Dr. Jim Applegate is Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. He currently serves on the Education Advisory Board of the American College Testing Service and is a member of the Campus Compact Consulting Corp helping create more publicly engaged institutions. He served as the President of the National Communication Association, the world’s largest association of communication scholars, and before that, as president of the Southern Communication Association. Dr. Applegate was a professor of communication, department chair, and University Senate chair at the University of Kentucky prior to coming to the Council. He was named an American Council on Education Fellow, studying leadership practices in higher education. Over the last ten years, he has authored or been a consultant on federal and foundation funded grants providing more than $70 million to support increased educational attainment for low-income, minority, and nontraditional students. Dr. Applegate’s work for the last decade has focused on promoting partnerships between higher education and external constituencies to foster economic and community development, working with, among others, the Carnegie Foundation, Council of Graduate Schools, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Dr. Applegate has served as a consultant and conducted over 150 seminars and workshops to improve communication and develop effective partnerships between agencies, colleges, and communities.

Ron Crouch is Director of the Kentucky State Data Center (KSDC) located at the University of Louisville. The Kentucky State Data Center is the official clearinghouse for Census data for the state of Kentucky. KSDC provides data on population, housing, education, employment, and other social indicators. Historical data, current data, and projections are provided to help understand trends and issues facing individual states and the country as a whole. Mr. Crouch’s background is in analyzing data and developing information in ways that enhance understanding and utilization. His vocation is that of “knowledge dissemination.” He averages around 150 presentations per year around Kentucky and across the United States. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville with a major in Sociology, and minors in Political Science and Economics. He holds masters degrees in Sociology and in Social Work from the University of Louisville, and an M.B.A. from Bellarmine University. He did doctoral work in Sociology at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. David Freshwater has been a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Martin School of Public Administration at the University of Kentucky since 1997. His current research interests focus on rural development issues, but he is returning to a focus on agricultural policy. In particular, he is interested in examining the potential for a shift to multifunctionality as the basis for public policy. In addition, he continues to have an interest in rural labor markets and general development policy. Dr. Freshwater took a sabbatical year position with the Kentucky League of Cities as an Economic Development Specialist following his work as Program Manager for TVA Rural Studies. Prior to that work, he served as the Director of Research for the Center for Rural Studies and an Associate Professor in UK’s Department of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Freshwater also worked as a Senior Economist on the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress and as a staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. He has worked as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural Economics, as a visiting scholar with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, and as Assistant and Associate Professor with the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Freshwater received his B.A. with honors from Brock University and his M.A. from McMaster University, both in Economics, and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University. His professional memberships include the European Agricultural Economics Association, American Economics Association, International Agricultural Economics Association, North American Regional Science Association, Southern Regional Science Society, and the Canadian Agricultural Economics and Farm Management Society. He has also served as a book/journal article reviewer for numerous publications. He has been listed in Who’s Who In Finance and Industry and Who’s Who In the East, and is the recipient of multiple awards.

Jo Hargis is Executive Director of the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission (EQC). Ms. Hargis has been an environmental scientist with R.D. Zande & Associates, an engineering and consulting firm, since August 2001. Before that, she was a naturalist at the Natural History Educational Co. in Erlanger and a biologist with 3D/International. She holds a B.S. in wildlife biology and chemistry from Murray State University. Ms. Hargis is committed to promoting partnerships that involve the public, advocacy groups, and industries that will focus on conserving a healthy environment for future generations. Her work at R.D. Zande included biological evaluations and assessments, wetland and stream restoration plans, water antidegradation analysis, cumulative impact assessments, and ecological survey reports. She also supervised crews of biologists and technicians on endangered species surveys, habitat mitigation projects, and environmental assessments. The EQC is a seven-member citizen board created under state law. Its mission is to facilitate public discussion and resolution of environmental issues, monitor environmental trends and conditions, promote partnerships to protect the environment for future generations, and serve as an advisory board to the governor and other state officials on environmental matters.

Kris Kimel is a founder and president of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), created in 1987. During Mr. Kimel's time as president, KSTC has emerged as a leader in the development and implementation of dynamic projects in entrepreneurship, manufacturing modernization, R&D, technological innovation and education. Over the past 15 years, dozens of initiatives have been funded by diverse supporters representing corporations, foundations, and local, state and federal governments. Mr. Kimel is also president of KSTC's subsidiary company Intelligent Change Initiatives, Inc., a nonprofit enterprise that is the lead sponsor of the international ideaFestival. Kris holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Kentucky and is the recipient of the University's 1974 Sullivan Award. Kimel also serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Technology Council, United Way of the Bluegrass, and Lexington Catholic High School.

