Lexington Community Land Trust (LCLT) is a Community-Led Membership Organization. Every resident in an LCLT home, whether renter or homeowner, is automatically a voting member of the LCLT. Any other interested person residing in Fayette County should contact the LCLT about membership qualifications.
Board of Directors
The LCLT Board is a tri-partite board with twelve to fifteen members in three categories: Lessee Directors are residents who lease or own land and housing in the LCLT; General Directors represent members of the Fayette County community; and Public Directors representing interests of the general public (KY Transportation Cabinet, LFUCG, Federal Highway Administration, Councilmembers, e.g.). There are four elected officer positions on the Board: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
President – Deacon Byron C. Mitchell
Byron C. Mitchell is the current President of the LCLT. He is a native of Lexington, Kentucky, and a proud graduate of Lafayette High School. He was employed with Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, in the Division of Water Quality as an Engineer Technician for 33 years and retired in summer of 2021.
Byron is an active member of Bethsaida Baptist Church, serving under his Pastor Rev. Dr. Bishop E. Carter III. He is Chairman of the Deacon Board and has served as Vice President and now President of the Layman’s Auxiliary of the Consolidated Baptist District Association. Byron has served on several boards in Lexington including the Youth Enter City Development Board-Survivor II Program and the Lexington Community Land Trust. He is an ambassador for Grounded Solutions for Affordable Housing.
Byron is a devout Christian, has a sterling character and extremely devoted to his community and Christian service.
Vice President – Cassandra Moore
Cassandra Moore is the current Vice President of the LCLT. She is a Health Information Specialist I for Ohio State University and also serves on the board of Complexion Community Development. She moved to Davis Park in 2014 and shortly after, was elected to the LCLT Board. Cassandra joined the LCLT because she loves helping minority communities and the community the LCLT is developing in Davis Park. A previous job allowed her to help families in need with housing, food, and education. There she developed an awareness and understanding of the complexities of community needs and now she wants to continue to provide help in her new community.
Cassandra’s aspirations for the LCLT is to see it thrive and expand throughout Kentucky. Sustainable affordable housing is needed more now than ever before and she strongly believes that the LCLT can continue to make a major difference in addressing the housing crisis in the Lexington-Fayette County area.
Secretary – Juliana McDonald
Juliana McDonald is the current Secretary of the LCLT. She is a longtime resident of Lexington. She completed a Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky where she trained as a social scientist and applied cultural anthropologist. In 2005, she joined the Newtown Pike Extension Project, bringing knowledge about diversity, environmental justice, and development to this long term and unique project. She has produced key publications and given multiple presentations to academic and professional organizations detailing this work. She worked with project team members to conduct collaborative research with community residents for a social needs assessment (2005-2006). Currently, she is conducting an evaluation of the mitigation.
Juliana is a strong supporter of the community land trust model as a way to retain control of land and provide affordable housing for residents who are negatively impacted by development such as the Newtown Pike Extension. She has a deep commitment to the past and current residents of this community to do as much as she possibly can to help it develop into a sustainable, safe, and affordable neighborhood in downtown Lexington.
Treasurer – Kenneth Lee Demus, Sr.
Kenneth Lee Demus, Sr. is the current Treasurer of the LCLT. He is the fourth of eight children of Felix and Shirley Demus and a long-time resident of Davis Bottom. Kenneth graduated from Lafayette High School in 1979. He then attended Central Vocational School, majoring in Culinary Arts. In 1981 he was appointed leader of the Southend Democratic Youth Organization by then Mayor Scotty Baesler. In 1982 he accepted a position with Fayette County Public Schools as a school bus driver. Kenneth, now a Certified Driver Trainer and Supervisor, conducts classes instructing people on how to become school bus drivers. Kenneth’s greatest achievement and blessing has been becoming the proud father of three beautiful daughters and a son. While Kenneth has struggled with the challenges of being a single parent, three of his four children have graduated from college, with the youngest currently enrolled at Transylvania University. Kenneth credits his children for the success in his own life. Kenneth is currently a CLT homeowner and serves as a 2016 Resident Ambassador for the Grounded Solutions Network, which represents permanently affordable housing across the country.
Board Members
Board Member– Arthur Crosby
Bio Coming Soon.
