Meet the Staff

Sarabeth Brownrobie is a communications professional and social media junkie with over 25 years of experience. A graduate of Hope College, in Holland Michigan, Brownrobie is passionate about the non-profit space and supporting systematically disenfranchised voices. In her spare time, you will find her crafting with repurposed materials or playing the ukulele with friends.

Sean L Corbin is the author of THE LEPER DREAMS OF SNOW (Finishing Line, 2018), and is a graduate of Morehead State University, as well as the University of Kentucky’s Creative Writing MFA program. He is a long-time writing instructor at the Carnegie Center, and his work has been published widely. He also works in medical simulation. For the Poetry Gauntlet’s future, Sean hopes to continue its rich tradition of loving, rigorous poetry instruction, artistic expression, and community-building.

Tom Eblen, a journalist, writer and photographer, is the Carnegie Center’s literary arts liaison. He was metro/state columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader from 2008 to 2019 and the newspaper’s managing editor from 1998-2008. Tom returned to his hometown in 1998 after 14 years with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and five years with The Associated Press. He contributed a chapter to the book Bluegrass Renaissance: The History and Culture of Central Kentucky, 1792-1852, published in 2012 by the University Press of Kentucky. His photographs have appeared in newspapers, books, and magazines, including Newsweek and Garden & Gun.

He has won many awards, including the 2013 media award in the Kentucky Governor’s Awards in the Arts. He was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2016. A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Tom is a former president of the Bluegrass Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He formerly served on the national board of Associated Press Media Editors. Tom taught journalism ethics at the University of Kentucky for four years and has been on the faculty of The Mountain Workshops, an annual documentary photojournalism workshop, since 1995. He and his wife, Becky, have two grown daughters and two grandchildren.

Maggie Garnett is a lifelong writer, devoted cat mom, and Lexington native. A graduate of Transylvania University, she holds a degree in English with minors in creative writing and education. She also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Transylvanian Literary Magazine from 2013-2017. Currently, Maggie balances freelance ghostwriting work with her own literary pursuits; she hopes to one day publish YA and adult novels in a variety of genres, and maybe release a poetry collection or two. As a former bookseller, an alumna of the Kentucky Center’s Governor’s School for the Arts, and a regular fixture at the former Holler Poet Series, Maggie takes pride in her involvement in the local literary scene, and is thrilled to serve the community as part of the Carnegie Center staff.

Mollie Harris is a writer and arts administrator from Lexington, KY. She joined the Carnegie Center as Development Director in January of 2024. Prior to joining the Carnegie Center, she served in several communications and fundraising roles for the Lexington Philharmonic before becoming the Director of Marketing & Development in 2021. She is a graduate of Berea College with degrees in Social Justice Studies and English Literature, and holds a master’s degree in Arts Administration with a Certificate in Fundraising and Development from the University of Kentucky.

As an arts administrator, Mollie is passionate about building relationships and organizational storytelling. She was first introduced to the work and impact of the Carnegie Center in 2011 when she completed a full-time summer internship in development. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to make and experience art, and is thrilled to join the Carnegie Center as a full-time staff member working to make a difference in the lives of central Kentuckians through the literary arts and learning.

Brandon Hatfield is a native of Eastern Kentucky. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University and recently earned his master’s degree at the University of Kentucky. Brandon has a deep love for the arts and values the role they play in literacy, learning, and community building. He is especially drawn to how artistic expression gives individuals a voice and creates opportunities for shared storytelling and creativity.

Alison Hruby started at the Carnegie Center in July 2024. She is at heart an English teacher and began her career with grades 6–8 at a school on Long Island, where she grew up. She holds graduate degrees in the teaching of writing and in reading education and is an Associate Professor of English Education at Morehead State University, specializing in Adolescent Literacy. Alison is thankful for the Carnegie Center, where she has been taking writing classes since she moved to Lexington with her husband and two children in 2010. She is a published poet and aspiring novelist.

Carol Jordan joined the Carnegie Center in 2011 and served as the Tutoring Director until 2023, a job she loved. She then took a sabbatical of sorts and traveled extensively until returning to Lexington in March, 2024. Carol thought her Carnegie days were over, but was fortunate enough to be re-hired, this time as the Financial and Development Associate. She is delighted to be back at her Carnegie ‘home’. She loves all things Carnegie:  author readings, giving away free books, the tutoring program, and our famous annual Carnegie Classics event.

Carol has two adult children who are both married and live out of town.  She loves to travel (to see those out-of-town kids) and read. She also enjoys exploring new hikes, especially ones with waterfalls.

Logan Lay is an editor and visual storyteller with over 25 years of combined experience in commercial and art photography; audio, video and music production; journalism and editing for print.

He studied mass communication theory at both the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville and his previous work with non-profits has included Broke Spoke Community Bike Shop and Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform.

Jennifer Hester Mattox is a writer who saw a dream come true when she was hired in 2004 as the Carnegie Center’s Development Director—and then in 2023, found herself pursuing a new dream of leading the Center as Executive Director. She brings with her a life-long career of working for nonprofits in multiple capacities, including fundraising, programming, marketing, and volunteer management. As a writer and avid reader, she has a passion for the literary arts. In addition to coordinating and emceeing the Kentucky Great Writers series, she also teaches writing workshops and seminars–in the center, at outreach sites such as central Kentucky public libraries, and online. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Bluegrass Chapter and previously served nine years on their board. Jennifer is a two-time Kentucky Foundation for Women artist enrichment grantee and is currently working on a novel. In 2024, Jennifer was proud to be commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel for her work in the literary arts.

Holly Farthing joined the Carnegie Center team in March of 2022 as Tutoring Associate and Rental Coordinator. Holly was promoted to Tutoring Director in April 2023. Holly is a Lexington native and previously enjoyed completing an internship with the Carnegie Center in 2012. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Evansville. She also has a Masters of Social Work from the University of Kentucky and is licensed as a Certified Social Worker.

Holly has always enjoyed working with kids, both through spending her summers as a counselor at Bluegrass Christian Camp and through working as a foster care therapist. She is excited to be a part of the tutoring program and get to know the tutors and kids who come to the Carnegie Center.

In her free time, Holly enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, hiking, traveling, reading, and visiting local restaurants and coffee shops.

Z Valentine joined the Carnegie Center in November 2017 in the Development department. After five years of writing grants, fundraising, and managing the database, they transitioned roles to the Adult Programming and Outreach Director.

Z is a University of Kentucky graduate with degrees in English and Psychology. They spent many years before this managing the fiction section at a local bookstore. They are the Assistant Director of the Wildacres Writing Retreat & Workshop; a board member of the Lexington Writers Room; and a founding board member of the LGBTQ+  nonprofit pop-up bookshop Read with Pride. When they’re not working on their novel, they mentor and teach writing classes on science fiction, fantasy, and horror. They delight in creating supportive environments for writers.