Growing up amid the bustle of her family’s wholesale grocery business in London, Ky., Elizabeth McCoy couldn’t help but absorb the life lessons imparted by the long days and impassioned talks around the family’s dinner table: the value of hard work, the importance of a good education and the collective benefit of doing what’s right for their community.

These were lessons that stayed with McCoy, now the CEO of Planters Bank, when she and her husband settled in Hopkinsville in 1984 and witnessed the city’s efforts to revitalize its downtown and build a community that residents were proud to call home.

KET highlights the things that make Kentucky so unique – the beauty of our state, its natural resources and industries, and the stories about our people and places that are of interest to all Kentuckians.

Elizabeth McCoy | CEO, Planters Bank, Hopkinsville

“Part of the charm of rural Kentucky is all the small and local businesses – the restaurants, distilleries, breweries and shops,” McCoy said. “I love Kentucky, and I want it to continue to grow and prosper. And that means it’s our responsibility to invest ourselves in our communities and to the people who live there to make it a better place.”

It’s one of the reasons, she said, that she’s a supporter of KET. The network’s around-the-clock coverage of all things Kentucky brings together the disparate regions of the Commonwealth and fosters a statewide dialogue that encourages cooperation and civic participation.

“KET does a great job of keeping our state informed about the most important issues of the day, giving us an opportunity to hear directly from state leaders so we can better understand the decisions they’re making that impact us all,” she said. “And KET highlights the things that make Kentucky so unique – the beauty of our state, its natural resources and industries, and the stories about our people and places that are of interest to all Kentuckians.”

KET’s programming — from its children’s content to its series covering science, history and the arts — gives viewers both young and old a way to explore the world and embark on a path of lifelong learning. The network’s programs play a role similar to Hopkinsville’s newly refurbished Alhambra Theatre, which runs a community arts initiative that brings in Christian County students to enjoy live performances throughout the year.

“Many of the kids who attend say they’ve never had a chance to see a live theatrical production before, outside of maybe someone singing at their church, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to experience something new and broaden their minds,” she said. “KET’s programs like Great Performances, which is one of my favorites, offer that same opportunity for us, giving us a chance to enjoy world-class productions that we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.”

And best of all, she added, KET keeps Kentuckians connected on what’s happening in the different regions of the state, whether highlighting great stories on Kentucky Life about the Commonwealth’s most intriguing people and places or covering breaking news and state issues on programs such as Kentucky Edition and Kentucky Tonight.

“In Hopkinsville, our local media is heavily oriented toward Tennessee and Illinois, so there’s a lot happening in Kentucky that we wouldn’t know about if it weren’t for KET,” McCoy said. “KET is one of the things that’s unique and special to Kentucky. It’s truly a wonderful part of the Commonwealth.”