Board Member – Connie Godfrey
Connie’s journey with the Newtown Pike Extension program began in 2008/2009 when she joined the Newtown Pike Extension Project team as a “Community Support “ worker on behalf of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government. Connie assisted residents who were relocating into temporary housing while permanent housing in the new neighborhood of Davis Park was being constructed. By virtue of that position, she became the LFUCG representative on the LCLT Board and was recenlty reelected to that position. In 2021, Connie retired from LFUCG as Director of Adult and Tenant Services. Connie is a mother and grandmother of nine beautiful grandchildren .
She is very active in other Boards, business ventures, and the Blessed community of Lexington Kentucky.
Board Member – Councilmember Hannah LeGris, 3rd District
Councilmember Hannah LeGris joined the Lexington Community Land Trust Board in January 2021 when she was sworn in as Lexington’s 3rd District Councilmember. Early in Hannah’s career, she worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer which led her to become curious about housing needs. Now, as a representative of a diverse district with a high number of renters, Hannah is invested in affordable housing and housing opportunities using the land trust model as one that can be transformative. As a board member, Hannah intends to focus on connections to government, sharing accurate information about the land trust model, and generating helpful policy and support on a local level.
Board Member – Councilmember Jennifer Reynolds, 11th District
Councilmember Reynolds grew up in Central Kentucky and was first elected to the Urban County Council to represent the 11th District in 2018. She is currently serving in her third term and has a background in anthropology, nonprofit work, owning a business, and is a qualified Spanish-English interpreter. On Council she has focused on issues such as language access, community safety, and main corridors to name a few. Jennifer was asked to join the board after her district was reorganized to include Davis Park in December 2021. She brings over 15 years of experience in fundraising and non-profit work to the Community Land Trust.
Board Member – Danielle Sanders
Danielle Sanders is a proud native of Lexington, KY. She became the Director of Community and Resident Services (formerly Adult and Tenant Services ) for LFUCG after a twenty year career with Kentucky’s Drug Court programs (Adult, Juvenile, Family and Veterans Treatment Courts). She joined the LCLT board in December 2022. As she grows in her position with LFUCG, she hopes to bring awareness and accountability for numerous concerns around affordable housing to the LCLT.
Board Member – Godfrey Morata
Godfrey is a former flight attendant with United Airlines and now works as the Patient Clerical Assistant at UK’s Chandler Hospital in the Markey Cancer Center. He is a Davis Park resident and proud home owner through the LCLT. Godfrey loves taking classes, volunteering, traveling, and experiencing new foods and cultures. His hometown is San Francisco, CA and comes from a family consisting mostly of police officers, teachers, nurses, and social workers. From them he inherited his passion for social justice, entrepreneurship, and hard work. Godfrey believes in the power of people, communities, and in nurturing goals to help each other succeed. Shape your dreams and work them into reality!
Board Member – Wilma K. Thompson
Photo and bio coming soon.
Board Member – Linda Wilson
Photo and bio coming soon.
Board Member –Michele Baker
Michele Baker is an Administrative Service Assistant at the Kentucky Transportation Center and has been a part of KTC for the past eight years. She works in the KTC Business Office, is responsible for payroll, and assists with Human Resources responsibilities. She has lived in Davis Park since 2014 and has been a board member of LCLT since 2015. She joined the LCLT because she was excited about what they were doing in her community. Michele believes strongly in the overall Mission and Vision of the LCLT. She has worked for a law firm representing several entities that foreclosed homes. She has firsthand experience of the devastation this can cause to families and feels good to be a part of an organization that helps create affordable homes for families.
Her expertise is bringing an insight into organizations looking for homes to foreclose and excellent organizational skills. Davis Park is only the beginning. Michele is working to help expand the LCLT beyond the Davis Park area. There’s a city here that’s waiting for the LCLT!
Board Member – Shameka Brooks
Bio coming soon.
Board Member – Stuart C. Goodpaster, P.E.
Stuart C. Goodpaster is a lifelong resident of Lexington, Kentucky. He is a graduate of Bryan Station High School and the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. He has worked in various aspects of Engineering, including Planning, Roadway and Structure Design and Construction Oversight. Stuart served as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Project Manager for the Newtown Pike Extension Project from 2012 to 2019. He was elected to the Board in 2022. He brings to the LCLT Board a knowledge of design, construction, federal, state, and local funding. He is currently employed as a Senior Structural Engineer with American Engineering, Inc. He enjoys travel, reading, working out, movies, and spending time with his family and friends.