Employment First Council

​​​​Upcoming Meetings:

Friday, July 14th, 2023

1:00pm - 3:00pm

1525 Bull Lea Rd. 

Lexington, KY 40511

​Strategic Plan (coming soon)

Governor's Boards and Commissions Page​

​​Boards and Commissions Application

​

​Information About the Council: 

• ​Identify state policies that create disincentives for the employment of people with disabilities and develop recommendations to address and eliminate those disincentives.
• Develop training resources on the benefits of competitive integrated employment of workers with a disability. 
  
• Recommend the development and implementation of policies and effective practices for providers of supported employment services that increase employment opportunities for workers with a disability. 
• Utilize appropriate metrics to assess progress of efforts. 
• Lastly, submit an annual report by December 1st to the Legislative Research Commission, the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet, and the Governor, summarizing its findings and recommendations.
  

​Council

• ​Council Chair - Katie Wolf Whaley
  
• Council Vice-Chair - Vacancy
  
• Legislative Liaison - Vacancy ​
  
• Amanda Friend
  
• Amanda Owen
  
• Annettee Jett
  
• Dawn Gardner
  
• Cora McNabb
  
• David Allgood
• Diana Merzweiler
  
• Frank Huffman
  
• Greta Hylton
  
• Jeff Edwards
  
• Jeff White
  
• Jessica Beaven
• Tal Curry
  
• Leslie Hoffmann
  
• Lori Norton
  
• Merry Reid Sheffer
  
• Morgan Turner
• Rebecca Wilson
• Robert "Larry" Taylor
  
• Staci Cain
  
• Todd Coffey
  
• Zach Morgan
  
• Vacancy - Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board
  
• Vacancy - Council of State Governments
  
• Vacancy - Commonwealth  Council on Developmental Disabilities
  
• Vacancy - Office of Career and Technical Education
  
  

Committees Membership List:

• Employer Education and Engagement
  
• Merry Reid Sheffer - Chair
  
• Advocacy and Education
  
• Amanda Owen - Chair
  
• Provider Capacity
  
• Jeff White - Chair
  
• Transition
  
• Jessica Beaven - Chair
  
• Frank Huffman - Co-Chair
  
• Bylaws (Ad hoc)
  
• Katie Wolfe Whaley - Chair