Sylvia Lovely jokes about how she was born in city hall—but she’s only half kidding. The small hospital in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky where she was born was, indeed, transformed years later into the city hall of Frenchburg, Ky., her hometown. Nobody is better suited to have such a symbolic birthplace. Ms. Lovely was fueled by a drive to improve her life and community, and she has risen to become a nationally recognized champion of cities and the power of people to create positive change. Ms. Lovely’s first book, New Cities in America: The Little Blue Book of Big Ideas, is published by Minerva Publishing and Butler Books. Her passion for civic engagement began long before she graduated from law school. Now Ms. Lovely speaks across the country, encouraging citizens to take similar action in building the kind of world and future they seek. Ms. Lovely is president of the NewCities Institute, a national nonprofit organization that encourages citizens to get involved in helping their communities thrive in the rapid technological change and global challenges of the 21st century. Her commitment to the well-being and safety of our cities and the people that call them home has shown in her work as CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities and interim Executive Director of Kentucky’s new Office of Drug Control Policy. Ms. Lovely believes in the power of people, no matter who they are or where they live. She inspires others with this simple but powerful message: ideas that transform the world can begin locally with people who care. Ms. Lovely is a regular contributor to newspapers and publications and a featured commentator on various TV and radio programs. Her writings have appeared in the Miami Herald, Indianapolis Star, and Cincinnati Enquirer. She has offered community solutions in her appearances on the “Lou Dobbs Tonight” show on CNN, CNBC’s Power Lunch and ABC Radio. Ms. Lovely is also publisher of City magazine, a community issues publication. She was named one of Kentucky’s Top Women of Influence, Appalachian Woman of the Year, Communicator of the Year, and one of Kentucky’s Power Elite. She was also a keynote speaker in the Dominican Republic at an international conference of women leaders. Ms. Lovely and her husband Bernie live in Lexington, Kentucky. They have been married for 32 years and have two sons, Ross and David. Ms. Lovely is a graduate of Morehead State University, where she is a member of the Board of Regents. She graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law and is an Adjunct Faculty Member of the UK Martin School of Public Policy and Administration.

Dr. Talina R. Mathews is Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy (GOEP). Her prior service was as an economist with the Office of Energy Policy, and staff member for the Kentucky Public Service Commission and the Department for Environmental Protection. Dr. Mathews received her Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of Kentucky. She holds a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Berea College. The GOEP was created in June 2005 to oversee the implementation of Kentucky’s comprehensive energy strategy (Kentucky’s Energy: Opportunities for Our Future), as developed by the Governor’s Energy Policy Task Force, and moved to the Governor’s Office in October 2006.

Dr. Gloria S. McCall was named Vice Chancellor of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System in June 2006 with administrative responsibilities for student services, global studies, enrollment management, student financial aid, transfer and developmental education. Dr. McCall came to KCTCS from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, where she served as the Dean of Student Affairs. She received her bachelor’s in Speech Pathology and Audiology from South Carolina University, her master’s in Education from Western Kentucky University, and her doctorate in Education, Adult and Community College, from North Carolina State University. She has held a number of positions in both the academic and business worlds, affording her diverse experiences in dealing with the public. After completing her undergraduate training, she worked as a speech therapist for nine years for students K through 12. Following that, she worked at AT&T as a Project Manager developing and delivering training programs. Dr. McCall re-entered academia to become the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services and Director of Special Projects at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina. Her responsibilities involved administering and managing services that support overall student development—including financial, program, and professional/staff development. In addition, she served as Interim Director for Grants Development. After pursuing her doctoral degree, Dr. McCall became Dean of Enrollment Management Services at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, where again she evaluated and implemented programs that affected all areas of student services: retention, mission, support, activities, accountability, staff, and budget management.

