2010 Board of Directors
John E. Chowning
Chair |
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John Chowning serves as vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president at Campbellsville University. He is the founding director of CU’s Kentucky Heartland Institute on Public Policy and has taught parttime in the political science program. He also helped establish CU’s Heartland Center for Bivocational Ministry and is involved in a several other areas of university life. Mr. Chowning has served on a number of boards, including as chair and vice chair of the University’s Board of Trustees prior to joining the administrative team, three terms on the Kentucky State Board of Elections, charter member and chair of The Center for Rural Development, one of the original members and chair of Team Taylor County (Campbellsville-Taylor County Economic Development Authority), charter member and chair of Southern Kentucky Economic Development Corporation, founding member and chair of the Heartland Parkway Foundation board, the Heartland regional heritage tourism advisory committee, and founding member and chair of Greater Campbellsville United which works to promote racial and ethnic harmony. He is an ordained Baptist minister having served as senior pastor of Saloma Baptist Church since 1994 and is active in Kentucky Baptist Convention life where he has served for several years as parliamentarian and as a member and chair of the Committee on Public Affairs. He is an active member and long-term secretary of Taylor County Ministerial Association and moderates the Commonwealth Marriage Initiative Task Force. He serves as a member of the advisory council for the Lake Cumberland Community Action Agency’s 10-county marriage enrichment program. Mr. Chowning has a master’s of public administration from Eastern Kentucky University; a bachelor of arts in political science from Transylvania University; and an associate of arts from Lindsey Wilson College. He has completed several courses in the program of alternate studies at Memphis Theological Seminary and additional graduate hours in education at EKU. His professional career has included serving as a public school teacher, public sector grant writer and planner, vice president and partner in a Lexington-based consulting firm, and director of economic development for former Congressman Ron Lewis. Mr. Chowning is a member of several professional and civic organizations and has received a number of awards, including Governor’s Economic Development Leadership Award in 1999; Campbellsville-Taylor County Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year in 1998 and 2001; local Man of the Year by the local BPW Club in 1999; CU’s Faculty Challenger Award two years; the 2007 Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award by the Taylor County Civic League; the For the Greater Good Award from the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities; and the 2008 special achievement award from Lindsey Wilson College and the LWC National Alumni Association for his contributions to Kentucky higher education and to the advancement of the southcentral Kentucky region. His wife of 37 years, Cathy, is a licensed physical therapist, and they are the parents of four children and have four grandchildren. Mr. Chowning heads a family farm operation in his native Cumberland County. The Chownings have lived in Campbellsville for the past 32 years. |
Lindy Casebier
Vice Chair |
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Lindy Casebier currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. He is a former member of the Kentucky General Assembly, having served in both the House of Representatives from 1987-1993 and the Senate from 1993-2005. While a Senator, Mr. Casebier chaired the Senate Education Committee from 1997-2005 and served as the Commissioner of the Education Commission of the States from 1998-2005. Mr. Casebier was a Music Educator and Band Director at Valley High School, a Music Specialist/Supervisor at Gheens Academy, and Community Development Specialist for Jefferson County Public Schools. He later served as Assistant to the Superintendent of Oldham County Public Schools. Prior to being appointed Deputy Secretary, Mr. Casebier served as the Executive Director of the Office of Arts & Cultural Heritage in the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. He also previously served on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center while a legislator. Mr. Casebier is a member of Highland Baptist Church, the University of Louisville Board of Overseers, and the Advisory Board of the University of Kentucky Art Museum. He served as a Delegate to Hungary and Poland in 2001 with the American Council of Young Political Leaders, and was named an Alumni Fellow at the University of Louisville in 2003. Mr. Casebier holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Louisville. |
Executive Branch
Delquan Dorsey, Sr. |
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Delquan Dorsey, Sr. is the Executive Director of the Governor’s
Office of Minority Empowerment. Mr. Dorsey is the former Director of Network Organizing for Making Connections in
Louisville, a previous Policy Advisor for former Jefferson County Commissioner Darryl T. Owens, and the Assistant
State Coordinator for the NAACP Voter Empowerment Program. He provides leadership to the African-American community
and worships at the Bates Memorial Baptist Church. Some of Mr. Dorsey’s involvement includes the Board of
Directors of Kentuckiana Minority Business Council and as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Mr. Dorsey has
a BS degree in Business Administration from Central State University, Wilberforce, OH. He is married to Shealonda
Dorsey and they have 2 sons, Delquan, Jr. and Destin, and reside in Louisville.
