Leaving post at end of September
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2015) — Gov. Steve Beshear today announced that Tim Longmeyer will be stepping down as Personnel Cabinet secretary at the end of the month, a post he has held since January 2011.
Prior to being appointed secretary by Beshear, Longmeyer served as the cabinet’s deputy secretary.
“Tim has been an important member of our team since the beginning of my administration,” Beshear said. “We are sorry to see him leave, but wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Longmeyer served as chair of the Kentucky Group Health Insurance Board, which advises the administration on health insurance benefits for nearly 275,000 Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan members and dependents. Under Longmeyer’s tenure, the health plan focused on improving health insurance and wellness programs and policies offered to the state workforce. Over 90 percent of health plan members are now engaged in preventive care or health awareness activities.
He also served ex-officio as a trustee on the Kentucky Retirement Systems Board. Longmeyer led efforts to provide retiree health care benefits through the Medicare Advantage program. The program has resulted in a better benefit at lower cost to retirees and is projected to contribute billions in savings to the KRS unfunded liability. He also served as chair of the Health Care Subcommittee for the Governor’s Pension Working Group.
During tremendous General Fund budget reductions, Longmeyer and his staff helped to successfully manage the realignment of the state workforce as state government shrank to its smallest size in nearly four decades.
“I have been very fortunate to work with the best folks in state government at the Personnel Cabinet,” said Longmeyer. “Their efforts to promote wellness, shore up our pension plan and provide excellent benefits and services to employees across the Commonwealth have been incredible.”
Longmeyer, an attorney from Louisville, will return to the practice of law.
Beshear has named Personnel Cabinet general counsel Dinah Bevington as acting secretary. Bevington has served in the Personnel Cabinet’s legal office since 2007, and has been the general counsel since October 2008. She previously worked in private legal practice in Lexington.
“I have always been honored to work at the Personnel Cabinet,” said Bevington. “I look forward to continuing to serve the administration and state employees
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