Brian Mefford has engaged in a distinguished career including extensive experience in business leadership, research, and government service. His depth of knowledge is now focused on leading ConnectKentucky at the Center for Technology Enterprise (CiTE) in supporting a brighter economic future for Kentucky. Leveraging the collective expertise of representatives from state and local government, universities, and numerous private sector companies, ConnectKentucky is accelerating technology in the Commonwealth through expansion, planning, public policy, networking, and recruitment. ConnectKentucky is ensuring Kentucky remains the place of choice to work, live, and raise a family. Prior to his appointment as President and CEO of ConnectKentucky and CiTE, Mr. Mefford served Governor Ernie Fletcher’s administration as an aide in the Commerce Cabinet. In Frankfort, Mr. Mefford worked as Commerce Secretary Jim Host’s Chief of Policy and Chief Information Officer, where he managed legislation and intergovernmental affairs, coordinated commerce and economic development public policy, and formulated and implemented the Commerce Cabinet’s technology strategy. Prior to working for the Commonwealth, Mr. Mefford served as Director of the ConnectKentucky project and the CiTE Research Group. A native of Frankfort, Kentucky, Mr. Mefford has a broad range of corporate experiences both in and outside the Commonwealth, including business start-up, strategic planning, high-tech product development, and management consulting. He currently resides in Alvaton, Kentucky, with his wife, Allison, and sons, Owen and Eli.

Tom Prather serves as Executive Vice President of the NewCities Institute and is also enjoying his second term as a magistrate on the Scott County Fiscal Court. He holds a lifelong appreciation and respect for responsible public policy and community development. Prior to joining the NewCities Institute, Mr. Prather was President of Central Bank, FSB Georgetown, and still serves as Chairman of the Board for the bank. Previously, he was Vice President of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities, working with Kentucky’s 19 independent colleges. In this role, he led the Kentucky Independent College Foundation, performed an advocacy role to the state’s business community on behalf of independent higher education, assisted with cooperative programming among the colleges, and raised over $4 million for need-based scholarships for students attending the member colleges. He initiated the KICF Named Scholars Program, through which corporations continue to support scholarships benefiting many students. In addition to his current magistrate responsibilities, Mr. Prather has a long history of public service with ten years as a member of the Georgetown City Council and eight years as mayor of Georgetown. His years as mayor coincided with the critical first eight years of Kentucky’s Toyota experience, helping develop lasting relationships between the corporation and Georgetown, as well as the broader Kentucky community. While serving as mayor, Prather guided Georgetown through a period of great change and growth, negotiated the voluntary annexation of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky facility into the city limits of Georgetown, established the Sister City relationship with Tahara Cho, Japan, and presided over numerous public facilities projects. Mr. Prather has spoken extensively throughout Kentucky, as well as nationally and internationally, on community and economic development and his community’s Toyota experience. Mr. Prather currently serves as President of the Georgetown-Scott County Chamber of Commerce, Vice Chairman of the Scott County United Way Board of Trustees, and as a board member of Georgetown Community Hospital, Georgetown-Scott County Community and Education Foundation, Scott County United, and the Girl Scouts-Wilderness Road Council. Mr. Prather has been recognized as Citizen of the Year by Georgetown-Scott County Chamber of Commerce and inducted into the Scott County Education Hall of Fame. Mr. Prather is a 1973 graduate of Centre College, the General Motors School of Management, and KBA Banking School. He completed Leadership Kentucky in 1990. He and his wife, Maureen, reside in Georgetown.

Doug Robinson is Executive Director for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). Representing state CIOs and information technology executives, NASCIO is the premiere network and resource for state CIOs and an effective advocate for technology policies at all levels of government. Mr. Robinson is responsible for the overall executive management of the association, including strategic planning, policy execution, government affairs, partnerships, emerging issues, and board and committee management. He is a frequent speaker and panelist representing NASCIO interests, state CIOs, and the information technology (IT) discipline in state government. His IT career spans over 29 years in state government, higher education and public sector consulting. Prior to joining NASCIO in May 2004, he served as Executive Director in the Governor's Office for Technology, Commonwealth of Kentucky. As a senior IT executive reporting to the Chief Information Officer, he led IT strategic planning, enterprise architecture, policy and research initiatives for state government. Specific areas of responsibility included advancing enterprise architecture, electronic government, security policy, privacy issues, and emerging technologies. During this tenure, he served as the lead executive for numerous enterprise IT initiatives, major projects, and business improvement efforts. In addition, Mr. Robinson was an active member of several state and national committees, including several years as Vice Chair of NASCIO’s Enterprise Architecture Working Group. Previous state government leadership positions included Executive Director of the Kentucky Information Resources Management Commission and Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Geographic Information Systems. For 15 years, he served in a university public service role as a technology coordinator at NASA’s Technology Applications Center at the University of Kentucky. Mr. Robinson holds a B.A. from Maryville College in Tennessee and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in science, technology, and public policy from the University of Tennessee.

