2008 Board of Directors
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Jeff Jobe
Chair |
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Jeff Jobe, a
native Kentuckian, has been blessed with a newspaper career that afforded him
the opportunity to live and work in several diverse communities, including New
York, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida, and even short stays in Canada. These
experiences gained in building a career were invaluable for Jeff not only
outside Kentucky but in establishing and marketing his own newspaper company
here at home. In 1998, he chose to leave the corporate life of the world’s
largest newspaper company and hang out his own shingle. He created Jobe
Publishing, Inc. (JPI). The new company was formed with the single purchase of
the first newspaper, The Butler County Banner, and since then JPI has
managed to create a marketing package for readers and advertisers to include
South-Central Kentucky’s largest printing company, nine weekly newspapers, a
full-service marketing agency, and the region’s first business and industry news
source, The South-Central Business Journal. |
Rep.
Reginald Meeks
Vice Chair |
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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. |
Executive Branch
Mary E. Lassiter
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Mary E. Lassiter currently serves as the State
Budget Director. From November 2004 until November 2007, she served as
Deputy Executive Director of the Governor’s Office for Policy Research. From November
2003 through November 2004, Ms. Lassiter served as the Acting State
Budget Director. She served as a financial analyst in
the Office for Financial Management and Economic Analysis for 15 years
which operates the Commonwealth’s investment and debt management
programs. Ms. Lassiter has served as a special assistant to Governors Wilkinson and
Patton on economic development and workers’ compensation issues. She holds
both a BBA and MBA from the University of Kentucky. Ms. Lassiter lives in
Woodford County with her husband Frank and two children, Mary Beth and
Ben. |
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. |
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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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Matthew Barzun |
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Mr. Barzun is the president of BrickPath, an Internet media company devoted to lifelong learning. He is the former executive vice president and chief strategy officer of CNET Networks, a publicly traded Internet media company. Mr. Barzun joined CNET in 1993 as its fourth employee, spending eight years at its San Francisco headquarters. While there, he launched and managed many of CNET’s websites, including Download.com. Mr. Barzun graduated Magna cum Laude from Harvard College. Among his other charitable activities, he has volunteered with Public Radio Partnership and has served on the Cathedral Heritage Foundation (aka Festival of Faiths) board and the policy board of the Greater Louisville Project. |
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John Chowning |
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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 teaches part-time in the institution’s political science program. He has served on
a number of boards, including serving as Chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, Kentucky State Board of
Elections, The Center for Rural Development, Campbellsville-Taylor County Industrial Development Authority,
Southern Kentucky Economic Development Corporation, the Heartland Parkway Foundation board, the Heartland
regional heritage tourism advisory committee, and Greater Campbellsville United which works to promote racial
and ethnic harmony in the community and region. He is an ordained Baptist minister having served as senior
pastor for several years of Saloma Baptist. He is active in Kentucky Baptist Convention life and has been
recognized for his leadership in racial and ethnic reconciliation ministry. He has a masters of public
administration (planning emphasis) 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 has completed additional graduate
hours in education at EKU. His professional career has included serving as a public school teacher, public sector
grant writing and planning, vice president and partner in a Lexington-based consulting firm, and former director of
economic development for U.S. Representative 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; local 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; and the 2007 Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award by the Taylor
County Civic League. His wife, Cathy, is a licensed physical therapist, and they are the parents of four children
and have three grandchildren. Mr. Chowning is the head of a family farm operation in his native Cumberland County,
Kentucky. The Chowning’s have lived in Campbellsville for the past 30 years. |
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Shawn M. Crouch |
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Shawn M. Crouch is the Director of New Business Development with UK Healthcare. 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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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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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 of External Affairs at the University of
Louisville. He oversees the Office of External Affairs that facilitates
and coordinates university/community partnerships. Mr. Hall manages the
UofL Signature Partnership Initiative with West Louisville. For
eighteen years he served as the university’s chief federal and state
governmental relations officer. Mr. Hall formerly served as Chief of
Staff to Congressman Ron Mazzoli in Washington, D.C. Mr. Hall currently
is Chair of the American Heart Association Kentuckiana Metro Board of
Directors. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Council on Legal
Education Opportunities. Mr. Hall was instrumental in the creation of
the Louisville Public Radio Partnership and has served as its Chair of
the Board of Directors. He has served on numerous civic boards
throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mr. Hall is a graduate of
Louisville Central High School, Dartmouth College, and Harvard Law
School. |
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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 currently resides in Dry
Ridge. |
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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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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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