Alumni Spotlight – Catrena Bowman (JANUARY 2018)

This months Member Spotlight focuses on proud anodized titanium card carrying Lifetime Member of the Leadership Lexington Alumni Association, Catrena Bowman. Originally from Madisonville, Kentucky, an academic scholarship to the University of Kentucky (she has beauty and brains) brought her to Lexington in the 1990s and she has been here ever since. Catrena is the Director of Community Services at Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas counties. The Community Action Council is an economic development organization that works with families to help them move through the continuum of self-sufficiency by providing outstanding child development services at their Prep Academies, offering safety net services to prevent homelessness and work with families to find gainful employment by providing short-term certified training. Catrena is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Lexington. As the case with many alumni, she greatly enjoyed the experience noting that it “exposed me to facets of Lexington that I never knew existed or had not taken the time to fully explore…..I enjoyed making new friends and meeting new people that work in other industries.” Highlights of her year included 1) visiting Keeneland and watching the horses work out early in the morning and 2) “Diversity and Inclusion Day” as “we were able to talk about race and equality in our country and be vulnerable to talk through our own biases and to hear and see the perspective of others”. As anyone who knows Catrena can attest to, she has a passion for fashion. She even hosts a radio show on Lexington Community Radio called “Inspired Fashion” in which “we inspire women and men to look and feel their very best!” You can find her on Facebook at Inspired Fashion, on Instagram @inspiredfashn40 and on Snapchat as inspiredfashn. She frequently post videos on her shopping experiences and tips for finding great deals. If you have any fashion questions (Are socks with sandals finally back in?), do not hesitate to contact her. Catrena has many passions, but raising her three children (22, 19 and 16) is her biggest priority. Now that they are getting older, she has more opportunities to enjoy Lexington’s vibrant nightlife. She enjoys jazz at Creaux and Thursday Night Live during the Summer. If you see Catrena, tell her hello (but don’t ask to see her Lifetime Member card)! She may even give you a little free fashion advice – not that you need it.