The Kentucky Bar Foundation's 10th Annual Judge Edward H. Johnstone Award Dinner is on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CT. The event will be held at Walker Hall, located at 229 Madison Street in Paducah. This year's award recipient is Gary B. Houston. The event begins at 5:00 p.m. CT, with cocktails (cash bar) and appetizers hosted by the KBA. Dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. CT. Individual tickets are available for $60; sponsorships are available for $440, $880, and $1,500. A Platinum Sponsorship is also available for $6,000.
Ticket Reservations | Deadline: November 2
Reserve your seats for the Johnstone Award Dinner by completing the Ticket Reservation Form. Payment by check is required.
Sponsorship Reservations | Deadline: October 23
Reserve your sponsorship by completing the Sponsorship Reservation Form. Payment by check is required.
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Tickets may also be purchased through Eventbrite. Please be aware that Eventbrite processing and service fees apply and will increase the total purchase amount.
About the 2026 Johnstone Award Recipient
The Kentucky Bar Foundation honors attorney Gary B. Houston with the Judge Edward H. Johnstone Award for his distinguished career serving clients, mentoring colleagues, contributing to legal education, and strengthening the profession through leadership and community involvement. Throughout his career, Houston has demonstrated the integrity, professionalism, and commitment to service that the Johnstone Award was created to recognize.
Gary B. Houston is a retired attorney and former member of Whitlow, Roberts, Houston & Straub, PLLC, where he practiced law from 1967 until his retirement in 2025. A native of Murray, Kentucky, Mr. Houston devoted his career to serving clients throughout western Kentucky, focusing on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and business organization and operations.
Mr. Houston assisted individuals, families, fiduciaries, and businesses with matters involving wealth preservation, succession planning, trust and estate administration, and business formation. He was recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America and a Kentucky Super Lawyer and received the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Houston earned his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School in 1967 after receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Murray State University in 1964. He was admitted to practice before the Kentucky Bar, the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Mr. Houston was a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the Kentucky Bar Foundation. He was a member of Kentucky Bar Association and American Bar Association, served as President of the McCracken County Bar Association from 1984 to 1985, and served on the Kentucky Bar Association Probate Legislative Committee.
He contributed significantly to legal education as a contributing author to the University of Kentucky Continuing Legal Education Practice Handbooks, including Kentucky Estate Planning and Kentucky Estate Administration, and as a speaker for the Kentucky Midwest & Midsouth Estate Planning Institute. He serves on the executive committee of the Community Foundation of West Kentucky and is a member of Broadway United Methodist Church.