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Personnel Cabinet Sec. Nikki Jackson Named One of Louisville’s 10 Most Inspirational Women
 On April 23, Personnel Cabinet Sec. Nikki Jackson was named one of the 10 Most Inspirational Women in Louisville by local artist Pat Gallagher. Her portrait The Matador was unveiled at the Muhammad Ali Center’s Celebrating the Power of Women event.
“Nikki has been an inspiration to me because of her gift for advocating what is right and always standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves,” said Gallagher. “Each of these women has a fascinating and inspirational story that needed to be told. This is my way of tipping my hat to their greatness within and hopefully inspiring others to awaken their own dreams.”
Several months in the making, the exhibit is the culmination of Gallagher’s “Year of Inspiration.” Throughout the year, visitors to the center were able to observe Pat at work and learn about his own unique story.
Gallagher left a corporate job with a Fortune 500 company, when he became inspired by a passer-by in Times Square who told him his sketch on a piece of scrap paper would make a distinguished piece of art. That incident unfolded a series of events that eventually led Gallagher to the Ali Center’s Dreammaker’s Program.
The exhibit featured pieces honoring: Lonnie Ali, Cathy Bailey, Jennifer Bielstein, Anita Cauley, Marlene Grissom, Bonnie Hathcock, Lynda Lambert, Lisa Resnik and Barbara Sexton Smith.
To learn more about Pat Gallagher and his work, visit his Web site. Visit the Ali Center Web site to learn about their mission and programs. For more information on the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet, visit the Personnel Cabinet's site.
COT Employee Richard Starnes Receives National Award
 Commonwealth Office of Technology (COT) Special Assistant Richard R. Starnes received the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)² President’s Award over the April 18 weekend. The President’s Award is for services to the information security community and (ISC)².
Headquartered in the United States and with offices in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, (ISC)² is the global, not-for-profit leader in educating and certifying information security professionals throughout their careers. (ISC)² is recognized for Gold Standard certifications and world class education programs.
Starnes has been with COT since March 2008 and primarily works with information security, policy and compliance issues. Starnes is an internationally recognized expert in information security, corporate asset protection, incident response management, computer crime investigation and cyber terrorism. He is currently president of the Bluegrass Chapter of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), chairperson of the Communications and Public Relations Project Group of Interpol's European Working Party on Information Technology Crime, as well as a member of the Wireless Applications Security Project Group. Starnes has also written articles on technology issues for several national publications.
Starnes has a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Kentucky University and a Master of Science degree from the University of London in London, England. Starnes is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.
The President’s Award was presented to Starnes at the 20th Anniversary (ISC)² Founder’s Celebration in San Francisco, Calif.
Sallengs Named Pharmacist of the Year
Honor Selected by Kentucky Pharmacy Association
Dave Sallengs, a pharmacist with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), has been named Pharmacist of the Year by the Kentucky Pharmacy Association.
Sallengs, a licensed pharmacist, works with the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Reporting System (KASPER) in the Office of Inspector General (OIG), assisting with investigations to stamp out prescription drug abuse, misuse and diversion across the state.
“Dave is a tremendous asset to this agency and the citizens of the commonwealth whom he works to protect on a daily basis,” said CHFS Inspector General Sadiqua N. Reynolds. “The pharmacy association could not have chosen a more worthy candidate. Dave is dedicated to both the ethical and professional practice of pharmacy as well as protecting Kentucky’s citizens by helping to eliminate prescription drug abuse and diversion.”
Sallengs, along with his OIG colleagues, has worked diligently to expand the capacity of the KASPER reporting system, strengthening ties with the law enforcement and medical community. Most recently, Sallengs’ branch has been successful in recognizing pharmaceuticals that could be abused and making sure they are added to the KASPER schedule of narcotics.
“Much of the success we have achieved in recent years is the direct result of the dedication and hard work of my colleagues in the OIG,” said Sallengs. “Many have worked tirelessly to combat our state’s prescription drug problem and continue to look for ways to strengthen our capabilities to identify abuse, misuse and diversion of prescription drugs.”
Prior to joining CHFS in 1999, Sallengs served as the owner/operator of an independent retail pharmacy. He’s also worked in the wholesale drug industry in sales, computer systems support and management.
At CHFS, he works with the OIG’s Drug Enforcement and Professional Practices Branch, including controlled substance field investigations and managing the KASPER program. He has been branch manager since 2003.
The pharmacy association’s “Pharmacist of the Year” recognizes a pharmacist for outstanding professional activities undertaken during the current or previous calendar year, which resulted in demonstrable benefit to the profession of pharmacy. Only active or honorary life members of the association are eligible for the honor.
