About Steve

Steve Kay, 66, chose Lexington as his home in 1971. He brought with him his lifelong interest in contributing to strong civic and workplace communities.

Steve is fortunate because his professional work and his civic interests match closely. He is a founding partner of Roberts & Kay, Inc. (RKI), a research and organization development firm established in 1983.

Steve’s major clients at the local level have included Fayette County Public Schools, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and University of Kentucky. At the state level his clients have included the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, Council on Postsecondary Education, Kentucky Department of Education, Education Coalition, and Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. National clients have included Kettering Foundation, Sustainable Racine, The Paul J. Aicher Foundation, and U.S. Department of Energy.

Steve’s work for these and other organizations includes:

• Facilitating challenging meetings so that each person gets a fair chance to contribute, and productivity improves.
• Teaching a practical theory of effective communication called “Authentic Partnership.”
• Helping organizations change and sustain long-term growth.
• Guiding groups in conflict so they reach successful resolutions.

Steve has had many opportunities to contribute to civic life in Lexington. He currently serves on the board of the Lexington Transit Authority (LexTran) and the Martin Luther King Neighborhood Association. He helped found the London Ferrell Community Garden and is a volunteer coordinator and participant gardener there. He is a former Vice Chair of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Planning Commission. He is a former president of the board of the Good Foods Co-op.

From 1993 to 1998, while his twin sons attended Henry Clay High School, and for an additional year, Steve volunteered as facilitator for the Henry Clay High School-Based Decision Making Council. In 1996, Steve was a recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Bluegrass Chapter, National Conference for Community and Justice.

Steve earned a B.A. from Bowdoin College, an M.A. from Yale University, and an Ed.D. from the University of Kentucky. He is married to Rona Roberts and has three grown sons.

Photo Credits: Mick Jeffries. Thank you, Mick!