Frankfort, Ky. (Feb. 18, 2018) – More than 100 board members and staff from across the state gathered in Frankfort on Feb. 8 for an occupational licensing workshop, the first event of its kind held in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The event, organized by the Department for Local Government (DLG) in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Boards and Commissions and the Council of State Governments, aimed to train those involved in the area of occupational and professional licensing on current statutory obligations and best practices.
“The Commonwealth is blessed with hundreds of citizen servants who volunteer their time and expertise on scores of professional licensing and regulatory boards,” said Executive Director of Boards and Commissions Brett Gaspard. “Our goal is to help give them the resources needed to be successful in their roles as stewards of both the public trust and their respective professions.”
The full-day workshop covered topics related to board meetings, procedures, administrative regulations, ethics and more. In addition to Gaspard, speakers included:
- North Carolina attorney Nahale Freeland Kalfas, who practices in the area of administrative law and has served as general counsel for the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists for the past 11 years
- Rick Masters, Special Counsel to the National Center for Interstate Compacts, affiliated with the Council of State Governments
- Kathryn Gabhart, Executive Director of the Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission
- Tim Cocanougher, Executive Director of the Kentucky Claims Commission
- John G. Horne, II, General Counsel of the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet
- Lesley Bilby, Deputy Secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet
- Chris Lewis, General Counsel of the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet
“Though their work is often behind the scenes, members of professional licensing and regulatory boards play a vital role in the varied services many Kentuckians rely on – from counseling to home inspection to audiology,” DLG Commissioner Sandra K. Dunahoo said. “I’m thankful for the work these board members do, and I’m pleased that DLG can assist in this collaborative interagency effort.”
Kentucky is one of 11 member states in the Occupational Licensing Policy Learning Consortium, a program established by the Council of State Governments, the National Governors Association, and the National Conference of State Legislatures. The consortium is reviewing occupational licensing programs across the country to establish best practices for occupational licensing.
The Kentucky consortium team is comprised of the Office of the Governor, the Department for Local Government, the Public Protection Cabinet, the Kentucky Commission of Military Affairs, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, members of the state legislature and the executive directors of two licensing boards.
About the Department for Local Government The Department for Local Government, which administers various federal grant programs for the state of Kentucky, willingly accepted the project management aspects of the process, including the completion of the consortium.
Last year, DLG applied for and received a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with the Office of the Governor and consortium members. The funds are to be used to review and streamline the state’s licensing requirements.
DLG is an arm of the Office of the Governor dedicated to supporting local officials and communities. To learn more about other programs administered through DLG, visit
dlg.ky.gov.
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