Dedra Renee “Dee Dee” Ford grew up in Campbellsville (Taylor County), Kentucky. During those formative years, her family was involved in local and state Democratic campaigns. She attended many campaign events with her family and went to many Democratic Woman’s Club meeting with her ...
Read moreDedra Renee “Dee Dee” Ford grew up in Campbellsville (Taylor County), Kentucky. During those formative years, her family was involved in local and state Democratic campaigns. She attended many campaign events with her family and went to many Democratic Woman’s Club meeting with her grandmother. While she doesn’t remember it, her first campaign experience, was for Wilson Wyatt’s Senatorial Campaign. (Her grandmother was the Lady’s County Chairwoman for his campaign in Taylor County. “Grandma” let Dee Dee wear the bonnet in a baby photo!
In 1984, Dee Dee graduated from the University of Kentucky, College of Business & Economics with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
After graduation, she relocated to Louisville, Kentucky where she lived for almost 20 years. While in Louisville, she was active in the Junior League of Louisville, was selected to be a Loaned Executive for Metro United Way, served as President of Louisville Third Century, active with Greater Louisville Business Alliance and in 1997 was selected as one of forty young emerging business leaders who demonstrated the ability to impact the future of the Louisville community as one of Business First’s 40 under 40. Additionally, Dee Dee was active with the Louisville chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), where she was awarded Corporate Partner of the Year in 2006.
In 2005, Dee Dee married Howard Keene and she relocated to Bardstown, Kentucky. In Bardstown, she has been active in the Nelson County Democratic Executive Committee and served as President of the Nelson County Democratic Woman’s Club. In 2008, Dee Dee initiated the first Nelson County Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner. It has become the Nelson County Democratic Party’s main fundraiser and a local tradition. She served as President of the Democrat Woman’s Club of Kentucky 2012-2014. She is also a 2012 graduate of Emerge Kentucky. She continues to serve on the Nelson County Democratic Executive Committee, and is serving her second term on the Kentucky Democrat Party’s State Central Executive Committee. In 2017, she served on the search committee to hire a new Chair for the Kentucky Democrat Party, who ultimately chose Ben Self.
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