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Kathleen R. Marshall |
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Kathleen R. Marshall is a policy and budget analyst in the Governor’s
Office for Policy and Management. She works on issues involving economic development, state revenues and information
technology and also serves as legislative liaison. She is a certified public accountant and was formerly Director
of Auditing and Enforcement at the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Ms. Marshall is an honor graduate of the
University of Kentucky (B. S. in Accounting, 1975) and has completed the executive education program at the John F.
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is a former member of the board of Capital Day School, the
troop committee of Boy Scout Troop 40 at Midway Christian Church and the Bluegrass Theatre Guild. Ms. Marshall and her husband
Tom live in Frankfort and have two adult children.
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Yvette Monique Smith |
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Yvette M. Smith is the Executive Director of the Finance Cabinet’s
Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Contract Compliance. Ms. Smith, who previously held posts as executive
director of the Office of Management and Budget and division director of the Division of Human Resources, has been
with the Finance and Administration Cabinet since 1997. Prior to joining the cabinet, she was project director for
the Louisville Minority Business Development Center and principal assistant with the Kentucky Transportation
Cabinet. Ms. Smith obtained her bachelors degree in organizational management from Midway College, graduating
summa cum laude, in May 2000. She currently sits on the Martin Luther King Jr. State Commission and the
Governor’s Minority Employment, Business Affairs and Economic Development Council. She serves as proxy member of the
Kentucky Youth Development Coordinating Council and the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board. Ms.
Smith, who resides in Frankfort, is a member of Main Post Chapel in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
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Legislative Branch
Sen.
Walter Blevins |
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Senator Walter Blevins has represented the
27th Senate District (Boyd, Elliott, Fleming, Lawrence, and Rowan
Counties) since 1992. Prior to that he served in the House of
Representatives from 1982-1992. Senator Blevins attained his BS from
Morehead State University and his DMD from the University of Kentucky
College of Dentistry. He served in the US Army and is a past President
of the Morehead Jaycees. Senator Blevins is a member of the Morehead
State University Young Democrats, Morehead Optimist Club, Scabbard and
Blade, Masons, Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, and
OKU, an Honorary Dental Fraternity. He served as Senate President
Pro-Tempore 1997-98. |
Sen.
Tom Buford |
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Senator Tom Buford has represented the
22nd Senate District (Boyle, Fayette, Garrett, and Jessamine counties) since 1991. He served as Minority Caucus
Chair from 1993-96 and Minority Whip 1991-92 and currently serves on the Mental Retardation and Development
Disabilities Task Force. He was selected by Common Cause, a public interest lobbying group, as the 1992 Most
Ethical Legislator and by the National Republican Legislators' Association as Legislator of the Year, 1992. He
is a past member of the President's Advisory Council on Excellence for Asbury College. He is a current member
of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, Rotary, Arts Council, Humane Society, Jessamine County Chamber
of Commerce, Jessamine Co. Educational Foundation, and United Way. Senator Buford is a 4-H Adult Leader and
Advisory Board member for the Kentucky School for the Deaf. He is in Property Management and is a Member and
Elder in the Nicholasville Christian Church. Senator Buford graduated from the American Institute of Banking
and received his BS from the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Carol, have two children. |
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Sen.
Alice Forgy Kerr |
| Senator Alice Forgy Kerr has represented the
12th Senate District (Fayette) since 1999. She is a member of P.E.O.
Educational Sorority and the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Baptist
Homes for Children. Senator Kerr has a B.S. in Elementary Education and
Music and an MA in Higher Education from Western Kentucky University.
She is a Sunday School teacher and a member of Calvary Baptist Church in
Lexington. |
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Rep.
Adam Koenig |
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Representative Adam Koenig represents
the 69th House District (parts of Boone, Campbell, and
Kenton Counties). He serves on the Banking and Insurance, Economic
Development and Tourism, Labor and Industry, and Local Government Committees for the Kentucky
General Assembly, as well as the Economic Development Task Force. Representative
Koenig is the owner of MAK Consulting, LLC.
He received his B.A. in Political Science from Miami University.
Representative Koenig is currently
a member of the Covington Salvation Army, Legacy, and Vision 2015, and
is a Past President of the Northern KY Area Planning Council. He is a former member of
the Telecommunications Board of Northern KY. |
Rep. Reginald Meeks |
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Representative Reginald Meeks has represented the 42nd House District (Jefferson County) since 2001. He is the Associate Director of Development at the University of Louisville and Adjunct Professor at McKendree College. Representative Meeks received his B.A. from Wabash College and his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. He also has pending a Ph.D. from the University of Louisville. Representative Meeks is a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures; National Black Caucus of State Legislators; Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education; Leadership Kentucky, Charter Class Member; Honorary Member, Sunshine Seniors; Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels; National Association of Black Scuba Divers; Kentucky Association of Black Scuba Divers, Founding Member; Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission; and Kentucky Polar Bear Club. In addition, Representative Meeks has been named to Who's Who Among Emerging Leaders In America; Outstanding Young Men of America; Who's Who Among Black Americans; and Who's Who in the South. He has also received the Y.M.C.A. Adult Achiever Award and been named by Ebony Magazine one of their Fifty Young Future Leaders; and by Louisville Magazine one of their People to Watch. |
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Rep.