Keith Rogers currently serves as Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP). Governor Fletcher appointed Mr. Rogers to this position in December of 2003. The Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy administers the Kentucky Agricultural Finance Cooperation, the Agricultural Development Board, the Kentucky Tobacco Settlement Trust Corporation (Phase II), the Governor’s Commission on Family Farms, and the Kentucky Agricultural Resource Development Authority. Through several programs, GOAP promotes the diversification of Kentucky agriculture through expansion and entry into a variety of agricultural enterprises. Before accepting Governor Fletcher’s appointment, Mr. Rogers served six years as District Director for Congressman Ron Lewis and as Senior Legislative Assistant for Agriculture and Natural Resources on his Washington staff from 1995 – 1997. From 1979 through 2002, Mr. Rogers farmed in Hardin County, near Sonora. His operation included row crops, poultry, beef cattle, and tobacco. During the consideration of the 1996 Farm Bill, Mr. Rogers was one of only two active farmers serving on the staffs of House Members on Capitol Hill. In the spring of 2003, he discontinued his farming operation and leased the land to a neighbor to focus his attention on government service. In the early 1990s, Mr. Rogers served as President of the Hardin County Farm Bureau. Under his leadership, Hardin County received the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s “Top County Award” for four consecutive years. During the 1995 state convention Mr. Rogers also received Kentucky Farm Bureau’s highest honor, the “Distinguished Service to Kentucky Farm Bureau Award.” The Elizabethtown-Hardin County Chamber of Commerce presented him its “Distinguished Service Award for Farm-City Relations” in 1999. Mr. Rogers has served as President of both Kentucky 4-H and the Kentucky Poultry Federation, as a member of the State Board of Agriculture, the State Egg Marketing Board, the Kentucky Agricultural Resources Development Authority, and as Chairman of the Ag Project 2000 Public Relations Committee. Mr. Rogers and his wife Holly reside near Glendale with their four Labradors.

Dr. Graham D. Rowles is Director of the University of Kentucky component of the Kentucky Elder Readiness Initiative (KERI) and Principal Investigator for the KERI contract with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. He is responsible for the overall direction of the University of Kentucky contribution to KERI. Dr. Rowles is Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Graduate Center for Gerontology at the University of Kentucky. He completed his bachelors and masters degrees at Bristol University in England before coming to the United States where he completed his Ph.D. at Clark University, in Worcester, Massachusetts. The focus of his research is the changing relationship between elders and their environments with advancing age and the implications of this transition for health and well-being. He has conducted in-depth ethnographic research with elderly populations in urban (inner city), rural (Appalachian), nursing home, and assisted living environments. His current funded research includes a study of institutional permeability in long-term care (funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality). Reflecting a strong interdisciplinary orientation, he publishes not only in gerontology but also in fields ranging from environmental and community psychology to occupational therapy. His publications include six books, in addition to more than 60 book chapters and articles. Dr. Rowles is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Gerontology (Social Sciences), is past President of Sigma Phi Omega (National Gerontology Honorary and Professional Society), and immediate past President of the Southern Gerontological Society. He has been involved in many applied gerontology research and practice initiatives, including work on boards and commissions concerned with home care, housing for the elderly, intrastate distribution of AoA funding, deinstitutionalization, assessment of nursing facility need, and aging and the workforce. In his spare time, Graham coaches and plays soccer, keeps tropical fish, and is an avid gardener.

Dr. Michael E. Samuels is the Distinguished Scholar and Endowed Chair in Rural Health Policy and Professor of Family Practice and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky. Dr. Samuels has a long and distinguished health services research record of funded health services research grants and contracts and peer-reviewed journal articles. He is one of the nation’s leading figures in rural health services research and services delivery. He was the Director of the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center, one of eight national rural health research centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. His research and evaluation interests include rural primary care systems, HIV/AIDS service delivery, international health, recruitment, retention, and utilization of clinical practitioners in rural, outreach and health intervention for the poor and minorities and community and migrant health centers. His research accomplishments were recognized by the 2002 Distinguished Researcher Award of the National Rural Health Association and the 1997 Distinguished Researcher of the South Carolina Rural Health Association/South Carolina Blue Cross & Blue Shield. Prior to entering academic life, he had a long career in the federal government. His government assignments included: Principal Assistant to the Surgeon General C. Everett Koop; Legislative Health Aide to Congressman Richard Gephardt; Fellow, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences; Deputy Director, National Health Service Corps; Director, Migrant Health Program; Acting Director and Deputy Director, Primary Health Care Programs (Community and Migrant Health Centers); and Associate Bureau Director for Rural Health. He has received every civilian award given by the U.S. Public Health Service, as well as the Surgeon General's Medallion for Outstanding Achievement and the Surgeon General's Medal of Appreciation.

