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Appointments to Kentucky Boards and Commissions

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear has made the following appointments to Kentucky boards and commissions:

Appointed Anita Parra as a member of the Commission on Human Rights. Reappointed Rick Wurth, Bernice Henry and Devine Carama.

  • Anita Parra of Bowling Green is a paralegal. She replaces Luis Fuentes, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 12, 2025.
  • Rick Wurth of Union is CEO of CHNK Behavioral Health and shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 12, 2025.
  • Bernice Henry of Ashland is the community engagement coordinator for Ashland Independent School District and shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 12, 2025.
  • Devine Carama of Lexington is a hip hop artist and educator and shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 12, 2025.

Appointed Lora Stephens as a member of the State Libraries, Archives, and Records Commission. Reappointed Shamara Jackson.

  • Lora Stephens of Lexington is a retired teacher. She replaces Christi Unker, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2025.
  • Shamara Jackson of Lexington is a records management analyst at Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and shall serve for a term expiring July, 14 2025.

Appointed Ian Ramsey and Dr. Amir Piracha as members of the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission. Reappointed Jeffrey Walther.

  • Ian Ramsey of Louisville is an attorney at Stites & Harbison PLLC. He replaces Vincent Carman, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 20, 2026.
  • Amir Piracha of Prospect is a physician at UofL Health. He replaces Robert Clifford, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 20, 2026.
  • Jeffrey Walther of Lexington is an attorney with Walther, Gay & Mack, PLC and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 20, 2026.

Appointed Matthew Grammer and Denise Hutchins as members of the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors.

  • Matthew Grammer of Louisville is a licensed professional counselor and CEO of the Kentucky Counseling Center. He replaces Jeffrey Parsons, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 23, 2026.
  • Denise Hutchins of Taylorsville is a licensed professional counselor. She replaces Kelli Hood, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 23, 2026.

Appointed Michelle Oak, Michelle Stillwagon and Lili Williams as members of the Kentucky Board of Licensure of Marriage and Family Therapists.

  • Michelle Oak of Louisville is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She replaces Fred Stickle, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2026.
  • Michelle Stillwagon of Louisville is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She replaces Tamara James, who has resigned, and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term expiring July 15, 2023.
  • Lili Williams of Lexington is an attorney at Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC. She replaces Johnny Embry, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2026.

Appointed Brandi Gilley and Erin Salomon as Kentucky Eating Disorder Council members. Reappointed Kelly Gillooly, Dr. Alexandria Pruitt and Dr. Cheri Levinson.

  • Brandi Gilley of Corbin is the director of nutrition services at the Laurel County Health Department. She replaces Laurie Larkin, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2024.
  • Erin Salomon of Lexington is a licensed clinical social worker. She replaces Elyse Folley, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2024.
  • Kelly Gillooly of Louisville is the director of behavioral health outreach at the University of Louisville Peace Hospital and shall serve for a term expiring Aug. 13, 2024.
  • Alexandria Pruitt of Louisville is a licensed clinical psychologist and associate director at the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders and shall serve for a term expiring September 15, 2024.
  • Cheri Levinson of Louisville is a licensed psychologist and clinical director at the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders and shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 15, 2024.

Appointed Hilary Sykes as a Kentucky Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision member.

  • Hilary Sykes of Lexington is a community advocate. She replaces Zachary Smith, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.

Appointed Steven Howard and Megan Bailey-Komar as members of the Agriculture Water Quality Authority. Reappointed Joseph Sisk.

  • Steven “Chris” Howard of Frankfort is the Watershed Coordinator at Bluegrass Greensource. He replaces Ronald Brunty, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.
  • Megan Bailey-Komar of Glasgow is a farmer. She replaces Mark Burnett, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.
  • Joseph Sisk of Hopkinsville is a farmer and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 1, 2026.

Appointed John Hunt, Josh Keats and Steven Bullard as Kentucky Emergency Response Commission members.

  • John Hunt of Prestonsburg is the Sheriff of Floyd County and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 11, 2024.
  • Josh Keats of Louisville is the Kentucky Office for Homeland Security executive director and shall serve for a term expiring on October 11, 2024.
  • Brig. Gen. Steven Bullard, USAF Retired, of Crestwood, is the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs executive director and shall serve for a term expiring on Oct. 11, 2024.

Appointed Jill Smith and Joseph Nolasco as members of the Kentucky Board of Architects.

  • Jill Smith of Louisville is an architect and owner of Civic Consultants, Inc. She replaces Lawrence Brandstetter, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.
  • Joseph Nolasco Lexington is an architect and co-founder of Integrity Architecture. He replaces Anne St-Aignan Muller, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.

Appointed Michael Keefe and Jessika Vance-Morgan as Kentucky Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing Board members. Reappointed Chandra Newsom.

  • Michael Keefe of Lexington is a behavior analyst. He replaces Richard Allday, who resigned and whose term subsequently expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2025.
  • Jessika Vance-Morgan of Lexington is a behavior analyst. She replaces Erick Dubuque, who resigned and whose term subsequently expired and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2025.
  • Chandra Newsom of Harold is a registered nurse and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 1, 2025.

Appointed Robert Durham as a Kentucky Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors member. Reappointed Leon Heaton.

