Burt Lauderdale

Burt Lauderdale is the Executive Director of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth.  KFTC is a statewide, membership-based social justice organization that uses community organizing and grassroots leadership development to address a wide range of public policy issues.  For over 27 years, KFTC members and chapters have been organized winning campaigns around coal, water, housing, tax policy, mine safety, and more.  KFTC’s recent campaigns include ending mountaintop removal, comprehensive state tax reform, and restoration of voting rights for former felons, and economic development reform.

This fall KFTC launched a new organizing program, the New Power Initiative.  The New Power Initiative is designed to weave together KFTC’s current campaigns, elevate key strategies of leadership development and communications, and increase the organization’s membership and impact.  Through the initiative, KFTC is launching a new campaign to create a new energy economy including work to stop a proposed coal-fired power plant, develop local clean energy demonstration projects, and support adoption of state and national energy and job creation policies.

Lauderdale grew up in Alabama and is a graduate of Auburn University.  He and is wife Jenny have two teenage sons.  He lives and works in rural Laurel County, Kentucky and has worked for KFTC as a chapter organizer, staff coordinator, and executive director. Burt serves or has served on various national network and organization boards or steering committees related to community organizing and progressive change, including the Pushback Network, the Alliance For Appalachia, the Progressive Technology Project, Southern Organizing Cooperative, and the New World Foundation.