Fayette County

Mayor-elect Linda Gorton names her transition team. There are some familiar faces.

By Beth Musgrave

December 04, 2018 12:28 PM

Lexington Mayor-elect Linda Gorton promises to be “the mayor for all citizens of this community.”

Lexington Mayor-elect Linda Gorton addresses supporters at her victory celebration Tuesday, saying, "We're dreaming big and finishing strong. And that's exactly the kind of administration I will lead."
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Lexington Mayor-elect Linda Gorton addresses supporters at her victory celebration Tuesday, saying, "We're dreaming big and finishing strong. And that's exactly the kind of administration I will lead."
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Mayor-elect Linda Gorton named a former Toyota executive and a University of Kentucky law professor Tuesday as co-chairs of her transition team.

“We want this transition to be seamless and to put citizens first,” Gorton said during a press conference Tuesday at the city government center. “There should be no interruption in the services the city provides citizens and progress should continue uninterrupted on long-range projects.”

Wil James, former president of Georgetown Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and Chris Frost, a UK College of Law professor, will serve as co-chairs of the transition team. Frost led the transition team between former Mayor Jim Newberry and current Mayor Jim Gray.

Other transition team members include:

▪ Eunice Beatty, an educator

▪ Carolyn Bratt, a UK College of Law professor

▪ Ed Holmes, an urban planner

▪ Kerry Harvey, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky

▪ Roy Woods, a workforce development expert

▪ Lisa Adkins, president of the Blue Grass Community Foundation

▪ Merl Hackbart, former state budget director and a UK professor

Frost said the team will interview key members of the city’s current staff to determine staffing and other possible needs. That information will then be forwarded to Gorton, who could make changes.

Gorton said she expects to keep several members of Gray’s current staff, but there also will be some new faces. The mayor appoints her core staff and commissioners that oversee key departments.

“We do have some commissioner positions that are open,” Gorton said. “My priorities have been to get the transition team up and running and get the inauguration planned. Then we will be taking resumes and interviewing people for commissioner spots and we will be doing that soon.”

Last week, Gorton, a former vice mayor, announced Tyler Scott, her former council aide, will serve as her chief of staff. Scott, an Iraq War veteran, has master’s degrees in business and diplomacy and international commerce from UK.

Gorton beat Ronnie Bastin, a former Lexington police chief, on Nov. 6 with more than 63 percent of the vote. Gorton won all but four of Fayette County’s 286 precincts, according to Kentucky State Board of Election results.

The inauguration for Gorton and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council will be 2 p.m. on Jan. 6 in the new ballroom of the Gatton Student Center on the University of Kentucky campus.

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