A Day of Her Own—Lexington Mayor’s Proclamation Honors Women’s Business Center of Kentucky
Executive Director Devanny King
Lexington, KY — May 28, 2025 — On May 22nd, 2025, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton officially proclaimed the date Devanny King Day, publicly recognizing King and her notable achievements in educating and empowering central Kentucky’s entrepreneurs.
“We are here to honor the small business folks who’ve made a big difference in our community, because business is what drives our ability to serve the people,” explained Mayor Linda Gorton. “I am proud to honor Devanny King for her work here in Lexington. As Executive Director of the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky, Devanny assists small business owners through every stage of their entrepreneurial journey, helping them achieve growth and success.”
The WBC of Kentucky, an initiative of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is hosted by nonprofit Community Ventures and headquartered in Lexington. Part of a nationwide network of 150 WBCs, the WBC of Kentucky has been assisting aspiring entrepreneurs since 2011, paving the way for great ideas to become thriving business ventures with free expert technical assistance, innovative programming and essential resources.
King took over directorship of the WBC of Kentucky in 2023, and in her relatively short time serving in that role King has played an important part in launching and growing small businesses across the Commonwealth. In May of this year, she was the recipient of the SBA’s 2025 Southeast Region WBC Excellence and Innovation Center Award to commemorate her accomplishments.
Born in Williamstown but raised in Medina, Ohio, King returned to Kentucky to earn her undergraduate degree in Business and Communications at Georgetown College before heading to Western Kentucky University for her MBA. King then tapped into her athletic abilities, traveling internationally to play professional basketball while seeking work in her field in the countries where she played. When Covid hit in 2020 she found herself stranded in China, glad to have both her MBA and international work experience to fall back on while waiting to get home.
Taking advantage of the downtime, King created an online consulting business focused on personal/professional development and an online remote management training module developed in direct response to the pandemic. Upon her return to Kentucky, she worked for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) before moving to the WBC.
"Devanny's recent accolades speak volumes about her dedication to small business creation in Kentucky," said Shirie Hawkins, President of Lending for Community Ventures. "Whether it's helping entrepreneurs form a workable business plan, access the funding they need to grow or simply cheering them on, Devanny is invested in helping the people she serves achieve their best possible outcome."
Both the SBA award and Mayor Gorton’s proclamation attest to King’s communication skills and leadership abilities, and she acknowledges that helping budding entrepreneurs achieve their full potential is truly a team sport. King notes that her WBC team is “all in,” helping not only to start businesses, but to transform lives, families and communities along the way.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to receive this proclamation from Mayor Gorton and the City of Lexington. This recognition is a powerful reminder of the impact that women-owned businesses have in our community,” said King. “I sincerely thank Mayor Gorton for her continued dedication to uplifting and supporting women entrepreneurs. This moment is a celebration of every individual who dares to lead, build, and create a better future.”
About Women’s Business Center of Kentucky: Founded in 2011, the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky helps entrepreneurs start and grow businesses in Kentucky. The WBC is partly funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and hosted by Community Ventures Corporation, a private, non-profit community development organization.
About Community Ventures: Founded in 1982 as a community-based, non-profit organization, Community Ventures (CV) strengthens communities and improves the overall quality of life for Kentuckians by supporting job creation, small business ownership, and home ownership. CV is headquartered in Lexington with branch locations in Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Louisville, Mayfield, Millersburg, and Owensboro. For 21 consecutive years, CV has been named Microlender of the Year by the Kentucky Small Business Administration.
Community Ventures | 1450 North Broadway | Lexington, KY 40505 US
