Bowling Green Independent Schools would like to introduce and congratulate the Bowling Green High School Hall of Honor, Class of 2026: Doug Mefford, Class of 1981; Ashlee Wilson Quinn, Class of 2005; and Justin Tidwell, Class of 2006. The honorees and their families plan to visit BGHS on Friday, October 23, 2026 for a small luncheon, and tour of the school, prior to being introduced on the field at the Homecoming football game.

The Hall of Honor was established to recognize the outstanding character, achievements, and contributions of Bowling Green High School graduates.  A distinguished honoree demonstrates the district motto of “Excellence Is Worth The Effort” in their professional careers, civic endeavors, and personal relationships.

DOUG MEFFORD

Doug Mefford grew up in Bowling Green and graduated from Bowling Green High School in 1981. During his years at BGHS, he lettered as a student trainer for the Purples football program throughout his high school years and received the Outstanding Freshman Boy and Outstanding Junior Boy awards.

Doug earned a degree in Finance from Western Kentucky University in 1985, where he held several local and state level student leadership positions. After graduation, he joined Trans Financial Bancorp in Bowling Green and served as Chief Accounting Officer before enrolling in law school. Doug attended the University of Kentucky College of Law where he was named to the editorial board of the Kentucky Law Journal and graduated with distinction in 1991. He began his legal career with the law firm of Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville, Tennessee, where he practiced corporate, securities, and banking law.

During his legal career, Doug has advised clients on public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, bank formations, hospital acquisitions, regulatory affairs and other complex business transactions. He also served on the Tennessee Bar Association committee that drafted legislation establishing the limited liability company business structure in Tennessee in 1994. After transitioning to in-house corporate law, Doug served in senior executive roles with several healthcare organizations before joining the legal department of Vanderbilt University in 2013. Doug transitioned to Vanderbilt University Medical Center when the health system became independent in 2016. Today, Doug serves on the senior executive leadership team as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic health systems, where he is responsible for the legal, compliance, and risk management functions and advises the organization's senior leadership and governing board on all legal matters.

Throughout his career, Doug has remained committed to community service, volunteering with Junior Achievement, United Way, Scouting America, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, and his local church.

Doug married his college sweetheart, Lisa Jo Anderson, in 1987. They have two sons, a daughter-in-love, a grandson, two dogs and a grand-dog, and reside just outside of Nashville.

ASHLEE WILSON QUINN
Ashlee Wilson Quinn, a 2005 graduate of Bowling Green High School, is an award-winning communications professional, broadcaster, community leader, and performing artist whose career has been rooted in storytelling, connection, and service to her hometown. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre from Western Kentucky University before beginning her professional career in New York City, where she worked in the entertainment industry with RWS Global and performed as part of high-profile productions and events, including appearances at Carnegie Hall and NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center.

After returning home to Bowling Green, Ashlee built a diverse career spanning arts and entertainment, tourism, marketing, professional sports, and broadcast media. Her career has included roles with the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Bowling Green Hot Rods, where she made history in 2023 as the organization’s first female Assistant General Manager. She later transitioned into television broadcasting and currently serves as Morning News Anchor for News 40 Sunrise and News 40 @ 9 on WNKY News 40, as well as the station’s Director of Community Relations.

Throughout her career, Ashlee has remained deeply involved in the Bowling Green and South Central Kentucky community. She has served in leadership and volunteer capacities with organizations including SKyPAC, Barren River Area Safe Space (BRASS), the Boys & Girls Club of the Bowling Green Area, and the Center for Courageous Kids. A 2014 graduate of Leadership Bowling Green, she is also a frequent emcee, moderator, performer, and advocate for organizations and events throughout the region.

Ashlee's professional and community contributions have earned numerous honors, including being named the Professional Marketing Association’s 2021 Marketer of the Year and receiving the Southern Kentucky Hospitality Association’s Community Star Award in 2024. Most recently, she was named the 2026 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award recipient by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, recognizing her professional achievement, community service, leadership, and commitment to helping others reach their full potential.

For Ashlee, being a Purple is also a family tradition spanning generations. Her father, Steve Wilson, is a member of the BGHS Class of 1975 and a fellow BGHS Hall of Honor inductee (2001), while her mother, Jane Wilson, served the district as a member of the Bowling Green Independent Schools Board of Education from 2013 to 2023. Her sisters are also proud Purples: Anne Taylor Peterson, Class of 2007; Grace Wilson, Class of 2016; and Madeline Wilson, Class of 2018, who returned to BGHS and now serves as a teacher and theatre director. Anne Taylor’s husband, Kyle Peterson, continues the family’s commitment to Bowling Green Independent Schools as a teacher at T.C. Cherry Elementary.

That Purple legacy continues in the Quinn family. Ashlee’s husband, Shawn Quinn, serves as a teacher and theatre director at Bowling Green Junior High School. Her stepdaughter Mallory is a member of the Gatton Academy/BGHS Class of 2025; stepdaughter Alex is a current BGHS student; and stepson Davis is a current student at BGJHS. Together, the Wilson and Quinn families represent generations of proud students, educators, leaders, and public servants within Bowling Green Independent Schools.


JUSTIN TIDWELL
A 2006 graduate of Bowling Green High School, Justin Tidwell has built a career and life around his passion for aviation. Today, he is an aviation professional, business owner, pilot, and advocate for the next generation of aviators.

From 2008 to 2011, Justin piloted and instructed unmanned aerial vehicle operations as a military contractor in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He earned his Commercial Pilot Certificate in 2011 and his Flight Instructor Certificate in 2015, continuing to build a career centered around aviation.

Today, Justin serves as Chief Patrol Pilot for Enbridge, one of the world’s largest energy infrastructure companies, where he leads aviation operations supporting the company’s extensive energy infrastructure across the United States and Canada.

In 2020, Justin and his wife, Maggie, founded Flywell Aviation in Bowling Green. Since its founding, the flight school and its team of instructors have helped more than 150 students earn their pilot certificates, with many going on to pursue careers in aviation.

Justin is passionate about giving back to the community and helping others achieve their goals. Through his professional career, Flywell Aviation, and his commitment to mentoring aspiring pilots, he continues to invest in the future of aviation and inspire the next generation to pursue their dreams.