Beshear Cleaning House in Labor, Other Depts.
The last non-merit employee left in the Kentucky Labor Department may need to turn off the lights and close the door.
Governor Beshear is making wholesale changes in what will soon be the Labor Cabinet, firing or asking for the resignations of virtually every Fletcher appointee. Pardon my misspellings on some of these names but here's a partial list of managers whom, according to sources, have quit or been fired in the past week:
Brenda Schissler, Tom Canady, Jim Zimmerman, Anthony Payne, Greg Dukes, Lynn Clem, Steve Morrison, Corden Porter, Les Renkey and Regina Horine. Kembra Taylor, who previously worked in the Labor Cabinet under Gov. Patton, is apparently back as general counsel.
Some other Fletcher administration folks who have apparently been let go or resigned:
Chris Gilligan and Doug Hogan who were the P.R. managers for the Commerce and Transportaton Cabinets, respectively.
Julie McPeak - Insurance Commissioner
Tony Royalty - ABC
Sarah McCann - Commerce
Judy Piazza and Garnett Thurman - Natural Resources and EPPC
Van Cook - Housing and Buildings
If any of these are wrong or you have more names, let me know quickly. I'm not working from Jan. 1 - 7.
Comments
Eddy Jacobs who was a principal assistant in Labor under Patton and is now special advisor to Beshear was the one who fired everyone at Labor. Mark York, who was elevated to chief of staff under fletcher and will apparently keep his job under Beshear fired people at environment and natural resources.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Mark-
Cara Jarrell & John May at the Dept of Revenue have also been removed. Cara was acting Executive Director of the Office of Property Valuation and Director of the Division of State Valuation. John May was the Commissioner of Revenue. He was the former appointment of the Fletcher Admin to the Jefferson County PVA position.
Posted by: Dan | January 1, 2008 10:05 PM
Is the Andrew Martin who was just hired at the KY State Fair Board at an annual salary of $95,000, the notorious "Skipper" Martin?
Posted by: Anonymous | January 2, 2008 1:29 PM
Gee, what happened to "I'm not going to come in and clean house?" I guess he's not, but his appointees are. It makes me glad I didn't hang around for the blood bath.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 2, 2008 8:01 PM
I heard from a friend of mine that they also got rid of all non-merits at GOLD. So much for reaching across party lines and not going in and making mass firings.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 3, 2008 6:20 AM
Did anyone really believe Beshear when he said that no one would be fired because of their political affiliation? Give me a break! I know that some if not all these folks were doing a great job, so, of course, he lied and he will continue to lie about anything he thinks he can get away with. The only republicans staying or have been hired are the ones supporting him with contributions. What is the difference in what Beshear is now doing and what the dems accused Gov. Fletcher of doing, other than one employee was a merit still in his probationary period.
Posted by: B. Davis | January 7, 2008 7:23 PM
I don't feel bad for the highly paid non-merits. They know the drill going in....make the big bucks and chance getting fired. Just leave the lowly merit folks alone.....
Posted by: Clay | January 7, 2008 7:57 PM
Executive Director William Emrick has resigned as the Executive Director of the Office of Workers Claims effective 1/2.
Additionally, the following employees of the Office of Workers Claims have also been released by the new administration:
Barbara Meyer-Hughes ( effective 1/31)
Security & Compliance Director
Barbara Mook
Director of Claims Processing
Susan Barber
Director of Specialists & Ombudsman
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CompEd, Inc. www.comped.net .
Posted by: anonymous | January 9, 2008 10:49 PM