Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball has hired a new Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Communications Director, her office announced. Filling these roles will be Lesley Bilby as Treasurer Ball’s Chief of Staff, Lorran Hart Ferguson as Deputy Chief of Staff, and Katherine Kington North as Communications Director.
Lesley Bilby
“These women will be excellent additions to my team in their new roles and set the course for a successful second term,” Treasurer Ball said. “Lesley, Lorran, and Katherine bring significant expertise to the treasury and have a passion for serving Kentucky.”
Bilby most recently served as Deputy Secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet. In her role as Chief of Staff, Bilby will advise Treasurer Ball on policy and legislative issues.
Previously, Bilby served as General Counsel to the Personnel Cabinet. A Prestonsburg native, she is a graduate of Centre College and the University of Kentucky College of Law.
“I am grateful to Treasurer Ball for the opportunity to serve as her Chief of Staff,” Bilby said. “She has a strong record as Kentucky’s watchdog on taxpayer dollars, and I look forward to building on her successes with financial literacy, unclaimed property, and government transparency. I am proud to be a part of her team.”
Lorran Ferguson
Ferguson was promoted from Communications Director and Deputy General Counsel to Deputy Chief of Staff. In this new role, she will assist Bilby in advising Treasurer Ball on policy and legislative issues and will also oversee the Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Division. Prior to joining Treasurer Ball’s team in 2016, she interned in Congressman Ed Whitfield’s (KY-1) Washington D.C. Office and also within the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s Legal Services Division. She is a graduate of Lindsey Wilson College and the University of Kentucky College of Law.
“I am honored to be entrusted by Treasurer Ball to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff,” Ferguson said. “Over the past four years she has proven her commitment to improving the lives of Kentuckians through good government measures. I know our Commonwealth will only continue to improve in her second term thanks to her hard work and leadership.”
Katherine North
North most recently served as Communications Director for the Personnel Cabinet where she oversaw communications for Cabinet policy initiatives and public engagement. Prior to serving as Communications Director, she worked at RunSwitch Public Relations where she served as a spokesperson for the 144th Oaks and Kentucky Derby. North is a former anchor and reporter of WAVE 3-TV in Louisville. A Louisville native, North is a graduate of Auburn University.
“Treasurer Ball is an invaluable leader for Kentucky. She has enhanced government transparency to make the spending of taxpayer dollars visible to Kentuckians and continues to champion financial literacy in the Commonwealth,” North said. “I thank Treasurer Ball for this opportunity and look forward to driving public awareness on these important measurers.”
Treasurer Ball became the first Republican female constitutional officer to be re-elected to office in November. In both the 2015 and 2019 elections, she received more votes than any other candidate on the ballot.
