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Gray Announces Additional Appointments

By Alan Lytle

Lexington, KY – Lexington Mayor Jim Gray has announced three additional appointments to his management staff.

Cheryl Taylor, who worked as Mayor Newberry's Commissioner of Environmental Quality before taking a job with Kentucky American Water, returns to city hall to head up a combined Department of Public Works and Environmental Quality.

"One advantage I had being in Environmental Quality previously was that we did work pretty closely with public works anyway. In a lot of cities those functions are combined. But I think the advantage Lexington has is that the Environmental Quality Department really puts that emphasis on those systems. So it's really a matter of strengthening those systems and then combining them with the Public Works piece."

Jane Driskell has left her post as Louisville's Chief Financial Officer to become Lexington's Commissioner of Finance and Administration. She sees many similarities in the types of challenges Kentucky's two largest cities face moving forward.

"Lower revenues than anticipated, and having to adjust services to meet those revenues. We've had difficult decisions in Louisville but we've been able to do it and maintain high financial ratings by Wall Street."

Gray also announced today that UK College of Social Work Field Director Beth Mills, will serve as Commissioner of the Department of Social Services. Meanwhile, the mayor has yet to name a Public Safety Commissioner. He says a search for that key position is ongoing.