Beshear appoints first Black member to KY Fish and Wildlife board, names new liaison
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is appointing the first Black member to the Fish and Wildlife Commission and creating the position of a liaison to his office to represent sportsmen and women.
Beshear announced Tuesday that Jerry Ferrell of Richmond will fill the vacancy of Fish and Wildlife commissioner for the state’s 6th District. He will represent Anderson, Boyle, Casey, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Jessamine, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Powell, Rockcastle, Scott, and Woodford counties.
The Democratic governor also named Mark Nethery of Louisville as a liaison to his office to “provide Kentucky’s more than 600,000 sportsmen and women with a direct link to the governor’s Office, giving voice to their concerns and sharing their perspectives in a meaningful way.”
Beshear’s actions come as the governing board of the Fish and Wildlife Resources Department that is responsible for hunting, fishing and boating regulations in the state and the governor have been at loggerheads over a continuing battle over the contract for its commissioner Rich Storm. Storm initially was hired to lead the agency in January 2019 during the administration of Gov. Matt Bevin.
A lawsuit filed last June by Oldham County sportsman Larry Richards in Franklin Circuit Court is seeking Storm’s removal. He is asking the court to find that the commission violated the Kentucky Open Meetings Act “in partaking in closed meetings for unauthorized purposes and without sufficient public notice” and fine it $100 for each violation.
Beshear said in a release that Ferrell “will be a much needed diverse and ethical voice on the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
“With his appointment and the creation of a new sportsmen’s liaison, we are furthering the steps of the Kentucky sportspeople who demand transparency, inclusion and public involvement.”
Beshear’s release said Ferrell is a lifelong angler and small game hunter who participates in fishing tournaments throughout Kentucky. He is a retired production controller at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, in Georgetown. In his retirement, Ferrell drives a bus for Madison County Schools and works at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Lexington.
“The sportspeople of the 6th District have been without representation at the KDFWR for eight months; now that has changed,” said Jimmy Cantrell, president of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen.
“The League of KY Sportsmen is pleased that Gov. Beshear has taken the proper steps in appointing Jerry Ferrell as representative of the 6th District to the KDFWR Board of Commissioners.”
LuAnn Johnson, president of the 6th District Federation of the League, said, “The officers have met with Jerry Ferrell and have confidence that he will be a good representative for the sportsmen and women of the 6th Commission District.
“We are also excited by the creation of a sportsmen Liaison. Having a direct relationship between the governor’s office and the state’s sportsmen and women is unprecedented.”
Ferrell’s appointment comes after the Republican-led Kentucky General Assembly failed to confirm Robby Lear as commissioner for the 6th District during its regular legislative session. this year.
Beshear used a state law — KRS 12.070(3), created to ensure board and commission appointments reflect the diverse population of the state — in appointing Ferrell. The General Assembly will consider the appointment in its next session that begins Jan. 4 .
Nethery has a long history of working with elected officials, state agencies and civic leaders to implement policies relating to the proper management of natural resources, wildlife and wildlife habitat, Beshear said.
An avid sportsman, Nethery served three terms as state president of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen, the commonwealth’s oldest and largest conservation organization representing sportsmen and women.
Additionally, he has served on the Udall Foundation, a federal agency that tries to strengthen the appreciation and stewardship of the environment, public lands, and natural resources under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden.
Tom Hebert, chairman of Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry, called Nethery’s appointment “a ‘master stroke’ for the future of our outdoor heritage.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 3:45 PM.