Carl Rollins |
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Representative Carl Rollins represents
the 56th House District (Woodford County and parts of Fayette and
Franklin Counties). He serves on the Education, Licensing and
Occupations, and State Government Interim Committees for the Kentucky
General Assembly. Representative Rollins is the Marketing Manager for The Student Loan People.
He received his B.B.A. from Morehead State University, and his M.B.A.
and Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. Representative Rollins served
in the United States Air Force and is a Vietnam veteran. He is currently
a member of the Midway Lions Club, KASFAA, and Midway Nursing Home Task
Force. He is a former member of KCEA, NCEA, Woodford County Board of Health,
and the Midway City
Council. Representative Rollins is a former Mayor of Midway, Kentucky,
and a past member of
the Woodford Fiscal Court. |
At-Large Members
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Paul
B. Cook |
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Dr. Paul B. Cook is a retired Executive Vice President for
Administration and Technology at Western Kentucky University. he served as
the Interim President of WKU in
1985. Since retiring from Western, Dr. Cook has worked with community groups and engaged in
consulting activities. He received both his BA and MA from Western Kentucky University and
his Ph.D. from the University of
Kentucky. Dr. Cook serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Medical Center at Bowling Green.
He is a member of boards of the American National Bank, the Commonwealth Health Corporation, the
Kentucky World Trade Center, and the Tourism and Economic Development Council, Inc. He and
his wife, Rose, have two children and two grandchildren. |
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Shawn M. Crouch |
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Shawn M. Crouch is the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Vice President for HealthCare Operations at UK HealthCare. Prior to that appointment he served as Director of New Business Development there. Mr.
Crouch has over twelve years of experience in healthcare management. He most recently served as Kentucky’s
Commissioner of the Department for Medicaid Services. Prior to being Commissioner, Mr. Crouch was the Deputy
Secretary and Chief of Staff for Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services. His responsibilities
included the management of programs and policy for Cabinet agencies including Medicaid, Public Health,
Community Based Services, Certificate of Need, and Mental Health. Mr. Crouch was instrumental in the
development of Kentucky’s Medicaid Modernization effort and the redesign of the State Employee Health Insurance
program. Mr. Crouch also served as the Executive Director for the Office of Health Policy at the Cabinet. Before serving the Commonwealth, he was the Director of Government Relations for a regional health insurer and has
experience working in hospitals and physician practices. Mr. Crouch is a graduate of the University of
Kentucky with a BHS in Health Administration. A Kentucky native, Mr. Crouch currently resides in Lexington. |
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Betty Griffin |
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Dr. Betty Griffin is a former Director of the Kentucky Beginning
Teacher Internship Program. Honored as Who’s Who Among Black Americans,
Outstanding Young Woman of America, Danford Fellow, and African-American
Adult Achiever of the year by the Lexington YMCA, Dr. Griffin is a former President
of the National Forum Black Public Administrators, Bluegrass Chapter. She is a former
Member of the Governor’s Commission of Vocational Education and Governor’s
Commission on Black Affairs, State of Oregon. Her volunteer service includes the
Governor Scholars Program; Urban League, Lexington; Girl Scouts Program,
Louisville; and the National Council on Negro Women. Dr. Griffin completed the following
postgraduate training: Executive Leadership Training, Harvard University, The Wharton
School at Penn, and The University of Texas at Austin and Stanford
University. She received her BS from Fisk University, and both her MS and Ph.D.
from Oregon State University. |
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Dan Hall |
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Daniel Hall is Vice President for Community Engagement
at the University of Louisville. He oversees community development and community partnerships for the university. Mr.
Hall served as the university's chief governmental relations officer for 18 years and helped secure over $160 million
in state and federal appropriations for university capital projects. Mr. Hall formerly served as Chief of Staff to
Congressman Ron Mazzoli in Washington D.C. He is a co-founder of the Public Radio Partnership and is former chairman
of the African American Heritage Foundation. He currently chairs the American Heart Association Kentuckiana Board of
Directors. A native Louisvillian and former Golden Gloves Champion, Mr. Hall is a graduate of Louisville Central
High School, Dartmouth College, and Harvard Law School. He is an Associate Minister at Greater Salem Baptist Church. |
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J. Brent Legg |
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Brent Legg currently serves as Director of State & Local Initiatives for
Connected Nation, the parent
organization of ConnectKentucky. In that role, Mr. Legg provides primary
management of Connected Nation’s national (state-by-state) strategy.
