Initiatives Policy & Advocacy KAM Governmental Affairs Team

KAM Governmental Affairs Team


GregHigdonbw Greg Higdon’s 21 years of experience with the Kentucky Legislature began with his election to the Kentucky State Senate representing the far-western 1st Senate District from 1982 to 1991. He was elected majority whip of the Kentucky Senate in 1991, served as chairman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Com­mittee and as a member of the Legislative Research Committee, the administra­tive arm of the General Assembly. His other committee assignments included economic development, tourism, energy and earthquake preparedness. Mr. Higdon was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet in 1991 by Governor Brereton C. Jones, and served as the governor’s legislative liaison with the 1994 General Assembly. From 1994 to present, he has been involved with the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers in several different capacities including Director of the Chemical Industry Council and Policy Advisor to past Presidents of KAM. In December 2009, he was selected to serve as President and CEO of KAM, and continues to advocate on behalf of the manufacturing industry in Kentucky.

MikeHeltonbw     Mike Helton is a former Governor's office Chief Executive Officer with extensive administrative experience in Kentucky State Government. He has held the Cabinet level positions of Secretary of the Public Protection and Regulation Cabinet and Commissioner for the Department for Environmental Protection under two Democratic administrations. As Advocacy Team Leader for Government Strategies, he has directed the government relations for some of Kentucky's largest Corporations and most influential trade associations.
JamesAllenbw Jitter Allen’s 30 years of experience in working with state government began with two terms as State Representative for Kentucky’s 95th Legislative District, where he served as Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources and Chairman of the Federal Surface Mining Subcommittees and a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Appropriations and Revenue Committee, and the Kentucky Democratic Executive Committee. He left the legislature to serve as Principal Assistant for the Cabinet for Human Resources under Governor John Y. Brown. He then served Governor Martha Layne Collins as Senior Administrative Assistant and liaison with the General Assembly. Following the Collins Administration, he joined KAM as director of the association’s Frankfort operations. He specializes in general business issues.

RachelPhelpsbw

 Rachel Phelps Bayens is an Associate Partner with the Firm. Her experience includes government relations work in legislative sessions since 2002 and prior to that, two sessions as a legislative intern with Government Strategies. She also served two years as the contract Executive Director for the Kentucky Association of Health Plans. Rachel is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.
Carl_Breeding_BW Carl Breeding serves as General Counsel to the KAM board of directors and is a legislative agent for the association specializing in environmental and governmental affairs. Named to “The Best Environmental Lawyers in America” guidebook by Woodward/White, Inc. in 2001, Mr. Breeding was a key leader of the KAM Chemical Industry Council. He has served as chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section (1994-95) and has served with the Governor’s Groundwater Advisory Committee, the Air Toxics Advisory Panel, the Brownfields and Voluntary Cleanup Program Focus Group, the Risk Analysis Regulation Development Advisory Group, and the Kentucky Water Quality Standards Review Panel.
Donna_Brownbw Donna Brown is a legislative agent for KAM specializing in health care issues. Ms. Brown served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities for eight years. She was a citizen lobbyist in Frankfort for seven additional years, working with environmental, conservation and nursing home legislation.
 
RustyCressbw Rusty Cress serves as Executive Director of the KAM Chemical Industry Council and is a legislative agent for the association specializing in environmental regulatory and compliance and governmental affairs. Mr. Cress has served as chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section (1998-99) and is the association’s representative for ongoing meetings of the Clean Air Act Task Force. Three times a year he publishes the KAM/CIC membership publication, ChemTrends, and is a frequent speaker on environmental and regulatory issues.
 
PrenticeHarveybw Prentice Harvey, a native of Glasgow, Kentucky, is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and the University Of Kentucky College Of Law. He began his career in Frankfort as a legislative analyst with the Legislative Research Commission. He is a former executive director of the Kentucky County Judge/Executive's Association. Mr. Harvey has been representing clients as a contract lobbyist since 1988.

Bert_May_bw Bert May, issues coordinator for the government affairs team of the Dinsmore & Shohl law firm, has joined the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. Prior to joining Dinsmore & Shohl, May spent the last nine years lobbying the Kentucky State Legislature for the Kentucky League of Cities. May served as President of the Kentucky League of Cities in 1995. Prior to joining the Kentucky League of Cities, he spent thirteen years as Mayor of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky.
 
DustinMillerbw Dustin Miller began his career in Frankfort handling Government and Media Relation for State Farm Insurance in 1998. He has represented clients before the General Assembly from various sectors including telecommunications, insurance, health care, and education. He served on several boards during the Patton & Fletcher Administrations including the Healthcare Transparency Committee and the Governor’s Earthquake Council.
 
kellyshaskyseptember2011-016-edit-edit web Kelly Shasky, Consultant, Government & Public Relations, provides a full range of services to her clients which include Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. She served the Minnesota 2nd Congressional District as outreach coordinator and was later named Finance Director for the Congressman’s reelection efforts.
 
MikeSheabw Mike Shea served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Senate President and the Senate Republican Caucus. He has also been an associate and advisor to members of the US Senate and Congress, as well as General Consultant to the Republican Party of Kentucky. He addresses federal issues management, coalition-building and grassroots/grasstops programs for some of the nation’s largest corporations and associations, and consults nationally on government consolidation referenda.

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