Unofficial copy as of 06/25/16 14 reg. Sess. 14 Rs br 254

A RESOLUTION honoring former Kentucky State Senator Joseph Meyer upon his retirement as Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

WHEREAS, Joseph Meyer has served the legislative and the executive branches of the government of this Commonwealth for 30 years. In 1982, Mr. Meyer embarked on the first phase of his extraordinary life as a public servant, serving first as a Kentucky State Representative from 1982 to 1988, and then as a State Senator from 1989 to 1996. As a member of this august body, he chaired the Senate Education Committee during the historic implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act; and

WHEREAS, after leaving the Senate, Joseph Meyer served as a senior policy advisor to Governor Steve Beshear and State Auditor Crit Luallen. He was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, and in 2009 was appointed to Secretary, a position to which he brought the courage and perseverance that have marked his three decades in public service; and

WHEREAS, under Joseph Meyer's supervision, the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet has thrived. Mr. Meyer played a vital role in bringing Kentucky's unemployment insurance system up to date, and under his tutelage the Early Childhood Advisory Council was created, merging the state's career and technical education system to place more emphasis on much-needed career skills. The Cabinet also earned national recognition for workforce investment improvements; and

WHEREAS, on June 30, 2013, Joseph Meyer retired as Secretary of the Cabinet, ending a heralded three-decade tenure that saw him change the lives of a generation of Kentuckians. Through his leadership as both a lawmaker and an executive appointee, Mr. Meyer remained true to his guiding principles and the core belief that he could make a difference. The people of this Commonwealth, and the citizens of Mr. Meyer's hometown of Covington, join this honorable body in applauding him for his years of dedicated service;

NOW, THEREFORE,

Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

Section 1. The members of the Senate honor Joseph Meyer for his years of service in this honorable body and elsewhere in the public sector, and thank him for his diligent work upon his retirement as Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Section 2. The members of the Senate wish Joseph Meyer the best of luck as he embarks upon the next chapter of a life already well-lived.

Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to Senator John Schickel for delivery.