Known as the father of affordable housing in Kentucky, F. Lynn Luallen has left his mark throughout the Commonwealth. He had an innate ability to relate to any audience and he made both customers and employees feel welcome and heard.
Now, his legacy will continue. Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) created a new annual award in Luallen’s honor and named him as the first recipient at its 50th-anniversary celebration and awards dinner September 21 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville.
F. Lynn Luallen receives the inaugural award named in his honor during the KHC 50th Anniversary celebration (Photo from KHC)
“We are so proud to honor Lynn Luallen for his lifetime of achievements and exemplary service to the state and the corporation,” said KHC Board Chair Mike Denham. “We hope that it serves not only as recognition tool but an incentive for people throughout the Commonwealth to dream bigger, work harder and find new ways to serve the housing needs of Kentuckians.”
The award was created to recognize leaders in affordable housing whose vision and imagination set them apart. Luallen served four separate terms as the CEO of KHC: 1976 to 1980; 1984 to 1988; 1992 to 1993; and 1996 to 2004. During his tenure, KHC purchased Wheelwright, an abandoned coal company town in eastern Kentucky, to rehabilitate and resell housing to its residents (1979); hosted the first Kentucky Affordable Housing Conference (1985); and assisted its 50,000th homeowner (2000).
Under his leadership, KHC expanded its scope, offering a multitude of housing programs from rental assistance to homeless services. He launched Renaissance Kentucky, which helped renovate towns and improve housing and other opportunities for residents.
A video with comments from his colleagues and friends is available at www.youtube.com.
Luallen was one of many affordable housing leaders honored September 21. Traditionally, KHC honors two individuals per year. To make up for 2020 and 2021, however, when the conference was canceled due to COVID-19, KHC honored five individuals this year. In addition, four special recognitions were presented.
Holly Wiedemann and Tammy Weidinger each received the Dorothy J. Williams Lifetime Achievement Award.
Since 1986, Wiedemann has worked on the renovation, creation, adaptive reuse and development of affordable housing, providing more than 1,200 units in Kentucky and West Virginia. She combined her love of history and housing to turn abandoned schools and buildings into rental housing that rivaled private developments.
Retired Birghton Center CEO Tammy Weidinger received the Dorothy J. Williams Lifetime Achievement Award (Photo from KHC)
Weidinger served at the Brighton Center in Newport for 39 years, including 10 years as president and chief executive officer, providing Northern Kentuckians access to education, employment, financial assistance, housing, substance abuse and more than 40 other programs.
Her work has empowered her clients, giving them the tools and knowledge to transform their lives. Working with agencies in the area, she created a network of support for anyone who entered the Brighton Center’s door, so that no matter what challenge they faced, Weidinger and her staff had a solution.
Garry Watkins and Dave Kreher each received the Mae Street Kidd Public Service Award.
As president of Wabuck Development, Watkins has overseen the development of more than 4,500 affording housing units across the state.
He developed the state’s first Recovery Kentucky housing development; a solar energy-powered development to keep utility costs low for seniors; and one of KHC’s first Innovative Pool projects – Ransdell Living and Learning Center – that provides total care for residents on the autism spectrum and their family members. In addition, he partnered with Western Kentucky University’s Kelly Autism Program to provide residents with life, employment and other skills as well as to help those attending the university in obtaining a degree.
Kreher has worked for nearly 50 years at People’s Self Help Housing to help KHC find more meaningful ways to serve Kentuckians throughout Appalachia. Passionate about affordable housing, Kreher has pushed and guided KHC since its inception and provided Lewis County residents, seniors and families a safe, comfortable, affordable place to live.
Special Recognition awards were presented to:
• Welcome House Inc. — Homeless Services
• Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky — Homeless Management Information Systems
• Public Protection Cabinet Office of Information Technology and Satish Akula and Jennifer Franklin — Intragovernmental Excellence (for their work building the Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund and Homeowner Assistance Fund application portals)
• Matthew Wise (The Healing Place) — Extraordinary Disaster Response
The event also celebrated KHC’s golden anniversary, commemorating 50 years of serving and housing Kentuckians. A recap video of the KHC 50th Anniversary celebration is available online.
Kentucky Housing Corporation