Mark Schirmer is a Research Assistant with the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. His work has focused primarily on technological advancement, its applications and obstacles, and demographic change. He received a bachelor’s degree in communication studies at the University of Kentucky. Mr. Schirmer lives in Lexington with his wife, Jennifer, a graphic designer.

Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield received his MD degree from the University of Kentucky, where he was selected as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical school honorary society. He completed internship and residency training at Northwestern University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of Kentucky. Dr. Scutchfield was certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in 1974 and the American Board of Family Practice from 1971-1985. He was a Charter Diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice. Dr. Scutchfield has held the administrative responsibilities of Founding Director of the School of Public Health, Founding Director of the Center for Health Services Research and Management, Chair of the Department of Health Services, Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, and Associate Dean of the College of Medicine. He holds faculty appointments in the Departments of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, Family Practice, Health Services, and the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration. He is a Peter P. Bosomworth Professor of Health Services Research and Policy. Dr. Scutchfield has an international reputation, having served as a consultant to governmental and nongovernmental organizations. His current research focuses on community health, public health organization and delivery, quality of care issues, and democracy in health care decisionmaking. He is a skilled editor who currently serves as Editor of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. He is the author of numerous textbooks, text chapters, and published articles in referred journals.

Dr. Robert F. Sexton has been Executive Director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence since its creation in 1983. A Louisville native, he has also been the deputy director of the Kentucky Council on Higher Education, an administrator at the University of Kentucky, and a professor of history. A graduate of Yale University, Sexton earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington. He was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. He has been recognized widely for his efforts to improve public education, receiving the Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement and honorary degrees from Berea College, Georgetown College, and Eastern Kentucky University. The Louisville Courier-Journal wrote that Dr. Sexton is Kentucky’s “incomparable public policy advocate.” Kentucky Monthly magazine identified him as one of the most influential Kentuckians of the 20th century. Dr. Sexton was a founder of Kentucky's Governor's Scholars Program and the Commonwealth Institute for Teachers. He was also the founder and president of the Kentucky Center for Public Issues and publisher of The Kentucky Journal. He chaired the board that created the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington. He is on numerous boards, including the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, the School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council, and the New Opportunity School for Women. He was a founding board member of the Kentucky Institute for Education Research and served on the Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood. At the national level, Dr. Sexton serves on the boards of Editorial Projects in Education (publishers of Education Week and Teacher Magazine), the Education Trust, and the Consortium for Policy Research in Education. He has served on advisory groups for the BellSouth, Danforth, and Ford foundations and for the Public Education Network (PEN). He was a member of the Saguaro Seminar on civic engagement sponsored by Harvard University. He has also served on the boards of the Trust for Early Education, Education Commission of the States, American Association for Higher Education, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, and he founded the Coalition for Alternatives in Postsecondary Education. His book, Mobilizing Citizens for Better Schools, was published in early 2004 by Teachers College Press of Columbia University. He lives in Lexington with his wife, Pam Papka Sexton. They have five grown children; all attended Kentucky public schools. The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, statewide, nonpartisan, advocacy group dedicated to the improvement of education for all Kentuckians.

Scott R. Smith served as chief of staff and executive director of Regulatory Affairs for the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. During this time, he served in many different capacities. Mr. Smith finalized the promulgation of antidegradation regulations that relate to the waters of Kentucky; he was co-chair of Kentucky’s Air Toxics Task Force; he was actively involved in energy issues relating to power plant development, ethanol, biodiesel, and clean coal technologies; he was actively involved in the organization and development of Kentucky’s first task force on the Clean Water Act, Section 404; he was actively involved in the development of a neighborhood health-based screening program in Jefferson County; he served as acting Executive Director of the Environmental Quality Commission; and he served as senior administration negotiator on Kentucky’s mine safety legislation in the 2006 legislative session. This act is regarded as a national model for safety legislation. Prior to his work with the Commonwealth, Mr. Smith worked as an environmental consultant for many years, providing his expertise in mining, hazardous waste, and other technical matters. He is the Environmental Quality Commission’s Public Service Award winner for 2006. Mr. Smith is currently working in a consulting capacity in Kentucky and throughout the United States on energy, utility, water quality, and other environmentally related issues.

