Lis Cravens

Lis Moreno Cravens was born in El Salvador, Central America. At the age of 13, Lis moved to Owensboro, Kentucky, with a permanent resident visa to continue her education. She quickly learned English and became acquainted with the new culture. In high school, she was a dedicated student and graduated with honors. She pursued her secondary education at WKU, where she studied business. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and graduated with honors.

Lis began her career at Fruit of the Loom in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as a cost accountant. Her work ethic and talent led her to a swift promotion to the marketing department as an assistant marketing manager and then marketing manager. Knowledge of her abilities and reputation soon expanded beyond Bowling Green, and other companies began to recruit her. She accepted a job with Hanesbrands Inc., in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she successfully led the women’s hosiery division as a senior marketing manager.

Lis so impressed the senior members at Hanes, that they financed her continued education. They paid for her attendance at Wake Forest University, where she earned a Master of Business Administration degree. As a part of her program, she also studied at the University of Oxford in England.

Eventually, an offer to return to Fruit of the Loom allowed Lis, her husband Kenny, and their two young daughters to return to Bowling Green, where they could be close to their beloved family again. Lis continued to exhibit exceptional work ethic and kindness and to apply her talent and expertise for the betterment of the company. As the senior vice president of brand management and sales, she played a vital role as a leader at Fruit and as a mentor to her sizable team. In that role, she became vital to the company’s CEO while working closely with and reporting directly to her.

Lis was not only admired and cherished for her accomplishments in the business world, but also for her kindness, humility, generosity, sense of humor, and laughter. She was a caring individual who always took time to help others and to mentor every single member of her business team. She was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and a fun and giving friend. Anyone who knew Lis was better for having known her. After a hard fight following a diagnosis of stomach cancer in February, she passed away in November of 2020.

To honor her memory, friends and family established the Lis Cravens Scholarship Fund in December of 2020. The fund assists deserving full-time WKU students who are majoring within the Gordon Ford College of Business and have a 3.0 GPA. Through this fund, Lis’ bright legacy lives on in perpetuity.