Government and Politics
October 18, 2024
From: Kentucky Governor Andy BeshearFRANKFORT, KY - Gov. Andy Beshear has made the following appointments to Kentucky boards and commissions:
Gov. Beshear has appointed Lori Cooksey, Teresa Hail and Garth Bustle to the Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents.
- Lori Cooksey of Ashland is the senior vice president of City National Bank. She replaces Vasu Vasudevan, whose appointment was not confirmed by the Senate, and will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term expiring June 30, 2028.
- Teresa Hail of Somerset is the co-owner of D.C. Trimble Inc. She replaces Michael Garland, whose appointment was not confirmed by the Senate, and will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term expiring June 30, 2029.
- Garth Bustle of London is the director of First National Bank of Manchester. He replaces Lynn Tye, whose term has expired, and will serve for a term expiring June 30, 2030.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Shea Conley to the Northern Kentucky University Board of Regents to serve for a term expiring June 30, 2030.
- Shea Conley of Lexington is an attorney at Morgan & Morgan, Kentucky PLLC. He replaces Richard Boehne, whose term has expired.
Gov. Beshear has appointed William Crawford to the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System.
- William Crawford of Louisville is a retired teacher and former member of the Chicago Board of Trade. He replaces John Boardman, who has resigned, and will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term expiring March 10, 2025.
Gov. Beshear has reappointed Ben Allison and Stephen LeLaurin to the Judicial Form Retirement System Board of Trustees to serve for terms expiring June 30, 2028.
- Ben Allison of Prospect is a financial advisor at Pillar Financial Advisors.
- Stephen LeLaurin of Louisville is a retired investment professional.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Emily Downey to the Tourism Development Finance Authority.
- Emily Downey of Versailles is the president and CEO of the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce. She replaces Lois Weinberg, who resigned, and will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term expiring Feb. 8, 2026.
Gov. Beshear has reappointed Susan Elliott Moss and Purna Veer to the Waterfront Development Corporation Board of Directors to serve for terms expiring July 31, 2028.
- Susan Elliott Moss of Louisville does communications and marketing for Kindred Healthcare.
- Purna Veer of Louisville is the founder of V-Soft Consulting Group Inc.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Frank Hall to the School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council to serve for a term expiring Oct. 9, 2026.
- Frank Hall of Lexington is an entrepreneur and represents employers as a member of the Council. He replaces Kristi Putnam, whose term has expired.
Gov. Beshear has reappointed Ryan Sadler, Harry Hayes, Mark Kleiner, Joe Ellis and Martha Mather to the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange Advisory Board to serve for terms expiring June 3, 2027.
- Ryan Sadler of Louisville is plan president for Passport by Molina Healthcare.
- Harry Hayes of Louisville works in sales at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.
- Mark Kleiner of Prospect is the owner of Preferred Insurance Group.
- Joe Ellis of Benton is an optometrist at Clarkson Eyecare.
- Martha Mather of Louisville is the chief administrative officer at the University of Louisville Health – Peace Hospital.
Gov. Beshear has appointed J.R. VanHoose and has reappointed Jacqueline Burnside, Mary Lewis, Phillip Prokes, Grace-Nicole Burke, Kenneth LeMonds and Mike Stacy to the Standards and Assessments Process Review Committee.
- J.R. VanHoose of Paintsville is a social studies teacher at Johnson Central High School. He fills a vacant position on the Committee and will serve for a term expiring Oct. 8, 2028.
- Jacqueline Burnside of Berea is a professor at Berea College and will serve on the Committee for a term expiring May 27, 2028.
- Mary Lewis of Catlettsburg is an educator at Boyd County Public Schools and will serve on the Committee for a term expiring May 27, 2028.
- Phillip Prokes of Georgetown is an educator at Jessamine County Schools and will serve on the Committee for a term expiring May 27, 2028.
- Grace-Nicole Burke of Danville is an educator at Boyle County Board of Education and will serve on the Committee for a term expiring May 27, 2028.
- Kenneth LeMonds of Danville is a principal at Burgin Independent Schools and will serve on the Committee for a term expiring May 27, 2028.
- Mike Stacy of Fort Mitchell is the superintendent of the Beechwood Board of Education and will serve on the Committee for a term expiring May 27, 2028.
Gov. Beshear has reappointed Jessica Endler Smith, Suhas Kilkarni, Kevin McCormick and David Allgood to the KATS Network Advisory Council to serve for terms expiring March 31, 2027.
- Jessica Endler Smith of Shelbyville is the program coordinator at the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
- Suhas Kulkarni of Prospect is an entrepreneur and the founding director of the Office for Globalization in Louisville/Jefferson County.
- Kevin McCormick of Louisville is a consultant for the Kentucky School for the Blind.
- David Allgood of Louisville is the director of advocacy at the Center for Accessible Living.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Herbie McKee and has reappointed James Sichko to the Charitable Gaming Advisory Commission to serve for terms expiring July 10, 2028.
