. Mentoring people is something that is very important to me as a leader at GE Appliances.”
UK’s presence at GE Appliances
Today, there are over 220 UK alums that work at Appliance Park, representing a consistent workforce development pipeline. Furthermore, GE Appliances’ commitment to developing their early-career professionals from the ground up is something that Fanning believes is a talent feeder.
“We definitely seek out UK students and know they are going to be great employees at GE Appliances,” said Fanning. “We know that they have great educational backgrounds and experiences, which are certainly valuable to an employer. We believe that lifelong learning is important, and we are committed to that as a company.”
Fanning has hired some of these alums to join her team at GE Appliances, including Rachel O’Bryan, recruiting liaison and Edison Engineering Development Program graduate, and Justin Bovard, executive director, kitchen cleanup product manager and member of the UK MBA Advisory Council at the Gatton College of Business and Economics. O’Bryan and Bovard are both graduates from the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
While attending career fairs as a UK undergraduate student, O’Bryan took advantage of three co-op opportunities with GE Appliances. O’Bryan said that her educational and experiential experiences at UK really helped her be successful as an early-career professional at GE Appliances.
“UK has a rigorous program, and my education experience taught me self-discipline,” O’Bryan said. “When I’m working on a project that has really tight deadlines, being organized, getting creative, being resourceful and knowing how to chip away at the problem are all critical to being successful, and are skills I learned while at UK.”
O’Bryan is one of the lead recruiters for GE Appliances and UK, and she offers some recommendations for future graduates to stand out.
“I love going to the career fairs to meet and recruit students,” O’Bryan said. “Beyond being strong academically, I’m looking for well-roundedness, and a curiosity and willingness to learn new things. Being open to investigating a new problem is super critical. I’m inspired when I see passion from students.”
Having worked in various mid-career roles at GE Appliances since 2015, Bovard believes that UK greatly contributed to his success.
“The University of Kentucky challenged me and pulls, pushes you to learn new things,” Bovard said. “UK taught me problem-solving skills and that’s something I use every single day here at GE Appliances.”
For Bovard, working in the “global hub” for GE Appliances offers unique growth and professional opportunities to be exposed to many functions of the business.
“To have manufacturing, sourcing, product and quality management, finance, marketing and sales – everything in one place – it’s enabled me to expand my breath of experience,” Bovard said.
For students seeking long-term professional success, Bovard offers some guidance.
“Find a company that aligns with your personal goals and is committed to supporting your growth,” said Bovard. “Then understand how your specific role fits into the larger company. Once you understand your role, expand and take on additional responsibilities. Doing so will grow your network, expand your expertise and open the door to new opportunities.”
Fanning offers advice for students that want to be future leaders.
“Get your hands dirty and don’t be afraid to fail early,” Fanning said. “Take risks and grow from them. Get a trusted mentor and take advantage of their experiences. And finally, be bold.”
Kentucky’s “bright future”
As a proud alum, Fanning believes that UK students are the key to the future and are important in advancing GE Appliances’ economic impact and investment in Kentucky.
“I know the value of the education that UK provides,” Fanning said. “UK graduates give back to the community. We all take seriously the development of our community and our state. It’s very exciting to see all the investments we are making in Kentucky in workforce development, new jobs and amazing new manufacturing sites that are being built. I see a bright future in front of us in Kentucky.”
To learn more about the Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles program at Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit https://www.mgcafe.uky.edu/academics/programs/bachelors/merchandising-apparel-and-textiles.
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Writer: Christopher Carney, Christopher.Carney@uky.edu
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Kentucky Wildcats reporter on UK basketball 20265-26 under Mark Pope
Kentucky Wildcats reporter Ryan Black on Year 2 under UK basketball coach Mark Pope after the season-ending loss to Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament.
LEXINGTON — Think about Mark Pope’s tenure through two seasons.
What are the first images that come to mind?
Do you think of a notable victory, like beating Duke in the Champions Classic in only his third game as Kentucky basketball’s coach? Or perhaps sweeping all four regular-season meetings against Tennessee? Maybe even topping ex-coach John Calipari last season, handing Arkansas its first — and what turned out to be, only — loss at Bud Walton Arena during the 2025-26 campaign?
