By Blake Jackson
Alison Davis, executive director of Blueprint Kentucky and assistant vice president of land-grant engagement, has been honored with the 2026 Bonnie Teater Community Development Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC).
Davis received the recognition during the National Association for Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Meeting held in Wichita, Kansas, in June 2026.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to community development through Extension programs.
Davis also made history as the first recipient to earn both of SRDC's Bonnie Teater honors, having previously received the Early Career Achievement Award in 2011.
"Dr. Davis’s career reflects the very best of Cooperative Extension,” said Jennifer Hunter, associate dean for Extension and director of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.
“She has dedicated her work to helping Kentucky communities identify opportunities, solve complex challenges and build stronger local economies through collaboration and innovation. Her leadership has strengthened Extension's impact across the Commonwealth while also advancing community development nationally.”
Since joining the University of Kentucky Department of Agricultural Economics in 2006, Davis has played a key role in supporting Extension professionals and rural communities through research, education, and collaborative development initiatives.
Davis has contributed to programs including CREATE BRIDGES, Stronger Economies Together (SET), the Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP), AccelerateKY, the Business Retention and Expansion Program, the Recovery and Resilience Project, and the Kentucky Downtown Revitalization Program.
Davis also led the transformation of the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky into Blueprint Kentucky, a nationally recognized center for community and economic development.
Since 2019, Davis has secured more than $19 million in competitive funding while serving as a principal or co-principal investigator on more than 20 projects and has authored numerous publications and educational resources.
“Alison is a shining representative of the type of person and career we seek to honor with the Bonnie Teater Lifetime Achievement Award,” said John Green, former director of the Southern Rural Development Center, when he presented the award.
Photo Credit: southern-rural-development-center
Categories: Kentucky, Business, Education