“This is a tremendous honor, and I’m extremely excited and humbled to receive the award,” said Sallengs, a 1969 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. “I would like to thank my colleagues at the Kentucky Pharmacy Association for this recognition and support offered throughout my career.”
For more information, contact Gwenda Bond or Beth Fisher, Cabinet for Health & Family Services at (502) 564-6786, ext. 3325 and 4012.
Kentucky Department of Parks Receives Award for the Most Creative Food Presentation
From left, Dan Salvato, Jessica Rush, Scot Williams and Tom Brown represented the Department of Parks at a WUKY fundraiser.
A team representing the Kentucky Department of Parks received an award for the most creative food presentation as part of a WUKY public radio fundraiser event April 11 in Lexington.
The team -- Tom Brown, Scot Williams, Jessica Rush, and Dan Salvato – prepared small hot browns. The park table, which featured an ice carving, was visited by hundreds of guests and allowed the state parks to demonstrate their culinary skills. State parks operate 17 resort park restaurants and three cafeterias in Frankfort.
KHS Immigration Web Site Wins Award
The Kentucky Historical Society Immigration Web site, Our New Kentucky Home: Immigrant Experiences, recently received a gold ADDY ® at the 2009 Lexington ADDY ® Awards ceremony. The award honored the design work of Elevation Creative Studios of Lexington, Ky.
The Web site is an online exhibition that shares the stories of immigrants who came to Kentucky to create a better life for themselves and their families.
“It is always a pleasure to work with the team at Elevation,” said Kent Whitworth, KHS executive director. “We were happy to hear that the firm was honored for their impressive work.”
The Lexington Advertising Club presented the award at the 2009 Lexington ADDY ® Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 21. Elevation picked up eight other gold awards as well as Best of Show, the highest honor of the awards ceremony, for work done for the Jazzman Gourmet Restaurant.
Sponsored by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the ADDY ® Awards recognize creative excellence in advertising. Winners of district ADDY ® Awards will progress to a regional competition and, finally, the national level. National ADDY ® Award winners will be recognized at the AAF National Conference in June.
Livingston Taylor Ethics Award Call for Nominations
This biennial award program was established by the Executive Branch Ethics Commission to recognize individuals, programs or agencies within the Executive Branch of state government for outstanding achievement and contributions in promoting the ethical conduct of Executive Branch employees. For more information about the award, please visit the Commission's Web site.
Nicholson Named Finalist for 2009 Equine Industry Vision Award
 Pfizer Animal Health and American Horse Publications are proud to announce that a winner has been selected to receive the 2009 Equine Industry Vision Award. However, the official announcement and presentation of the award will not be made until June 26, 2009, at the Equine Industry Vision Award Breakfast during the AHP “Free Rein in The Big Easy” Seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, the award is intended to recognize innovation, leadership and service. All of the 14 nominees this year were outstanding examples of these qualities. In 2009, all prior non-winning nominees, including last year’s finalists, had to be re-nominated.
The Equine Industry Vision Award Committee reviewed nominations, and the list of nominees was narrowed to four finalists: the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) [the CHA and the ELCR are headquartered in the Kentucky Horse Park’s National Horse Center], Charlotte Kneeland, founder and director of the American Riding Instructors Association; and John Nicholson, executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park.
Finalists were judged on their performance in relation to the achievement(s) cited and their demonstration of the following attributes and abilities: 1) The vision and innovation of a true pioneer; 2) Leadership, commitment, dedication and willingness to serve; 3) Original and effective ideas and/or products, services, programs; 4) High moral, ethical and professional standards.
The 11 voting members of the AHP Board of Directors, plus a Pfizer Animal Health representative, voted for the winner. The recipient will be presented with the Equine Industry Vision Award Perpetual Trophy, created by master artisan Peter Wayne Yenawine and commissioned by Pfizer Animal Health.
Nominations Sought for Governor’s Ambassador Award
 To recognize state employees’ significant contributions to their workplaces and their communities, the Personnel Cabinet has launched an enterprise-wide storytelling initiative designed to encourage, support, acknowledge, and reward employees who embody the principles of Kentucky’s Unbridled Spirit.
Each recipient of the Governor’s Ambassador Award will receive special recognition during an annual awards ceremony and have an engraved, personalized brick placed outside the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.
To nominate a deserving employee, visit the Governor's Ambassador Award Page. To watch the video, click the image above.
Several Kentucky State Park Golf Courses Receive Honors
Several golf courses operated by the Kentucky Department of Parks have received recognition from Golf Digest and Golfweek magazines.