Perhaps, as a pessimist, your focus is the losses. They aren’t hard to find. UK was run out of the building a couple times in his debut season (Ohio State in New York, Alabama in Nashville). Those one-sided setbacks — alarmingly — surfaced with more regularity in Year 2.
If you’re more about vibes, Pope has positivity in spades. In a world that can be relentlessly disheartening, Pope’s worldview is refreshing. Critics also can take the opposite tack: Pope hasn’t won enough games, at a high enough level, to be so upbeat all the time. Save those emotions for the offseason, they could say.
Those same detractors likely — and perhaps gleefully — cite his recruiting. The Wildcats’ propensity for missing on high-end high school talent and top transfers has turned into an Internet meme of sorts; though highly touted transfer Milan Momcilovic (formerly of Iowa State) committed to Kentucky on Monday, usage of the word “whiff” probably has increased tenfold since Pope took over the program.
All these varying factors can obscure the bigger picture.
But they also can be instructive.
While there have been highlights along the way, the bottom line is Kentucky hasn’t performed to its lofty historical standard. Pope is 46-26 (.639) entering his third season. If he walked away today, that winning percentage would better only one UK coach in the post-Adolph Rupp era. You Know Who. Billy Gillispie.
Not the company Pope wants to keep. Not the company any Kentucky basketball coach wants to keep if he wants to remain in the job.
Comparing win percentages does require some nuance, of course. Nothing Gillispie accomplished in his two-season stint in Lexington rivals, say, Pope’s first team topping eight opponents ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll at the time of the matchup, which set a single-season school record (and tied a Division I single-season mark). Of greater import is that the SEC waters Pope inhabits are far deeper and more fearsome than anything Gillispie faced. Ergo, conference losses are more likely for every team — even UK, which owns every league record worth crowing about.
The SEC’s toughness aside, Pope himself would admit that’s an excuse. The day he stepped to the microphone in front of a sellout crowd at Rupp Arena for his introductory news conference in April 2024, Pope loudly proclaimed he understood “the assignment.” Which he noted, was to “win banners” at the SEC Tournament. And return to the Final Four. And capture the Wildcats’ ninth national championship.
Through two seasons, no new banners have been added to Rupp Arena’s rafters.
If Pope makes good on those promises, he’ll do so by bucking history.
Almost all of his post-Rupp predecessors achieved more in their first two seasons at UK than Pope. And those that didn’t? They’d proven more at prior stops than Pope’s stints at Utah Valley and BYU.
For all the criticism Gillispie received — and rightly so — at Kentucky, he arrived in the Bluegrass State in 2007 fresh off piloting Texas A&M to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly three decades. In the near-20 years since Gillispie left, the Aggies only have reached the Sweet 16 twice more.
Don’t forget: Pope became his alma mater’s coach without an NCAA victory to his name (in two tries) at BYU.
The picture is bleaker when juxtaposed against other former Kentucky coaches.
Calipari went to the Elite Eight in his first season with the Cats, then the Final Four a year later. Orlando “Tubby” Smith won it all in his maiden campaign at UK, then followed up with an Elite Eight appearance. Rick Pitino guided a sanction-riddled Kentucky group to 14-14 record in Year 1, then had the best record in the SEC (12-4) in his encore campaign — though the Wildcats weren’t eligible to claim the regular-season championship. Even Eddie Sutton, whose tenure landed the program in NCAA hot water, got out of the gate with guns blazing in his opening campaign, posting a 32-4 overall record and sweeping the league’s regular season and tournament titles on his way to the Elite Eight.
Ironically, the closest parallel to Pope is Joe B. Hall.
Both played for UK. Both dearly loved the university. Both had the unenviable task of following ultra-successful coaches — with larger-than-life personalities, to boot — whose tenures had started to sour in the waning years. Both had solid first seasons that preempted a step back in Year 2.
