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Lee T. Todd Jr., Ph.D, became the 11th president of the University of Kentucky on July 1, 2001. He is a native of Earlington and a graduate of UK and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. President Todd is the fourth UK alumnus to hold the presidency and the first to earn an undergraduate degree from UK. He is a former UK engineering professor; a successful businessman who launched two worldwide technology companies, both based in Kentucky; and a public advocate for research, technology and an entrepreneurial economy in the Commonwealth. President Todd currently chairs the Southeastern Conference Committee on Academic Initiatives, serves on the American Council of Education Commission on Women in Higher Education, is involved with the Business Higher Education Forum, and is a member of the Council on Competitiveness. He chairs the Commission on Outreach and Technology Transfer for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), and is also a member of the Science and Mathematics Education Task Force, a national committee that reports to the Secretary of Energy.
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Carol Steltenkamp, M.D., MBA (Proxy for UK) is a board-certified General Pediatrician with experience in private practice and traditional academic medicine. Dr. Steltenkamp received a B.S. from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH and an M.D. from the University of Cincinnati. After completing her MBA at the University of Kentucky, she became particularly interested in Healthcare Information Technology and Financing and their impact on her ability to provide the highest quality of care for her patients. Dr. Steltenkamp is currently the Chief Medical Information Officer for UK HealthCare where they have become national leaders in the deployment of the electronic Health Record.
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James R. Ramsey, Ph.D, was named the 17th president of the University of Louisville on November 14, 2002. He serves as professor of economics and public administration in the College of Business and Public Administration. Prior to his appointment at UofL, he was Governor Patton’s senior policy advisor and state budget director. Ramsey has held professional positions at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Western Kentucky University, Middle Tennessee University and Loyola University. He is an accomplished scholar and teacher, with more than 60 publications in the fields of economics and management. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Kentucky and his undergraduate degree from Western Kentucky University. Ramsey is married and has two daughters.
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Larry Cook, M.D. (proxy for UofL) was appointed by the UofL Board of Trustees as Executive Vice President for Health Affairs (EVPHA) in April, 2005, after serving in an interim capacity since August, 2004. He assumed the leadership of the UofL Health Sciences Center, located in downtown Louisville, which includes oversight of the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Public Health, as well as 17 centers and institutes. As EVPHA, Dr. Cook also serves as a key member of President James Ramsey's leadership team. Dr. Cook is a member of the University Medical Center, Inc. Board of Directors and also serves as Chairman and CEO of the UofL Health Care Board of Directors. Dr. Cook joined the UofL faculty in 1974 after completing his pediatric residency at the University of Colorado Medical Center and his neonatology fellowship at UofL. He was named chair of the pediatrics department and chief of staff at Kosair Children's Hospital in 1994, and is a practicing neonatologist, who is regarded as the architect of advanced technology neonatal intensive care in the region. He also is past president and chairman of the School of Medicine's practice plan board and the Medical School Practice Association. Dr. Cook obtained his B.S. and M.D. from the University of Louisville.
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David J. Bensema, M.D., FACP is a board certified internist who, after 16 years of private practice in Lexington, became the director of Baptist Physicians Lexington in August 2006. Bensema received a bachelors degree in biology from the University of Kentucky in 1982, followed by his medical degree in 1986. Bensema continued his training at the University of Kentucky, completing his residency in internal medicine in 1989 and his chief residency in 1990. Bensama has helped to start three life insurance companies and in 2004 became board certified in insurance medicine. He is a past-president of the Lexington Medical Society and currently serves as the alternate trustee for the 10th District to the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky Medical Association. He and his wife, Dr. Marian Bensema, reside in Lexington and have two grown sons and a daughter-in-law, Michael Harrell, and Steve and Heather Harrell.
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William D. Hacker, M.D., was appointed acting commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health in July 2004 and commissioner in November 2004. Hacker earned his bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Kentucky and completed a pediatric residency at the UK Medical Center. He practiced pediatrics in Corbin for 18 years, served as chief medical officer for Appalachian Regional Healthcare, and held several positions in the Kentucky Department for Public Health before assuming the responsibilities of commissioner last year. Hacker is a native of Clay County, Kentucky, and he and his wife, Kaye, have 3 children and 5 grandchildren, all of whom live in Kentucky.
