Junior Achievement to induct Michael Buchanon and Julie Denton-Price into Distinguished Hall of Fame
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Two Bowling Green community leaders will be inducted into Junior Achievement’s Distinguished Hall of Fame during a breakfast on the morning of Thursday, April 30.
The event is scheduled to take place at the National Corvette Museum from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., with the breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. and the program beginning at 8 a.m.
According to a release by Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky, event attendance will open to the public in the coming weeks, and all table sponsorships and tickets must be purchased in advance.
From the field of nominees, Michael (Mike) Buchanon, former judge executive of Warren County, was chosen as the upcoming 2026 Laureate.
This award honors individuals within the south-central Kentucky business community who epitomize five key standards of excellence:
- Entrepreneurial spirit and achievement.
- Exceptional role model for youth.
- Economic impact on our area.
- Business leadership.
- Commitment to the goals of Junior Achievement.
Julie Denton-Price, current co-owner of BlueCotton, was awarded the organizations’ 2026 Trailblazer Award.
This award was made in 2024 to honor a professional who has achieved excellence in their career, shown a commitment to their community and demonstrated leadership in the business community.
More About Michael (Mike) Buchanon
In addition to having served as the Warren County judge executive for 29 years, Buchanon has been active in the business community in Kentucky for over 50 years, owning Buchanon Properties and Deemer Floral Co. His success in the business community led him to be named by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce as the Small Business Person of the year in the early 1990’s and his impact has been tremendous since. Buchanon has served on many boards in the Kentucky community, holding various positions over the years. He has served as either the Chair or President for several, including serving as the President of KCJEA, where he served on the Executive Committee, Community Action of Southern KY, Barren River Public Health District, Regional Development Authority and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and many others, too numerous to list.
He is currently serving on the board of Commonwealth Health Corporation, the Arts of Southern
Kentucky (doing business as SKyPAC) board as Immediate Past Chairman, and Chair of the
Public Art Committee, the National Corvette Museum, and Operation Pride/Beautifi65.
Buchanon’s dedication to developing the Kentucky Transpark has continually had a significant impact on our community, and it is still growing. This led to him receiving the Kentucky Association for Economic Development LG&E Community Award for Innovation in the early 2000’s, recognizing the Kentucky Transpark for best practices as a regional development effort as environmentally friendly, high-tech business and commerce park. He further served on the Kentucky Workforce Innovation board and was also a recipient of the Governor’s Economic Development Leadership Award for dedication to Economic Growth in Kentucky and remains active in impacting economic and workforce development, as well as tourism efforts, throughout the South Central Kentucky Region.
His commitments to our community directly support Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky’s mission to inspire and prepare young people to lead in a global economy through work and career readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. When he is not spending time providing extraordinary service to our community, you can find Buchanon spending time with his wife of 50 years, Ellen, as well as his two children, Michael and Roy, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. In addition to serving as the co-owner and Chief Revenue Officer of BlueCotton, a Bowling Green–based screen printing and embroidery company, Denton-Price has built a 23- year career centered on connection, leadership, and community impact. Under her leadership, BlueCotton has grown into a nationally recognized custom apparel provider—earning placement on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies —and continues to expand its workforce and capabilities while maintaining a strong, people-first culture. Working alongside her business partner, Denton-Price helps lead employee centered initiatives that foster personal and professional growth. These include the company’s Bitcoin incentive program, its Dream Manager initiative—providing coaching and support as employees pursue their personal dreams—and financial education training designed to equip team members with long-term financial confidence and literacy. The goal of these programs is to expose employees to new ways of thinking and provide practical tools that can transform their lives. When applied, the impact extends beyond the workplace, strengthening not only the team at BlueCotton but also the families and communities of South Central Kentucky.
More About Julie-Denton Price
According to Junior Achievement, Denton-Price is deeply committed to service across south-central Kentucky. For two decades, she has partnered closely with Junior Achievement of South Central Kentucky, first as a classroom volunteer, then board member, board chair, and now as an enthusiastic advocate for the transformational impact JA can have on students’ futures. She also serves with Top Crops, a local nonprofit that provides meaningful work and gardening education for adults with developmental challenges—an involvement that has shaped her family’s understanding of inclusion, resilience, and community.
A certified Working Genius facilitator, she is passionate about helping individuals and teams uncover their strengths and reach their potential. She is known for “dreaming big” in all areas of life—an outlook that once took her all the way to a contestant spot on Wheel of Fortune in 2022. When she is not supporting her community or helping guide the future of BlueCotton, she enjoys life in Bowling Green with her husband, Ryan, and their son, Grady. Buchanon and Denton-Price join 38 outstanding community leaders whose leadership and service serve as an inspiration to the students that look to Junior Achievement for guidance and support as they further their understanding of the business community.
Buchanon and Denton-Price join 38 outstanding community leaders whose leadership and service serve as an inspiration to the students that look to Junior Achievement for guidance and support as they further their understanding of the business community.
