Lois Mateus Bio

Lois Mateus, best known in Louisville as a senior executive at Brown-Forman for nearly three decades, is these days a farmer, gardener, preservationist, and philanthropist. 

Lois nurtured friendships with many of us at Farmington as she oversaw Brown-Forman’s public relations, corporate communications, community relations and contributions activities, while also managing real estate and office facilities worldwide and developing brand home places. She was one of three major shareholders in the development of Woodford Reserve bourbon and creation of the brand’s distillery and visitors center. 

Representing Brown-Forman, she became the first woman to serve on the board of the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA). In 2013, KDA created the annual Lois Mateus Mentoring Award in her honor.

A passionate conservationist, she is past chairman of the University of Kentucky’s Center for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. In 2005, UK awarded her its Lifetime Achievement Award in Communications and Public Relations. 

Lois is a founder and past president of the Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation, later becoming the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. She was founder and co-chair of the Slow Food Bluegrass Chapter. She has served on the executive committees of Leadership Kentucky, the Kentucky Historical Society, and the Kentucky Educational Television Foundation; and was a charter member of the Kentucky Oral History Commission, two term member of the Kentucky Humanities Council and The Berry Center in Henry county.

Prior to joining Brown-Forman as a corporate vice president in 1982, she served in the economic development arm of the administration of Gov. John Y. Brown as state commissioner of the departments of Public Information, Tourism, and the Arts.

A native of Mercer county, Lois with her late husband Tim Peters, a Louisville contractor, preservationist and developer, over the years purchased and placed a conservation easement on a thousand acres of farm and forest land near Harrodsburg. Today, Tallgrass Farm is known for its exceptional fields of Indian grass and Big Blue Stem warm native season grasses. 

After Lois’ retirement, the couple restored eight historic buildings in downtown Harrodsburg, including the old International Hotel and the 1822 McBride House. For these restorations, Gov. Steve Beshear recognized them with the 2012 Ida Lee Willis Community Development Preservation Award. In 2016, they received Preservation Kentucky’s Linda Bruckheimer award for the conservation and preservation of rural landscape. 

Following Tim’s death in 2020, Lois donated the Harrodsburg properties to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Food and Environment creating the Tallgrass Endowment. 

“Growing up on a tobacco and dairy farm, my parents instilled in me solid values and a strong work ethic, but it was exposure and involvement in 4H and varied Extension activities like gardening competitions, stock shows, and public speaking at the local and state fair, that gave me confidence along with friendships I cherish to this day,” Lois says. 

These days she is actively involved on the board of Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill and The Food Connection at UK.