After criticism of UK leadership, Beshear gets a chance to appoint new trustees
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is expected to replace two University of Kentucky board trustees in the coming weeks, when their terms expire.
He’ll choose from a pool of a few candidates with backgrounds in government, courts and employment rights, according to a shortlist of names chosen by a nominating committee Thursday. The state Senate must approve his decision.
The new trustees will fill the seats of Ron Geoghegan and Robert D. Vance, two of 16 governor-appointed trustees whose six-year terms expire July 30. Beshear appointed both of them. Their open seats make way for the Democratic governor to appoint trustees shortly after he pressured UK over leadership decisions. State law requires Beshear to appoint board members so that the board reflect the demographics of Kentucky and is politically balanced.
“The Board of Trustees is the final authority in all matters affecting the institution and exercises jurisdiction over the institution’s financial, educational and other policies,” UK’s governing regulations says.
Jack Richter, a spokesperson for Beshear, told the Herald-Leader the governor will appoint someone who shares the university’s values.
“Gov. Beshear believes that a trustee’s duty is to provide oversight to ensure that the interests of the university and students are always put first,” Richter said. “Any appointee would need to share those beliefs and value the critical role that the board plays and its statutory responsibilities.”
Beshear has criticized the UK board, administration and President Eli Capilouto in recent months over concerns about their lack of transparency, centralized governance, privatization of certain areas, a deteriorating faculty voice and employment changes.
Scottie Ellis, Beshear’s communications director, told the Herald-Leader this week that the governor plans to send a letter to the board and administration urging details on how UK’s new public-partnership partnership with Compass Group, a massive dining and service company, will impact hundreds of university employees.
“Gov. Beshear will be sending a letter both to UK’s administration and the Board of Trustees with specific questions that deserve written answers – both for him and the potentially affected employees,” Ellis told the Herald-Leader this week.
The governor’s Postsecondary Education Nominating Committee nominated a shortlist of three candidates Thursday. Kentucky law requires the committee to nominate three people per each open seat. It was not immediately clear if another three had been nominated to fill the second seat. Richter, who responded to the Herald-Leader’s inquiries on behalf of the committee, did not immediately answer that question.
The seven-person committee was responsible for choosing and vetting the candidates in recent weeks.
The committee had a final discussion about their nominations during an executive session, which was not open to the public, then publicly announced three finalists before closing the meeting.
The nominees “have been put forward for the University of Kentucky board of trustees,” and the committee “will make this recommendation to the governor,” committee member Clinton Morris said Thursday.
Beshear and other Kentucky governors typically appointed new trustees in June and July.
These are the potential new UK trustees
The three nominees to fill one of the open trustee seats include Mitchel Denham, Joseph Palumbo, and Donna Perry.
Denham was appointed by Beshear as the vice chair of the Kentucky Personnel Board, which oversees legal issues impacting state employees. His term on the board ends Jan. 1, 2027, according to his office.
He served as a prosecutor in government and public safety matters, and was previously Kentucky’s assistant deputy attorney general.
“He represents a broad array of clients in regulatory matters, general civil litigation, and government enforcement actions,” with a focus on healthcare, government, business, employment and constitutional law, according to McBrayer PLLC, his Louisville firm.
Palumbo, a UK alum whose son attends the university, serves on the Kentucky Ethics Commission, which enforces legal standards for state employees and officials, holds lobbyists accountable and investigates ethics complaints.
He ran as a Democratic candidate for the 6th Congressional District of Kentucky in 2013, but withdrew from the race to focus on family matters.
He owns Palumbo Properties and Palumbo Lumber & Development Company in Lexington, and works closely with the American Heart Association, according to its website.
Perry is a labor, employment and general litigation attorney based in Louisville.
She has investigated agencies including the Departments of Labor and Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, according to the Lexington-based Dinsmore law firm.
Perry has served on the advisory board of UK’s Institute for Workplace Innovation, which conducted research on employment concerns and creating healthy work environments, according to a UK news release in 2012.
This story may be updated as more information becomes available.