Ashli Watts, the president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, will be the emcee for the next Fancy Farm Picnic this August.
Held as a fundraiser for the St. Jerome Catholic Church in the far west Kentucky town of Fancy Farm, the picnic annually brings together Kentucky politicians for fiery stump speeches in front of a boisterous crowd. Picnic organizers announced that Watts would be the emcee for this year’s picnic in a Tuesday press release.
Watts became the president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber in 2019. The organization represents more than 3,800 member businesses across the state and often brings together its members and Kentucky lawmakers for conversations about economic issues. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce spent the most out of any group to lobby the Kentucky General Assembly in 2024 and 2025.
The picnic’s press release said that as leader of the Kentucky Chamber, Watts “played a key role in the passage of landmark legislation including felony expungement, right-to-work, and tax reform measures.”
“Ashli’s experience and poise make her the ideal choice to guide this year’s political speaking,” said Steven Elder, the political chairman of the picnic. “Her leadership and deep understanding of Kentucky’s political landscape will bring energy, fairness, and insight to this year’s event.”
The Fancy Farm Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 2.
Emcees in recent years have included Lexington’s Father Jim Sichko and David Beck, president of Kentucky Venues.
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McKenna Horsley covers state politics for the Kentucky Lantern. She previously worked for newspapers in Huntington, West Virginia, and Frankfort, Kentucky. She is from northeastern Kentucky.