Brent coordinates the work of Connected Nation as the organization
expands its engagements in and to other states, particularly focusing on
those states lacking a statewide technology private-public partnership.
Previously, Mr. Legg has served as Field Director for United States
Congressman Geoff Davis (KY-4), senior legislative liaison to former
Kentucky Education Cabinet Secretary Virginia Fox, and assistant policy
advisor to Governor Ernie Fletcher during his 2003 gubernatorial
campaign. Mr. Legg graduated Magna Cum Laude from Transylvania
University in 2003 with a degree in political science and is a 2002
graduate of the Hansard Scholars Programme for Parliamentary Government
at the London School of Economics in London, England. While completing
his undergraduate degree, Mr. Legg interned in the offices of United
States Senator Mitch McConnell and The Right Honorable Michael Howard,
QC MP, former Conservative Party Leader of the United Kingdom. A native
of Johnson and Greenup Counties, Mr. Legg and his wife currently reside in Georgetown. |
Bhupendra K. Parekh |
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Dr. Bhupendra K. Parekh is a Senior Scientist and engineer, specializing in power generation and utility fuels, with the Center for Applied Energy Research at the University of Kentucky. He serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mining Engineering. Dr. Parekh is professionally affiliated with the American Filtration Society, the Coal Preparation Society of America, and the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. (SME). He is the recipient of the 2005 Ivan B. Rahn Education Award and Distinguished Member Award from the SME. He is also recipient of the 2004 American Filtration and Separations Society "Frank Tiller Technical Award," and the 2004 American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME) "Richards Award." Dr. Parekh serves as the Chairman of the Council of Education and Accreditation, Mineral Processing Fundamentals Committee and Education Planning Committee. He is an Advisory Board member of the Coal Preparation Conference and is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Coal Preparation and Utilization Journal. He is also an Associate Editor for the Minerals and Metallurgical Processing. And is an Editorial Board member of the International Journal of Mineral Processing and the Journal of Fuel Science & Technology. He has received the SME distinguished member award, the American Filtration Society's Senior Scientist Award, and is an Executive Board member of the SME Energy & Coal Division. Dr. Parekh received his B.S. from Rajasthan University in 1963, his M.S. in Physical Chemistry from Vikram University in India in 1966, and his M.S. (1972) and Ph.D. (1979), both in Mineral Processing, from the Pennsylvania State University.
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Robert
Sexton |
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Dr. Robert Sexton has been the Executive Director of the Prichard Committee
for Academic Excellence since 1983. He is a former Deputy Director of the
Council on Higher Education, administrator at the University of
Kentucky, and teacher. Dr. Sexton received his BA from Yale University,
his Ph.D. from the University of
Washington, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Berea College,
and was a Visiting Scholar in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard
University. He was a founder of Kentucky’s Governor’s Scholars Program and
the Commonwealth Institute for Teachers. Dr. Sexton has served as President of
the Kentucky Center for Public Issues, publisher of the Kentucky
Journal, and as co-chair of the Carnegie Literacy Center in
Lexington. He has been president and board member of the American
Association for Higher Education and the Coalition for Alternatives in
Postsecondary Education. Dr. Sexton was appointed to the Governor’s Task Force on Health
Care Access and Affordability by Governor Jones. He and his wife, Pam,
live in Lexington. He has two children and three stepchildren. |
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Laurel True |
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Laurel True is retired from state government, where he served in several
positions. He was the First Secretary of the Department for Human Resources, and completed his career with
an eight-year stint as Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction and Secretary of the State Board of
Education. He was an incorporator and first Chair of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. He is beginning his
eighteenth year as an AARP advocacy volunteer, and has served on AARP’s national legislative council. He and
his wife Alice live on a farm in Shelby County.
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Brian
Van Horn |
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Dr. Brian Van Horn is the
Assistant Dean of Continuing Education at Murray State University. He
has served in numerous educational capacities which include Director of
Extended Campus, Director of volunteer programs, elementary school
administrator, and third grade teacher. He is active in the Assoc.
Continuing Higher Education (ACHE) International Organization and
serves as the International Membership Chair and Secretary for the
Southeast Region encompassing 10 states. In addition, Dr. Van
Horn serves his community and region as a Board Member for the Paducah
Chamber of Commerce, Executive Committee Paducah Area Community Reuse
Organization (PACRO), Greater Paducah Economic Development Council
(GPEDC), Chair of the West Kentucky A1C Project, Jackson Purchase P16
Council, and Purchase Area Diabetes Coalition. He resides
in Benton along with his wife, Laurel, and son, Will. |
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