Home » Gov. Beshear announces leadership appointments

Gov. Beshear announces leadership appointments

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear announced several leadership appointments within his administration.

Public Protection Cabinet Secretary Kerry Harvey is now the head of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

Prior to joining the Beshear administration as secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet, Harvey served as U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, where he placed special emphasis on financial fraud and public corruption. He served for three years on the attorney general’s Advisory Committee and served as co-chair of the U.S. Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Working Group. He previously served the Commonwealth of Kentucky as general counsel for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as well as its acting inspector general.

Keith Jackson, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, will join Harvey as the new deputy secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. A former firefighter, Jackson rose to the rank of chief of the Lexington Fire Department before joining the Beshear administration. He served 27 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Deputy Secretary Ronnie Bastin has announced his retirement. Bastin has been a committed public servant for over 39 years. He began his career with the Kentucky Department of Corrections. He also served in a variety of roles at the Lexington Police Department, including chief of police, and was the commissioner of public safety in Lexington.

Ray Perry is now secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet. Perry has served the citizens of the commonwealth in a variety of roles for nearly three decades and most recently served as the deputy secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet. Perry previously served as assistant director of consumer protection and deputy commissioner at the Department of Insurance and as executive director of the Labor Cabinet’s General Administration and Procurement Services.

Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Commissioner Whitney Allen will assume the role of commissioner. Allen is a retired Army lieutenant colonel with 25 years of combined military service. Commissioner Allen has served in various military organizations and military locations, including three combat tours in Afghanistan/Kuwait. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal.

Amy Cubbage, Beshear’s general counsel, has been appointed to the Public Service Commission and will serve as vice-chair. Cubbage has been practicing law for more than 23 years with an emphasis on state and federal constitutional law. Prior to becoming the Governor’s general counsel, Cubbage served as general counsel and executive director of legal services and then as deputy secretary of the Labor Cabinet.