The Health Collaborative invites you to this year’s Health Summit, Reconnecting the Region at 10am on January 14, 2026 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.

This year, we are excited to welcome as our keynote speaker, Richard Young, Founder and Executive Director of CivicLex, a non-profit strengthening civic health in Lexington, Kentucky.

Richard Young, Founder and Executive Director of CivicLex

CivicLex works to help their community understand and get involved in local issues, connect with their neighbors, and have a say in decision making.

Sound familiar?

We certainly thought so when some of us visited Lexington in November of 2024 to learn more about the ways in which CivicLex works with their local government and schools to improve civic engagement in their community.

We know that efforts to strengthen civic health lead to much better outcomes.

Research shows:

• Progress is made toward health equity when all people are heard and have meaningful participation in decision making processes.
• A positive relationship between civic engagement and economic resilience.
• When previously disenfranchised groups build power and express their will through voting and advocacy, the policies that followed benefited the health and well-being of all.

We are excited to introduce you to Richard so you can learn more about how they do this work and the impacts they’ve seen.

Local Leaders Discuss Civic Engagement

We’re looking forward to having our very own Annie Martinie with us at the Health Summit to host a panel conversation on civic engagement efforts right here in the Dan River Region. It should be a great conversation with the following local leaders, many of whom had the opportunity to meet their peers in Lexington to hear about how the work of CivicLex has impacted their own work and created capacity.

• Amanda Paez
• Bianca Lee 
• Clark Casteel
• Portia Fitzgerald
• Rachel Covington

Celebrate & Reconnect

This year’s Health Summit agenda includes many opportunities to connect or reconnect with other working across the region. We also look forward to celebrating our region’s Change Makers!

The event is FREE, but please help us prepare and RSVP HERE.