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Lindsey Wilson University, Kentucky League of Cities Celebrate Partnership

Partnership makes Kentucky League of Cities members and their immediate family members eligible to receive scholarship opportunities from Lindsey Wilson.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (10/21/2026) — Lindsey Wilson University might want to consider adding two words to its legendary mission statement.

That's what Columbia Mayor Pamela Hoots '75 suggested at a partnership celebration between Lindsey Wilson and the Kentucky League of Cities, held Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the university's Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center.

The partnership makes employees and elected officials of cities that are members of the Kentucky League of Cities and their immediate family members eligible to receive scholarship opportunities from Lindsey Wilson.

The scholarships will be available to students enrolled in Lindsey Wilson's Educational Outreach bachelor's programs in business administration, communication, criminal justice, human services and counseling, and nursing. It will also apply to the university's graduate programs in business administration, counseling, cybersecurity management, data science and technology management, and the university's doctoral program in counselor education and supervision.

Academic programs in LWU Educational Outreach are offered in traditional, online and hybrid formats.

Lindsey Wilson Assistant Vice President of Educational Outreach Tommie Saragas '03 said the partnership is another example of how the university seeks to open new higher-education opportunities to adult learners.

"We find that for many adult learners, the desire to earn a degree is not the obstacle. It is finding a pathway that makes sense for their lives, their responsibilities and their circumstances," said Saragas. "Every barrier we can remove and every opportunity we can create have the potential to change someone's life."

The 99-year-old Kentucky League of Cities has 385 members across the commonwealth, according to Kentucky League of Cities Chief Member Services Officer Brian Traugott.

"Lindsey Wilson has made a commitment to not only their students, the city of Columbia and this community, but they have made a commitment to the commonwealth of Kentucky, and they have made a commitment to every city across the state," said Traugott.

With that kind of membership, Hoots said that Lindsey Wilson might consider adding two words to the end of its mission statement, which famously includes the words "every student, every day."

"I always say that I love to say, 'every student, every day,'" said Hoots. "Now it should be 'every city, every student, every day.'"

Hoots said she is "thrilled" with the partnership between her alma mater and the Kentucky League of Cities because of its potential statewide reach.

And Lindsey Wilson President William T. Luckey Jr. said that higher education partnerships such as the one between LWU and the Kentucky League of Cities are a great way to help local communities.

"One thing that we all know for sure is that the commonwealth of Kentucky and our cities are all better off with an educated community," said Luckey, who has been Lindsey Wilson's eighth president since 1998. "As a first-generation college student who has lived here in Adair County for the last 44 years, it's amazing how quickly a generation can be transformed through the life-changing power of higher education."

The Kentucky League of Cities' partnership with Lindsey Wilson is the KLC's fourth higher-education partnership with a Kentucky university, and its first outside of Central Kentucky.

"KLC is thrilled to continue to expand our education partnership program with this addition," said Traugott. "We look forward to working with the administration and it is great to be in this part of the state."

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, six graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

Media Attachments

Officials from Lindsey Wilson University and the Kentucky League of Cities celebrated a partnership between the two organizations on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the university’s Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center. From left: KLC Member Relations Manager Terri Johnson; KLC Chief Member Services Officer Brian Traugott; LWU School of Professional Counseling Associate Dean Hannah Coyt ’98; Columbia Mayor Pamela Hoots ’75; LWU President William T. Luckey Jr.; and Assistant Vice President of Educational Outreach Tommie Saragas ’03.

Lindsey Wilson University School of Professional Counseling Associate Dean Hannah Coyt ’98 speaks at the Lindsey Wilson-Kentucky League of Cities partnership celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the university’s Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center.

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