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Shawn M. Crouch, Commissioner for the Department for Medicaid Services, joined the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services in February 2004. He served as the Executive Officer to the Undersecretary for Health, Mark D. Birdwhistell, until May 2005. His responsibilities included the monitoring and management of programs and policy for the Departments for Medicaid, Public Health, Certificate of Need and Mental Health/Mental Retardation. During this period, Mr. Crouch was instrumental in the development of the Medicaid Modernization platform and the redesign of the state employee health insurance program. Mr. Crouch was appointed in the summer of 2005 to the Executive Director role of the newly created Office of Health Policy. Charged with policy development, health agency oversight and state employee health insurance policy, the Office of Health Policy is positioned to integrate and coordinate between Medicaid, Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Certificate of Need, Public Health and Health Insurance. Prior to his expanding roles in the Health Cabinet, Mr. Crouch served as the Director of Government Relations for a regional health insurer based in Lexington, KY. He also has experience working in hospitals and physician practices. Mr. Crouch is a graduate of the College of Allied Health at the University of Kentucky with a BS in Health Administration. He will complete a Masters of Public Health in 2007. A Kentucky native, Mr. Crouch currently resides in Lexington, KY.
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Mark Rutledge, commissioner of the Commonwealth Office of Technology, previously worked in the private sector as vice president of data communications for a financial holding company. Since arriving at COT, Rutledge has served in numerous leadership roles, including executive director of Infrastructure Services and most recently as deputy commissioner. As deputy commissioner, Rutledge sponsored many key COT initiatives, like adoption of the Infrastructure Technology Information Library methodology and the digital conversion of the Kentucky Emergency Warning System. He also served as chairman of the Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee and championed reconstruction of COT's delivery and cost recovery models. Rutledge is a native and current resident of Franklin County. He and his wife Ann have four children.
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Barbara Haunz Asher works in pharmaceutical sales for AstraZeneca International. She is a native of Oldham County, graduated from Centre College and resides in Prospect.
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Ford Brewer, M.D., joined Toyota as medical director in 2000. A graduate of the Baptist College at Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina, he completed his residency and received a master's degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University. He also serves on the faculty of the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center as chair of the Preventive Medicine Advisory Committee. Prior to joining Toyota, Brewer served as national medical director for Meridian Corporate Healthcare in Nashville, medical director for National Health Services, Inc. in New York City, director of the Preventive Medicine Residency Program at Johns Hopkins, and chief medical officer for the Maryland Department of Corrections.
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Bobby H. Dampier is president and CEO of the Trover Foundation in Madisonville. Dampier previously served as CEO of Regional Medical Center and executive vice-president of the Trover Foundation. He is past chairman of the Kentucky Hospital Association, has held a number of offices with the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, was a member of the Health Insurance Advisory Council and is currently a member of the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. Dampier is a United States Army veteran and served as a medic in Vietnam. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree in hospital administration from Duke University.
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Marsha L. Donegan serves as vice president of regional support for Fidelity Investments in Covington. She graduated with a degree in computer information from Weber State University and has completed graduate coursework in computer science at Utah State University. She resides in Erlanger and is married to Daniel Donegan.
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Bruce Klockars has served as president and CEO of Flaget Memorial Hospital in Bardstown since 2001. A graduate of McPherson College, he attained a master's degree in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to joining Flaget, Klockars was senior vice president and COO of Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington from 1990 to 2000, including a stint as interim president and CEO. He has also been a hospital administrator in Florida and Texas and a pilot in the U.S. Army. Klockars and his wife, Diane, have two sons, Jeff and Andrew.
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Jack Lord, M.D., is senior vice president and chief innovation officer for Humana in Louisville. Lord joined Humana in 2000 to help develop the company's business strategy and direct the design and implementation of health plan products and clinical services. Lord is a board-certified forensic pathologist with 21 years' experience in medical practice. He began his medical career in the U.S. Navy, where he spent 11 years on active duty, most recently as director of quality assurance for the Naval Medical Command in the Office of the Surgeon General. As a consultant and surveyor for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and through subsequent executive positions at SunHealth, Ann Arundel Medical Center, the American Hospital Association, and HealthDialog, Lord has become one of the nation's leaders in promoting innovation and quality improvement in health care. Lord received his medical degree from the University of Miami in 1978 and has received numerous academic appointments in his career, most recently as an adjunct professor of community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical College. Lord has served on numerous boards and advisory panels, including a current position on the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality, a prestigious appointment providing advice to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services on national health policy and research priorities.
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Kimberly Williams, M.D., is a physician with St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead. Williams is board certified in pediatrics and emergency medicine and has been with St. Claire since 1988. For the past eight years, she has also served as the vice president for medical affairs and physician services. Williams is a community-based faculty member for the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and serves as the medical director for the Northeast Area Health Education Center. Williams is the current chair of the Kentucky TeleHealth Board and a member of the Morehead/Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Executive Board and the Morehead State University Foundation Board. She is a charter member of the Morehead Rotary Club and is active in the Morehead Church of Christ. A native of Paintsville, Williams and her husband, Dion, have two children and three grandchildren.