The course at Mineral Mound State Park located near Eddyville in western Kentucky was ranked #5 in the state in the “Best Courses You Can Play” public-access category by Golfweek Magazine. Eagle Ridge Golf Course at Yatesville Lake State Park, located in eastern Kentucky, and Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, located in south central Kentucky were ranked #6 and #9 as “Best In State” by Golf Digest Magazine.
In addition, Wasioto Winds Golf Course at Pine Mountain State Resort Park in Pineville, My Old Kentucky Home State Park at Bardstown and Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park at Burkesville were rated four stars by Golf Digest for “Best Places to Play” in 2008-09. These courses were evaluated by approximately 20,000 Golf Digest readers on a five point scale.
“These awards once again validate the quality and conditioning that patrons have come to expect from the Kentucky State Parks Golf Trail Courses,” said Dan Strohmeier, PGA Director of Golf for the Department of Parks.
The newest addition to the Kentucky State Parks Golf Trail courses is General Burnside Island State Park near Somerset -- a newly renovated course designed by Brian Ault. The course re-opened in May, 2008, and features zoysia fairways and tees with bent grass greens. The course measures 6,394 yards from the back tees and is on an island surrounded by Lake Cumberland. Ault also designed the courses at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park and Hidden Cove at Grayson Lake State Park, both recognized nationally by Golf Digest.
Kentucky State Parks are also offering a new golf package this year – the Chip Shot. The Chip Shot package includes 18-holes of golf and lodging with rates at $79 per person per night April through October. The parks continue to offer the popular all inclusive Tee’s & Zzz’s golf packages at resort parks which include golf, lodging, breakfast and dinner and gift card. Rates are $109 per person per night from April through October.
The best golf in Kentucky is now available at all 19 courses operated by the Kentucky Department of Parks. For 2009, the Kentucky Golf Trail is again offering a “trail card” that provides unlimited paid green fees for the cardholder. The trail card fees have been restructured and now include the daily pass holder play fees. They are sold at all state park golf courses and are valid through Dec. 31, 2009. Cards start at $475 for senior players (62 and older). For more information on the trail card, click here.
Kentucky State Park resorts also feature lodges, cottages, campgrounds, restaurants and other activities such as hiking, swimming, boating, and wildlife programs. For more information about state park golf trail cards, Tee’s and Zzz’s packages, gift cards and course photos, click here.
State Laboratory Earns Prestigious Accreditation
On March 6, Gov. Steve Beshear joined public health officials to celebrate the recent accreditation of the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s (DPH) laboratory by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), a prestigious honor awarded to only a handful of public health labs.
The CAP accreditation places DPH at the forefront of public health labs in the country, only a few of which have met CAP’s rigorous accrediting standards. About 6,000 private, hospital-based labs have CAP accreditation, but only approximately five public health labs have achieved accreditation.
“This accreditation illustrates the high standards maintained by our state public health lab,” said Gov. Beshear, who recognized the staff’s accomplishment at a celebration today at the lab. “Although many may not realize it, Kentuckians rely on the work of our public health lab technicians every day – and for countless reasons. Their role in maintaining the health and well-being of our state is tremendous.”
“The state laboratory is vital to the functions of the Department for Public Health,” said CHFS Sec. Janie Miller. “We are extremely proud of the efforts of the lab staff, whose hard work and dedication are recognized by this accreditation.”
“Our technicians work daily on tasks that directly impact the lives of Kentuckians, whether testing to confirm influenza, helping track down the source of food borne illness outbreaks or screening Kentucky’s newborns for potentially dangerous metabolic disorders,” William Hacker, M.D., DPH commissioner. “The CAP accreditation is a remarkable achievement.”
“The state public health lab strives to achieve the highest operating standards possible, and we feel that is reflected in the CAP accreditation,” said DPH Lab Director Stephanie Mayfield Gibson, M.D. “The honor reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff.”
After learning the lab had received CAP accreditation, Gibson was congratulated by the organization for the “excellence of services being provided” at Kentucky’s public health laboratory. The lab provides an array of services, including newborn metabolic screening, disease culture testing and bioterrorism preparedness training support and services.
The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, begun in the early 1960s, is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program.
During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine the entire staff’s qualifications, the laboratory’s equipment, facilities, safety program and record, as well as the overall management of the laboratory. This stringent inspection program is designed to specifically ensure the highest standard of care for the laboratory’s patients.
CAP is a medical society serving nearly 16,000 physician members and the laboratory community throughout the world.
It is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance. CAP is an advocate for high-quality and cost-effective medical care.
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