Kentucky native and Navy veteran, Phillip Chesnut, sailed around the midwest before he finally came ashore on the banks of the rushin' Ohio River. He's happy to be aground here in Paducah.
Kentucky native and Navy veteran, Phillip Chesnut, sailed around the midwest before he finally came ashore on the banks of the rushin' Ohio River. He's happy to be aground here in Paducah.
PL: Where are you from originally?
PC: I’m originally from Russellville, KY, in Logan County.
PL: How did you end up in Paducah?
PC: I met my wife Amy in college at Murray State. She’s from Paducah so we travelled back here quite a bit during that time. I really fell in love with Paducah. After college, I joined the Navy and we lived in Florida, St. Louis, and Chicago. We got married in St. Louis and spent a few years there. But basically the entire time, we had plans to return to Paducah. I always thought it was a great place to raise kids and we finally came back when my son was two.
PL: As a father, what’s your favorite aspect of living in Paducah?
PC: The free babysitting! No, seriously, all the avenues Carson and Miles have to enrich their life really mean a lot to me. The education system is fantastic. In St. Louis, we constantly worried about schools. The public school system was horrendous and the private system was unaffordable. Here he can go anywhere and we’re not worried about the education he’ll receive. It’s a small town but he still has a world of chances.
PL: How have you enjoyed working in Paducah?
PC: Love it! I love to get up in the morning and come to my job. You can’t beat it.
PL: You were involved with Leadership Paducah. How was that experience?
PC: Wonderful and that’s what kickstarted my involvement in the community—meeting other people in situations such as min—both from Paducah and not from Paducah. You’re talking about people who love this town and county. They want to do everything they can to keep it as good a place as it already is if not make it better.
PL: What would you tell a young professional moving to Paducah?
PC: Get involved. Don’t just come here and enjoy the fruits of what Paducah has to offer but get involved and really strive to learn and understand how Paducah works, the history, where it’s going and who is involved. There’s so much to offer but you get out what you put in. I really believe that.
PL: What has been the most surprising thing?
PC: The sense of caring. Everybody here is a friend. We’re all from different walks of life. You definitely have a mix of backgrounds in Paducah, but there’s such a sense of family and community here that wraps you up. It’s hard to deny it. It’s just there and it’s amazing.