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Deborah Clayton was named commissioner of the Department of Commercialization and Innovation, formerly known as the Office of the New Economy, in June 2005. Before being appointed to her current position, Clayton served as the founding executive director of the Charlotte (NC) Research Institute, a non-profit corporation established in support of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Clayton also served previously as the assistant director for the electron microscopy laboratory at the University of Alabama, co-founder and COO of a high-tech start-up firm in Chicago, and manager of operations for the Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL) Office of Technology Transfer. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tulane University and Newcomb College and a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Alabama.
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Mark Birdwhistell was appointed by Governor Fletcher as secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in December 2005. Previously, he served as the undersecretary for health and as secretary, he continues to provide direct supervision and administrative leadership for the Cabinet’s health programs and services, including Medicaid, public health, mental health and mental retardation and health policy. Birdwhistell has more than 27 years of experience in health care management in both the private and public sectors. Prior to his appointment as undersecretary, from 1998 to January of 2004 he served as the chief executive officer for CHA Health, a Lexington managed care organization with 200,000 members. While there, Birdwhistell helped turn CHA Health into a successful health plan that includes a network of 140 hospitals and 10,000 physicians. Birdwhistell is a native of Lawrenceburg, Ky and a graduate of Georgetown College and the University of Kentucky. He holds a master's degree in public administration from UK. He is a past president of the Kentucky Association of Health Plans and serves on advisory boards for the UK’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration. He has also served as associate hospital director for managed care at the UK Medical Center and was a director for program development and budget in the Department for Medicaid Services from 1989-1994.
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Julie Mix McPeak was appointed by Governor Ernie Fletcher as executive director of the Kentucky Office of Insurance in July 2006. A 1994 graduate of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, McPeak most recently was general counsel for the state Personnel Cabinet, working primarily with the state’s self-funded health insurance plan. She previously has worked as attorney for the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights and the Health Policy Board and was an associate at Hodge & Kelley Law Offices in Louisville. A native of Louisville, McPeak was an attorney with KOI for nine years, including five as general counsel. She served as lead counsel for insurer receivership litigation and the rehabilitation or liquidation of insolvent insurers. She was co-counsel for Kentucky Association of Health Plans v. Miller before the U. S. Supreme Court. McPeak lives in Frankfort with her husband, Troy, and daughter, Anne.
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Senator Daniel Mongiardo represents Kentucky's 30th Senate District, covering Harlan, Bell, Leslie and Perry Counties. He has served as the chief of staff at the Hazard Regional Medical Center and Otolaryngologist (ENT Surgeon) at the Hazard Appalachian Regional Medical Center. He completed his residency at McGill University in 1991 and holds a bachelor's degree from Transylvania University and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He serves on the Hazard/Perry County Industrial Development Board, the Rotary Free Clinic Board and the Hazard Independent School Foundation Board.
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Senator Richard L. Roeding represents Kentucky's 11th Senate District including Boone, Gallatin and portions of Kenton County. He is a registered pharmacist. Roeding holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati and served in the United States Army. He is a member of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association and past director of the Northern Kentucky Pharmacists Association Diocesan Catholic Children's Home. He has also served with several organizations including the Covington/Kenton County Lions Club, Ft. Mitchell Board of Adjustment, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Retail Druggists, Covington Catholic School Board (past president), Blessed Sacrament, Villa Madonna Booster Club (founding member/past president), and American Legislative Exchange Committee (state chair, 1991-1999). He was named National Legislator by the National Republican Legislature Association. Roeding has received several awards including the Legislative Award from the American Pharmacy Services Corporation, the Kentucky League of Cities Legislative Award, the National Federation of Independent Business Guardian of Small Business Award, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Legislative Leadership Award, and the American Legislative Exchange Council Legislator of the Year.
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Representative Tommy Thompson represents Ohio County and parts of Daviess County in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He is president of Thompson Homes, Inc. Thompson received his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and his MBA from Indiana University. He has served on several boards including BB&T, Junior Achievement of Greater Owensboro, Cliff Hagan Boys and Girls Club, Leadership Owensboro, Brescia University Board of Trustees, and the local School-To-Work Program. He received the Mayor's Award for Excellence and was recognized as Outstanding Young Man of Owensboro. Thompson was named to the Outstanding Young Men of America, the Kentucky Housing Hall of Fame and the National Housing Hall of Fame. He is co-chairman of the House Program Review and Investigations Committee and vice chairman of the House Banking and Insurance Committee.