Michal Smith-Mello has served as Senior Policy Analyst for the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center for 12 years. Ms. Smith-Mello has authored and edited numerous reports on subjects as varied as entrepreneurship, rural development, workforce development, and health care. Ms. Smith-Mello presently serves as Project Director for a federal State Planning Grant under contract with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Excellence in Rural Health. The research team is studying Kentucky’s uninsured population and identifying strategies to help increase the number of insured Kentuckians. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Smith-Mello held numerous writing and editorial posts and conducted and managed research projects on topics such as workplace safety and health, organizational change in the workplace, economic development, and the impact of tourism on women in rural economies. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she earned a BA and an MA, Ms. Smith-Mello is married to Scott Mello, a Frankfort attorney.

Dr. Kenneth R. Troske is Director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and William B. Sturgill Professor of Economics at the University of Kentucky, as well as a Research Fellow with the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn, Germany. Prior to coming to Kentucky Dr. Troske was an Assistant and an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri. He received his Ph.D. in economics in 1992 from the University of Chicago. His primary research areas are labor and human resource economics. Dr. Troske has authored a number of widely known papers, utilizing employer-employee matched data on topics such as productivity, technology, and discrimination. His most recent work has focused on evaluating various aspects of the workforce development system in the United States, including the role of temporary help firms in facilitating the transition from welfare to work. His papers have appeared in many leading journals in economics, including the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Human Resources, Review of Economics and Statistics, and the American Economic Review.

Dr. William Turner, Vice President for University Engagement and Associate Provost for Multicultural and Academic Affairs at the University of Kentucky, received his bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Kentucky in 1968, followed by a master's degree in sociology in 1971, and a doctorate in sociology and anthropology from Notre Dame University in 1974. He served on UK's faculty from 1979 through 1983. In addition to UK, he has taught, performed research, and held administrative posts at several colleges and universities, including Fisk University, Howard University, and Winston-Salem State University. He was Distinguished Visiting Professor of Black and Appalachian Studies at Berea College, 1988-89, and Visiting Research Professor at Brandeis University from 1990 to 1991. From 1979 to 1991, Dr. Turner was a research associate to Alex Haley, author of Roots. For the 1983-84 academic year, Dr. Turner served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Kentucky State University; from January 2003 to April 2004, he served as interim president. A freelance journalist/writer since 1980, Dr. Turner contributed occasionally on issues affecting blacks in Appalachia through "Appalachian Voices" in the Lexington Herald-Leader. His essays also appeared weekly from 1986 through 1996 in ten black newspapers in North Carolina, syndicated by the North Carolina Black Media Group. Dr. Turner's editorial columns appeared weekly in The Journal, the daily newspaper of Winston-Salem, NC, from 1996 through 2002. He is also a member of the Trotter Group, a Harvard University-based network of black journalists.

Malcolm (Mac) Wall is Executive Director of Kentucky Educational Television (KET). He assumed leadership of the network in June 2003. Mr. Wall was Executive Director of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) for four years and its Associate Executive Director for four years before that. During his tenure, OETA was consistently ranked in the top five PBS metered markets in the nation, averaging 1.8 million viewers each week. In 1970, Mr. Wall began his involvement with educational television when he was one of the first 12 people hired in the first year with Mississippi Educational Television at Jackson. He assumes leadership of KET just as the industry and KET are undergoing a breathtaking change—from analog to digital transmission, enabling networks to broadcast on multiple channels. KET has already made the leap to digital and is now broadcasting on four channels.

Dr. Susan G. Zepeda is Executive Director of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Before joining the Foundation, she was the founding CEO of The HealthCare Foundation for Orange County (1999-2005), and prior to that served as Director of the San Luis Obispo County (CA) Health Agency and CEO of that County’s General Hospital. Earlier in her career she was Executive Director of a consortium of nonprofit health care providers in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Zepeda is a member of the national Board of Grantmakers in Health. She holds degrees from Brown University, University of Arizona and International College, and is a graduate of the CDC-sponsored Public Health Leadership Institute. She speaks frequently on topics related to health and nonprofit administration.