Hall went 13-13 in his second season. He responded by winning a share of the SEC championship (in the days the conference tournament still was on hiatus) and the league’s Coach of the Year award in 1974-75 as the Wildcats finished 26-5. After Indiana demolished Kentucky by 24 points in the regular season in a game remembered for Bob Knight smacking Hall on the back of the head during an exchange in the final minutes, the Cats enacted their revenge in the Elite Eight, handing the undefeated Hoosiers their only loss. The season ended in a seven-point setback to UCLA in the final contest of coaching icon John Wooden’s career.
By the time the buzzer sounded in that national title tilt, Hall had demonstrated Year 2 was an aberration. There was life after Rupp, after all. Hall went to two more Final Fours, cutting down the nets to cap the 1977-78 season. When he retired in 1985, only Rupp had more victories as UK’s coach.
In 2026-27, can Pope author a season like Hall’s third?
A Final Four berth would be a godsend for a fan base that hasn’t enjoyed one since 2015, when the 38-0 bunch stunningly fell to Wisconsin in the national semifinals. Even if next season’s group falls short of the Final Four, Pope must show progress. Like Hall, he must confirm his underwhelming Year 2 was the exception, not the rule.
If he can’t, hope in Pope will be in short supply.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Wednesday, June 3, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
06-07-14-21, Cash Ball: 11
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 7-0-9
Midday: 8-9-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 2-2-9-3
Midday: 7-8-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball
14-16-38-55-64, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball Double Play
26-28-31-56-64, Powerball: 13
Millionaire for Life
04-13-32-51-55, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
Kentucky
Fayette County school board chair, KEA sue to block Kentucky law that would oust current members
LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Fayette County Board of Education Chair Tyler Murphy and the Kentucky Education Association have filed a lawsuit challenging a newly enacted Kentucky law that would overhaul the governance structure of Fayette County Public Schools and force all current board members out of office at the end of 2026.
The lawsuit names the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Fayette County Board of Elections and Fayette County election officials as defendants.
At the center of the legal challenge is Senate Bill 4, which lawmakers passed over Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto earlier this year.
Under the law, the seven-member Fayette County Board of Education would be reduced to five district-based seats, the lawsuit reads. The terms of all current board members would end Dec. 31, 2026, and new elections would be held for the restructured board.
The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional and asks the court to block its implementation, including any election-related actions tied to the measure.
Court filings contend the legislation unlawfully targets a single school district and interferes with the terms of duly elected local officials. Plaintiffs also argue the law violates provisions of the Kentucky Constitution governing local elections and public officeholders.
Attorneys included exhibits detailing criticism of Murphy and Fayette County Public Schools leadership from state lawmakers, including a petition seeking Murphy’s removal and a letter from state Sen. Chris McDaniel calling for the resignations of Murphy and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the law is invalid and requests expedited review from the court due to upcoming election deadlines.
No hearing date had been announced as of Wednesday.
The lawsuit comes as Fayette County Public Schools continues to face scrutiny over budgeting decisions, district spending and governance issues that have drawn attention from state lawmakers over the past year.
In a statement, Representative Matt Lockett criticized Murphy as he highlighted what he stated are district failures under Murphy.
“This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the disaster that Fayette County Public Schools is under Tyler Murphy’s leadership as board chair. Under his watch, the district has spiraled into a financial crisis so severe that it is now seeking to borrow up to $110 million simply to keep the lights on and make it through the school year. Students have been failed. Families have been failed. Teachers and staff have been failed. Taxpayers have been failed. And the Lexington community has been left paying the price for years of mismanagement and poor oversight.
Rather than taking responsibility for the district’s financial failures and focusing on what is best for students, he has chosen to file a lawsuit challenging a law that was duly passed by the General Assembly and enacted through the constitutional process. He may be emboldened by recent rulings by activist judges, but there are no legitimate grounds for overturning a duly enacted statute simply because you can’t do the right thing by this community. The General Assembly has both the authority and the responsibility to establish standards for public offices and governance structures across the Commonwealth.
At a time when Fayette County schools are facing unprecedented financial turmoil, the focus should be on accountability, transparency, and fixing the problems that have brought the district to this point. The only filing Fayette County taxpayers should be expecting from Mr. Murphy is his resignation.”
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