...news release...

Kentucky
Long-Term Policy Research Center
111 St. James Court, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-8486
(Telephone: 502-564-2851 6Fax: 502-564-1412 8E-Mail: ltprc@lrc.state.ky.us
www.kltprc.net

Sylvia Lovely to Receive the Vic Hellard, Jr. Award for Public Service

NOTE: A PDF version of this press release is available here.

CONTACT: Michael T. Childress

FRANKFORT, KY (October 17, 2006) — Sylvia L. Lovely, President of the NewCities Institute and Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Kentucky League of Cities will receive the 2006 Vic Hellard, Jr. Award for service in the public interest. Chosen annually by the Board of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center from nominees submitted by the public, the Vic Hellard, Jr. Award recognizes an individual for contributions to the public good through his or her life’s work and honors its namesake, the long-time director of the Legislative Research Commission.

Ms. Lovely often jokes about having been born in city hall, and 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, her hometown.

Perhaps nobody is better suited to have such a symbolic birthplace. In her dual posts with the Kentucky League of Cities and the NewCities Institute, as well as her engagement in initiatives ranging from civic to public health, Ms. Lovely has become a nationally recognized champion of cities and the power of people to create positive change. More recently, she served as the interim executive director of the new Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy during its formation.

A gifted storyteller, Ms. Lovely has long used illustrative stories to inspire and inform. Her first book, New Cities in America: The Little Blue Book of Big Ideas, told her personal story of why she became a passionate advocate for strengthening communities while also recounting stories of cities around the world that have instituted progressive programs that others can emulate.

A regular contributor to newspapers, radio and television programs, advisory and public policy committees and panels that range broadly in focus, Ms. Lovely’s perspective and opinion have come to matter greatly in Kentucky, as well as around the nation. In addition to her many contributions to the Commonwealth, Ms. Lovely’s columns have appeared in newspapers such as the Miami Herald, Indianapolis Star, and Cincinnati Enquirer. She has also appeared on CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” and ABC radio.

Given in recognition of service in the interest of Kentucky’s future, the Hellard Award is given in memory of Vic Hellard, Jr. and in honor of his long and distinguished career of public service. As Director of the Legislative Research Commission, Vic Hellard was a tireless champion of legislative independence, considered by many to be the cornerstone of modern governance in Kentucky. He is also credited as the principal architect of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. At the time of his death in 1996, Mr. Hellard, who had retired from his LRC post, was serving as a member of the Center’s Board, contributing substantially to its guidance and efforts to shape a vision for the future of the state and a system for evaluating progress toward its realization.

Previous winners of the Hellard Award are: Judge Anthony M. Wilhoit (1997), retired Chief Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and now Executive Director of the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission; Joseph W. Kelly (1998), chairman of the Kentucky Board of Education from 1991 until April of 1998, a period of far-reaching change for education in Kentucky; Mary Helen Miller (1999), a retired state government executive whose career began in the classroom and went on to include high-level posts in both the legislative and executive branches under two governors; veteran journalist Al Smith (2000), a former newspaper publisher, editor, and reporter, and one of the state’s most engaging and enduring media personalities; renowned Kentucky State Historian, the late Dr. Thomas D. Clark (2001), author of more than 20 books, recipient of countless awards, and the founder of the Thomas D. Clark Foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation that provides financial support for the University Press of Kentucky; Virginia Fox (2002), long-time Executive Director of Kentucky Educational Television, who helped bring public television into the Kentucky classroom and the 21st century, and, until her second retirement, Secretary of the Education Cabinet; Walter A. Baker (2003), a Glasgow attorney with a distinguished career of public service as a legislator and judge; Robert M. (Mike) Duncan (2004), an Inez banker with a national reputation for public service; and William H. (Bill) Hintze, Jr. (2005), who served as Deputy State Budget Director under five Kentucky governors.

To register for the Center’s conference, “Measure and Milestones 2006: Trends Affecting Kentucky’s Future,” where the Hellard Award will be presented on November 14, in Lexington, go to the conference registration page or contact the Center at 800-853-2851 or 502-564-2851 for further information.

The Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center is a state agency dedicated to research into trends and issues that are likely to influence the future of the state. Created by the General Assembly in 1992, the Center is governed by a 21-member board and is dedicated to increasing knowledge about issues on Kentucky’s horizon, guide planning efforts throughout state government, and engage citizens and policymakers in preparing for the future.

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