Last week, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear appointed Heaven Hill Brands Chief Human Resources Officer, Emma Hutchens, to his Kentucky Commission on Women. The Kentucky Commission on Women is dedicated to elevating the status of women and girls in the Commonwealth, empowering them to overcome barriers to equity, and expanding opportunities to achieve their full potential. When we heard this news, we were overjoyed. Who better to represent the women of Kentucky, the spirits industry and Heaven Hill Brands in this capacity than Emma?

We had the pleasure of learning more about Emma’s passion for furthering the equitable treatment and representation of women and other marginalized groups across the state, the nation and beyond when we sat down with her to hear about all this opportunity has to offer. Some of the first words out of her mouth were about how grateful and excited she is to represent Heaven Hill Brands and the spirits industry during her four-year term as a Kentucky Commission on Women member.

Emma has a rich history of dedication to furthering diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. In her current role as the Chief Human Resources Officer, Emma leads Heaven Hill Brands’ global human resources strategy development and execution. With over a decade of global human resources experience, she specializes in optimizing the employee experience and driving business results through workforce engagement. Emma has been recognized for her leadership in advancing women in the industry and business as a founding mentor to Leadership Louisville’s Women of Impact Advisory Council (2023-2025).

With her new role as a member of the Kentucky Governor’s Commission on Women, Emma hopes to make an impact in Kentucky, as well as build strong relationships with women leaders across the nation, united in this mission. One focus she is excited to dial in on is advocating for women of color.

Emma believes this is a pivotal time for the Commission, sharing that it is in a relaunching phase, holding its first in-person event since 2018 this March. The Commission has three working committees including the Status of Kentucky Women, focused on data collection and analyzation, Kentucky Women Remembered, responsible for managing, updating and maintaining the KY Women Remembered exhibit in the State Capitol and the KCW Foundation that makes recommendations for future action of an independent non-profit foundation.

She was sworn into the position this Thursday, February 16.

Are you interested in learning more? Visit the Kentucky Commission on Women’s website, or get involved by tuning into the Commission’s live-broadcast, open-to-the-public meetings.