Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman will be relinquishing her second role, that of Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, to aid Gov. Andy Beshear on economic development issues.
During a Capitol press conference on Thursday, Beshear said, regarding economic development, “There is so much opportunity that, in many ways, we need more than one governor. Thankfully, we have a governor and a lieutenant governor.”
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman
During a video message, Coleman said, “Today, I am saying farewell to my position as cabinet secretary, because I know it is in good hands. Deputy Secretary Mary Pat Regan will assume the role of acting Secretary of EWDC. Gov. Beshear and I have the utmost confidence in her leadership, and we know she will make Team Kentucky proud.”
Before her post as deputy secretary and now acting secretary, Regan, a St. Matthews resident, served in several key executive positions, including as national vice president for regulatory at AT&T and Kentucky president of AT&T Communications. Before joining state government, she also participated in and provided leadership in several Louisville-based community and civic programs during the last 10 years, including Greater Louisville Inc., the Kentucky Chamber, Business Leaders for Education, and the United Way.
Coleman said her commitment to the Beshear-Coleman Administration remains unchanged.
“It’ll just look a little different, as we respond to the demands of a booming economy. As the governor likes to say, ‘Our time is here, and our future is now.’ Seizing this moment is critical to building a better Kentucky for all of our families.”
“We’re excited about everything the lieutenant governor brings to the table,” said Beshear. “You’re going to be seeing much more of Lt. Governor Coleman.”
The Republican Party of Kentucky, meanwhile, is blaming Coleman for what they term her role in not clearing a backlog of some 80,000 unemployment claims that were filed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement emailed to news outlets, spokesman Michael Lonergan said, “Lt. Gov. Coleman is a focal point of Gov. Andy Beshear’s massive scandal and failed time and time again to fix the problems they created – and Kentucky still suffers as a result.”
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