|
Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Governor Names Secretaries of Education, Transportation Cabinets
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Steve Beshear today named the acting secretaries of Transportation and Education and Workforce Development to officially serve as secretaries of their respective cabinets. Mike Hancock took the helm of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) as acting secretary in August 2009. Joseph U. Meyer has served as acting secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet since November 2009. Neither appointment will result in a salary increase.
“Both Mike and Joe have been outstanding public servants, and I appreciate their efforts to further the work of their Cabinets and this administration,” said Gov. Beshear. “Their service warrants becoming the official secretaries of these critical areas, and I will continue to count on their guidance and insight.”
Mike Hancock
A career KYTC employee, Hancock’s experience with the KYTC has been diverse. He was awarded a Transportation Engineering Scholarship in 1975 and graduated from the University of Kentucky’s College of Engineering in 1978. During his career at KYTC, he has served as assistant state highway engineer for program management, deputy state highway engineer for planning, state highway engineer, chief of staff to the secretary and acting secretary. The Cabinet employs more than 4,500 people. Hancock, a resident of Frankfort, is a native of Princeton, Ky.
“I have spent my career in the Transportation Cabinet, and I am humbled by Governor Beshear’s decision to name me as Secretary,” Hancock said. “I am eager to continue the work before us and am grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens of this state.”
Joseph Meyer
Meyer, of Covington, joined the Beshear administration as senior policy adviser in 2007. Meyer previously served as senior policy adviser for State Auditor Crit Luallen. In 2004, he was chief of staff for the chair of the Kentucky House of Representatives majority caucus. From 1979 to 2003, he practiced law in Covington.
Meyer served the Commonwealth as a state senator from 1988 to 1996 and as a state representative from 1982 to 1988. He received his law degree from Northern Kentucky University, a master’s degree from St. Louis University and a bachelor’s degree from Bellarmine College.
“I am grateful to Governor Beshear for the opportunity to continue to serve Kentucky,” Meyer said. “Education is one of the most important gifts one generation can offer to the next. I am committed to building a comprehensive system of public education focused on student achievement and success. Workforce development services are critical to meeting the needs of both employees and employers during these difficult economic times; the cabinet will continue its focus on improving customer service and preparing the workforce required by the 21st century economy.”
###
|