- Herbie McKee of Henderson represents the Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association as a member of the Commission and replaces Richard Bottoms, whose term has expired.
- Father James Sichko of Richmond is a priest at the Catholic Diocese of Lexington and represents Catholic Organizations as a member of the Commission.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Lyndon Pryor, Kevin Middleton and Tom Lilienthal to the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board to serve for terms expiring Oct. 9, 2027.
- Lyndon Pryor of Louisville is the CEO of the Louisville Urban League and represents the workforce as a member of the Board. He replaces Sadiqa Reynolds, who resigned and whose term subsequently expired.
- Kevin Middleton of Louisville is an executive at United Way of Kentucky and represents the workforce as a member of the Board. He replaces Keith Sparks, whose term has expired.
- Tom Lilienthal of Bowling Green is the manufacturing plant manager at Novelis and represents business as a member of the Board. He replaces Jonathan Webb, who resigned and whose term subsequently expired.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Tim Luscher and has reappointed Toa Green and Sundeep Dronawat to the Commission on Small Business Innovation and Advocacy.
- Tim Luscher of Frankfort is the owner of Sig Luscher. He replaces Thomas Glover, who has resigned, and will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term expiring Aug. 22, 2026.
- Toa Green of Lexington is the owner of Crank & Boom. She will serve for a term expiring Aug. 21, 2028.
- Sundeep Dronawat of Prospect is the CEO of Samiteon. He will serve for a term expiring Aug. 21, 2028.
Gov. Beshear has reappointed Ernest Thacker, Julie Ross, Justin Biliter and Sheri Uhlenbruch to the Kentucky Geological Survey Advisory Board to serve for terms expiring Sept. 1, 2027.
- Ernest Thacker of Nicholasville is the vice president of geology and engineering at Alliance Coal.
- Julie Ross of Versailles is a geologist at Thoroughbred Engineering.
- Justin Biliter of Nicholasville is a geologist at Alliance Coal.
- Sheri Uhlenbruch of Nicholasville is an environmental scientist for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Erin Eliassen, Jenna Richie and Emily Bugay to the Kentucky Board of Licensure and Certification for Dietitians and Nutritionists to serve for terms expiring Oct. 9, 2028.
- Erin Eliassen of Richmond is a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and represents licensed dietitians as a member of the Board. She replaces Nicolle Meade, whose term has expired.
- Jenna Richie of Mt. Washington is the director of clinical nutrition at Trilogy Health Services and represents licensed dietitians as a member of the Board. She replaces Candice Gray-Cunningham, whose term has expired.
- Emily Bugay of Lexington is the director of clinical nutrition for University of Kentucky HealthCare and represents certified nutritionists working for hospitals as a member of the Board. She replaces Ann Simmons, whose term has expired.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Anyah Hoang-Ansert to the Governor’s Advisory Board for Veterans’ Affairs to serve for a term expiring Oct. 9, 2027.
- Anyah Hoang-Ansert of Louisville is a non-profit administrator at Volunteers of America Mid-States. She represents veterans as a member of the Board and replaces Maria Cantu, who resigned and whose term subsequently expired.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Deborah Campbell and has reappointed Audria Denker, Ursela Lacer, Mark Milburn, Vivek Sharma, Tracey Gaslin, Salvatore Bertolone and Alane Foley to the Hemophilia Advisory Committee to serve for terms expiring Oct. 9, 2028.
- Deborah Campbell of Crestwood is a registered nurse and vice president of clinical strategy and transformation at the Kentucky Hospital Association. She represents her employer as a member of the Committee and replaces Loren Nelson, whose term has expired.
- Audria Denker of Louisville is the executive vice president of prelicensure nursing at the Galen College of Nursing and represents health care providers as a member of the Committee.
- Ursela Lacer is an administrator at the Kentuckiana Hemophilia Foundation and represents her employer as a member of the Committee.
- Mark Milburn of Louisville is a pharmacist at KentuckyOne Health and represents the Kentucky Pharmacists Association as a member of the Committee.
- Vivek Sharma of Louisville is a physician with University of Louisville Healthcare and represents health care providers as a member of the Committee.
- Tracey Gaslin of Fisherville is a dual-certified nurse practitioner with University of Louisville Healthcare and represents health care providers as a member of the Committee.
- Salvatore Bertolone of Louisville is a pediatric hematology oncologist at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and represents the Kentucky Medical Association as a member of the Committee.
- Alane Foley of Lawrenceburg is the executive director of the Bleeding Disorders of Kentucky Board and represents parents as a member of the Committee.
Gov. Beshear has appointed Adam Tudor to the Kentucky Licensing Board for Specialists in Hearing Instruments to serve for a term expiring July 31, 2028.
- Adam Tudor is a hearing instrument specialist at Beltone Kentucky and replaces Allison Cummins-Carso, whose term on the Board has expired