Previous Unsung Hero Winners

2023 Winners

Martin Ashford - Lexington Unsung Hero

A member of the Lexington Fire Department for 9 years, FF Martin Ashford serves as an EMT and Hazmat Tech. When he isn’t busy studying to complete his degree in Fire Science Technology at BCTC and speaking students across Lexington at career fairs and panels at his alma mater Bryan Station High School, the Boy Scouts, and the Team Mack AAU program, FF Martin coaches basketball at the Dunbar Community Center. He is a member of the Lexington Professional Black Firefighters and is a noted leader discussing the vision of the organization and recruiting efforts that address underrepresented minorities in the department.

Christina Howard, MD, FAAP - Community Hero

Dr. Christina Howard became chief of Pediatric Forensic Medicine at Kentucky Children’s Hospital in September 2015. In the eight years since, she has expanded the team from one physician and registered nurse to a team of 15, made up of physicians, registered nurses, licensed clinical social workers, and a patient navigator. She and her team in Pediatric Forensic Medicine at Kentucky Children’s Hospital provides services to approximately 700 children each year from Lexington and across Kentucky who ave experienced alleged maltreatment or abuse. The team works tirelessly to care for every child that comes into the clinic, listening to each patient and providing trauma-informed, specialized care. Kentucky’s kids are safer, healthier, and happier because of her expertise and selfless service.

Carla Guthrie - Dedicated Hero

For over 25 years, Carla has been active in serving families and individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Her career began as a volunteer with the Best Friends program after helping her father who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In addition to her job, Carla continues to serve this population as a volunteer, leading independent support groups, fundraising and helping develop other services providers in the field. She freely gives her time in counseling and coaching families to help them deal with the life and family changes brought on by this disease.

Michael Price - Distinguished Hero

Having completed 25 years of service with Fayette County Public Schools in 2023, Michael Price served the last 12 years as principal of Breckinridge Elementary School in Lexington. Principal Price has held many roles during his tenure at FCPS: teacher, writing coach, assistant principal, and principal. He’s an advocate for access and opportunity for all children, especially those from underserved populations in Lexington, and goes above and beyond to ensure that students have equitable opportunities for learning and growth. Michael works hard to spread joy to kids at Breckinridge Elementary and every day he sets out to bring a smile to those he encounters, always looking for ways to help those around him, students, and teachers alike, learn and grow.

Jeff Herron - Emerging Hero

As the Manager of Lexington’s Office of Homelessness Prevention & Intervention, he spearheads the community’s response to homelessness by fostering collaboration among individuals and services to identify and address needs. The respect the community and his peers have for him can be seen in the responsiveness of partners when he calls - even on late Friday afternoons - problem-solving the emergency shelter needs of residents as he did in the middle of winter when temperatures were set to fall into the negatives for days on end. Despite having limited staff and budget resources, Jeff is recognized as a positive and solutions-oriented leader who consistently makes a significant impact.

Dr. Mark Dougherty - Lifeline Hero

Mark Dougherty, MD, is an epidemiologist at Baptist Health Lexington, the largest not-for-profit health system in Kentucky. In practice for 35 years, Dr. Dougherty founded Lexington Infectious Disease Consultants, and independent practice that works with local hospitals. He, as well as the other members of his practice, are also on staff at CHI St. Joseph and CHI St. Joseph East. He collaborated with other Lexington hospitals and partnered with the University of Kentucky and Norton Healthcare in Louisville on Johnson & Johnson’s clinical research study for a viable COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Dougherty’s expertise was sought out by the national media including CNN, The Washington Post, and other news outlets.

Raul Garces - Administrative Hero

Lexington Public Library’s mission is to connect people, inspire ideas, and transform lives. At Northside branch that means providing food to our community in partnership with God’s Pantry; helping people access resources for jobs, social services and entertainment; being a welcoming space for all; and providing enriching programs. Raul plays a pivotal role in each of these. He communicates with customers, moving seamlessly between English and Spanish, when the language barrier is an obstacle. In the last year, Raul has been hosting a popular ESOL Conversation group at Northside. He regularly acts as a welcoming interpreter to customers as they complete online job applications and onboarding paperwork, is a customer favorite for movie recommendations, and keeps staff morale high with homemade Cuban treats and kind words.