Beshear Makes Appointments in Commerce
Frankfort, KY – Commerce Cabinet Secretary Marcheta Sparrow announced a series of appointments today to the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet.
Jamie Link has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary of the cabinet. Link has worked in state government for 22 years. Most recently he was the Deputy Executive Director at the Kentucky Horse Park. Before that he spent 12 years in various positions at the Finance Cabinet including Executive Director of the Office of Administrative Services, in the Office of the Secretary. He began his career in the Kentucky Department of Parks in 1985, working there for nine years. Link has also been appointed interim Parks Commissioner. Jamie is married and lives in Versailles.
Lindy Casebier has been appointed as Executive Director of the Office of Arts and Cultural Heritage. Casebier is a former Band Director and Music Supervisor for Jefferson County Public Schools and assistant to the Superintendent with the Oldham County Board of Education. Casebier served 18 years in the Kentucky General Assembly including seven as Chair of the Senate Education Committee. Casebier lives in Jefferson County
Mike Cooper has been appointed Commissioner of the Department of Tourism. Cooper is a 21 year veteran of state government. He worked for the Department of Parks for seven years and spent 14 years in what is now called the Department of Tourism, including time as the assistant director of marketing and advertising. He has extensive domestic and international tourism experience. He is a Travel Marketing Professional, receiving his certification from the southeast tourism Society Marketing College. Mike is married and lives in Lexington.
Barbara Atwood has been appointed as an Executive Staff Advisor. She previously worked in the Kentucky Department of Tourism from 1980 to 2004. Atwood has spent the last two years working as the Continuing Education Coordinator for the Kentucky Tourism Council. Barbara is married and lives in Frankfort.
All appointments are effective immediately.
West Kentucky Looking for Leadership Role
The counties of West Kentucky are the cornerstone of Kentucky’s 21st Century tourism economy. Within a day’s travel time of West Kentucky live 30 million baby boomers. This new semi-retirement market is beginning to move toward a new concept of recreational travel involving small towns, lakes, rivers, art galleries, museums, historic sites, and resort parks. West Kentucky is rich with these features. So in the right leadership hands, the potential for West Kentucky tourism is unlimited.  Grand Rivers Jetty at Sunset
Early in the new administration of Governor Beshear, West Kentucky is not represented among the top administrators named to his cabinets. Only JR Gray, Labor Department has strong ties to West Kentucky. We hope this is just a oversight and not a trend for this administration.
As shown in the press release above, five key appointments have been made so far in the Commerce Cabinet. The Cabinet holds almost 100 key leadership positions. We still have time to make sure West Kentucky is not left behind by the new administration.
The Commerce Cabinet, when Beshear took office, consisted of a mixed bag of state agencies, boards and councils. This cabinet includes: Commerce, Frankfort Convention Center, State Fair Board, International Convention Center, Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources; the Horse Park; the Department of Parks; State Parks and Resorts; the Department of Tourism; Arts Council; Heritage Council and Humanities Council.
The tourism economic footprint of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet is $10 billion a year. This Cabinet has one of state governments most pronounced physical presences across Kentucky through its massive network of 39 state parks and historic parks-sites and 17 Kentucky State Resort Parks. Over 80 Kentucky counties are impacted by these parks and historic sites’ ability to generate tourist dollars.
At left - The Icehouse Gallery, Mayfield
At right, the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.  |