  • Robert Durham of Lexington is an addiction therapist. He replaces Kristi Elrod, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.
  • Leon Heaton of Frenchburg is the director of outpatient services at Addiction Recovery Care and shall serve for a term expiring July 16, 2026.

Appointed Melissa Howard, Madeleine Plummer, Emily Dudley and Katherine Mueller-White as members of the Kentucky Historic Preservation Review Board.

  • Melissa Howard of Jackson is an attorney at Howard & Howard PLLC. She replaces Robert Weise, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.
  • Madeleine Plummer of Fort Wright is an attorney at Michael E. Plummer and Associates. She replaces Kelli Carmean, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.
  • Emily Dudley of Pendleton is the donor development manager at March of Dimes. She replaces Eric Jackson, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.
  • Katherine Mueller-White of Lexington is a communications coordinator at KET. She replaces James Claypool, whose term has expired, and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 19, 2026.

Reappointed Thomas Glover, Lesa Seibert and Dale Morgan as members of the Commission on Small Business Innovation and Advocacy. Appointed Lesa Seibert as Chair of the Commission.

  • Thomas Glover of Providence is a pharmacist at Thrifty Pharmacy and shall serve for a term expiring Aug. 22, 2026.
  • Lesa Seibert of Louisville is CEO and co-founder of Mightily and shall serve for a term expiring Aug. 22, 2026.
  • Dale Morgan of Lexington is president and CEO of Foundation47 and shall serve for a term expiring Aug. 22, 2026.

Reappointed Kelli Pendleton and James Iacocca as Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs members. Appointed James Iacocca as Chair of the Commission.

  • Kelli Pendleton of Hopkinsville is the Fort Campbell Strong Defense Alliance executive director and shall serve for a term expiring July 16, 2026.
  • Brig. Gen. James Iacocca, USA Retired, of Fisherville, is president and CEO of the Knox Regional Development Alliance and shall serve for a term expiring July 16, 2026.

Appointed Donald Karem as a member of the Kentucky Board of Radon Safety.

  • Donald Karem of Louisville is the owner and president of Karem Built Homes and shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2026.

Appointed Dr. Rajan Amin and Jordan Swanson as Health Insurance Advisory Council members.

  • Rajan Amin of Prospect is a physician at the Amin Family Medical Center. He replaces Joseph Prather II, who has resigned and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term ending Dec. 22, 2022.
  • Jordan Swanson of Prospect is the Kentucky market president at Humana. He replaces Jennifer Willis, who has resigned and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term ending Dec. 22, 2022.

Appointed Cora McNabb, Gretta Hylton, Leslie Hoffman, Jeff White, Patricia Seybold, Jeff Edwards, Staci Cain, Lori Norton, Larry Taylor, Tal Curry, Katie Whaley, David Allgood, Zach Morgan, Dina Klimkina, Amanda Owen, Merry Reid Sheffer, Amanda Friend, Carolyn Gardner, Frank Huffman, Morgan Turner, Annette Jett, Diana Merzweiler, Todd Coffey, Rebecca Wilson, Jessica Pritchett Beaven and Michael Rimer as members of the Employment First Council.

  • Cora McNabb of Mount Eden is executive director at the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Gretta Hylton of West Liberty is the associate commissioner in the Office of Special Education and Early Learning at the Kentucky Department of Education and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Leslie Hoffman of Campbellsville is deputy commissioner for the Department of Medicaid Services and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Jeff White of Frankfort is a disability services administrator at the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Patricia Seybold of Camp Verde is the executive director of the Commonwealth Council on Developmental Disabilities and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Jeff Edwards of Frankfort is director of Kentucky Protection and Advocacy and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Staci Cain of Lexington is a deputy commissioner at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Lori Norton of Lancaster is an IPS-supported employment project director at the University of Kentucky and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Larry Taylor of Shelbyville is executive director of the Kentucky Autism Training Center at the University of Louisville and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Tal Curry of Frankfort is executive director of the Office for Autism and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Katie Whaley of Lexington is a project director for the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • David Allgood of Louisville is the director of advocacy for the Center for Accessible Living and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Zach Morgan of Salvisa is the talent pipeline project manager at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Dina Klimkina of Versailles is the program director at the Council of State Governments and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Amanda Owen of Owensboro is the executive director of Puzzle Pieces and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Merry Reid Sheffer of Louisville is the lead employment specialist at Mattingly Edge and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Amanda Friend of Georgetown is the deaf services branch manager for the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Carolyn Gardner of Frankfort is a food service worker at Frankfort Regional Medical Center and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Frank Huffman of Mossville is a community volunteer and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Morgan Turner of Lexington is a health education specialist at the University of Kentucky and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Annette Jett of Lexington is the executive director at Build Inclusion and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Diana Merzweiler of Mount Washington is the retired executive director of Down Syndrome of Louisville and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Todd Coffey of Louisville is a training and compliance manager at UPS and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Rebecca Wilson of Eubank is the director of career services at Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Jessica Pritchett Beaven of Henderson is the executive director of Homeplace of Henderson and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.
  • Michael Rimer of Covington is a workforce engagement specialist at Amazon and shall serve for a term expiring Oct. 3, 2025.

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