-- Richmond Businessman Lee Murphy to Serve on Governor’s Transition Team.

Richmond, KY -November 16th, 2007    Lee Murphy of Richmond has been named to the transition team that will help transfer the Commonwealths daily operations to the newly elected Beshear / Mongiardo Administration.

Murphy is the founder and president of Chapel Communications, a 12 year old Richmond based Internet Services Provider. Mr. Murphy also serves as Co-Chair for Leadership Madison County, as well as serving on the Board of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. Murphy received the Ernst & Young Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship in 2001 and represented Kentucky as a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Murphy also served 3 terms as president of the Kentucky Internet Service Providers Association and looks forward to bringing a voice into government regarding expansion of broadband services to Kentucky’s rural areas. Murphy was chosen by the Governor-Elect to work with Lexington businessman Ed Holmes in the organization and transition of the Governor’s Office.

Ed Holmes of Lexington will be chair of the Governor’s Office transition team. Holmes is founder and owner of EHI Consultants, a planning and engineering firm. He served as Secretary of the Cabinet of Public Protection during the administration of Gov. Brereton Jones and later served on the Public Service Commission. He is presently Vice President of Cincinnati Bell Telephone.  Also serving on the Governors Team is former Miss America Heather French-Henry.

Ellen Hesen of Louisville who served as General Counsel for the state Auditor will serve as Beshear’s General Counsel. Governor/Elect Beshear stated that he believes Ms. Hesen may be the first woman to serve in that job. Ms. Hesen previously served as General Counsel for the Cabinet for Health Services and Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet for Health Services.

JoEtta Wickliffe, Economic Development Cabinet: Wickliffe, of Harrodsburg, has been a member of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees since 1997. She also has been chairman, president and chief executive officer and director of the State Bank & Trust Company in Harrodsburg since 1963.

Mark D. Guilfoyle, a northern Kentucky attorney, will chair the Finance Cabinet team. Guilfoyle served in Jones’ administration in several positions: General Counsel, Budget Director and Secretary of the Executive Cabinet.

Donna Moore of Lexington will chair the Education Cabinet team. She worked for Kentucky Education Television from 1975 to 2004, ultimately becoming Deputy Executive Director.

Other members of the transition teams include:

Carol Palmore, Personnel Cabinet: Palmore was personnel secretary for former Gov. Paul Patton and labor secretary for Govs. Martha Layne Collins and Wallace Wilkinson. She also was general counsel for the Labor Cabinet for Gov. John Y. Brown Jr.

Eleanor Jordan, Health and Family Services Cabinet: Jordan is a principal assistant to Attorney General Greg Stumbo and a former state representative from Louisville. Gov. Paul Patton appointed her ombudsman for the Cabinet for Families and Children.

Donna Moore, Education Cabinet: Moore is a former official for the Kentucky Educational Television network in Lexington.

Steve Nunn, Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet: Nunn is the son of the late Gov. Louie Nunn and former state representative from Glasgow. He has been physician recruiter for T.J. Samson Hospital in Glasgow.

Helen Mountjoy, Commerce Cabinet: Mountjoy is executive vice president of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, chair of the Owensboro advisory board for BB&T and a member of the Kentucky Chamber's Postsecondary Education Task Force, the High Price of Being Poor Commission. She also is a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.

Ernesto Scorsone will head the Transportation Cabinet: Scorsone is an attorney and a state senator from Lexington. Scorsone, a former chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. "We've got to do a lot to improve the confidence level in the Transportation Cabinet."

Beshear said he is still filling out the teams for each cabinet and hopes to announce the remaining members by next week. But he said he is careful to follow ethics opinions which indicate anyone who does business with the state or whose business or interests are regulated by the state cannot serve on transition teams in those areas.

Beshear said he has not ruled out members of his transition team as permanent members of his administration, but “I have also not talked to any of these people about that.” He said he could name Republicans to his administration and might retain some current Fletcher appointees.

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