State Central Executive Committee
The SCEC is the governing body of the Kentucky Democratic Party. Members comprise Democratic activists and leaders from across the Commonwealth, all committed to electing Democrats.
There are presently 51 voting members of the SCEC, including members from each Congressional District, members At-Large, Democratic National Committee representatives and Democratic representatives from the General Assembly. The Presidents of the Kentucky Young Democrats and the Kentucky Democratic Woman's Club also serve as members of the SCEC.
Non-voting members of the SCEC include the Legal Counsel and Treasurer, as well as all statewide elected Democratic Constitutional Officers, U.S. Senators and U.S. Congressmembers.
How do you become a member of the State Central Executive Committee?
Members of the SCEC are elected at the Kentucky Democratic Party Congressional and State Conventions, held during every Presidential election year. They are elected by county-wide and legislative district (Fayette and Jefferson counties) delegates, and serve four-year terms.
The Chief Executive Officers of the State Central Executive Committee are the Chair and Vice-Chair.
For more information, please refer to the bylaws.
Chair & Vice-Chair
Daniel Logsdon, Chairman, lives in Lexington and has served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Gov. Beshear since September. Prior to joining the Beshear administration, Logsdon worked for Windstream Communications for five years, supervising local and state government affairs in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. He has also served as Deputy Treasurer for Jonathon Miller.
Susie Watkins, a native of Henderson County, is retired from thirty-one years of teaching elementary school, including two as a Distinguished Educator. She has been a constant presence in Democratic politics due in part to her late husband, long time Henderson County Judge Executive Sandy Watkins. Susie credits her "Yellow Dog Democrat" leaning to Sandy's tireless efforts on behalf of the party. A grandmother of two, Watkins has two grown sons.
Members
Allison Amon is a paralegal and executive assistant with Jefferson County Attorney. Amon is the Vice-Chair Jefferson County Democratic Party. Allison is the 29th Legislative District Chair within the 3rd Congressional District.
Chad Aull is a 2004 graduate of Western Kentucky University, where he was president of his College Democrats chapter. He is currently the President of the Kentucky Young Democrats and has worked on numerous political campaigns, including Chandler for Governor, Kerry for President, Miller for Governor, Beshear for Governor, and Boswell for Congress, as well as serving as the Governor Beshear's Director of Constituent Services. Chad managed the Robin Webb for State Senate campaign in 2009 and is the Political Director for the Kentucky Democratic Party. Chad lives in Lexington with his wife, Marisa, and their daughter, Isabella.
Brad Bailey is a State Central Executive Committee Member from the 2nd Congressional District and is serving his second term. He was elected Barren County PVA in 2002 and ran unopposed in 2006. He became County Chair in 2003 and was recognized as Barren County’s Outstanding Democrat in 2008.
Sarah Bailey is the President of the Northern Kentucky Young Democrats, a member and Secretary of the Kenton County Democratic Executive Committee, and 2nd Vice President of the Kenton County Democratic Woman’s Club. She has been involved, as a volunteer, intern and staffer, with over a dozen political campaigns. Sarah is an attorney in Northern Kentucky and is a life-long resident of Independence.
Gary K. Best was elected President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 227 in 2004. Best presides over one of the largest local unions in Kentucky and has developed a multi-cultural staff that routinely communicates in more than seven languages. As an elected union official since 1984 Gary K. Best dedicates his life to improving the standard of living for Kentucky's working families. Praised by the Courier-Journal for his approach to labor relations, Best has overseen an explosion in membership at UFCW Local 227 and gained the respect of employers and employees alike.
Crystal Chappell graduated from Murray State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in education and completed her Masters degree in 2007 at Indiana Wesleyan University. Crystal is currently working towards meeting the requirements for National Board Certification and Rank I status. She teaches special education at Muhlenberg South Middle School where she is serving her fifth term on the Site-Based Decision Making Council. Crystal is a six-year president of Muhlenberg County Young Democrats, youth chair and secretary for the Muhlenberg County Democratic Party, the elected youth chair in her precinct, and a member of the KDP State Central Executive Committee. She has also actively participated in many political campaigns and currently serves as Vice President (chapter building) for the Kentucky Young Democrats. Crystal resides in Drakesboro with her husband and fellow educator, Shad Chappell.
Clay Ford, a 2001 graduate of the University of Kentucky, has been involved with the Daviess County Democratic Executive Committee since 2003. He is a financial advisor and serves as the president of the financial planning department for E.M. Ford & Company’s offices in Owensboro and Henderson. Clay is currently a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the University of Kentucky Libraries National Advisory Board, and The Wendell Foster’s Campus for Developmental Disabilities Board of Directors. Clay is the former Chairman of the Board for the Owensboro Area Museum of Science and History and past President of the Owensboro Estate Planning Council. He lives in Owensboro with his wife, Diane, and children, Whitley and John Clay.
Courtney French, age 25, serves as SCEC Secretary and has worked in several capacities in Democratic campaigns. She has served as Kentucky Young Democrats National Committeewoman. Courtney is very active in her church and community and a recent graduate of Leadership Northern Kentucky. Since August 2007 she has served as Governor Beshear's scheduler. She lives in Warsaw.
Susanna French is a lifetime resident of Marshall County, Kentucky. She graduated from Marshall County High School and attended Paducah Community College. She has been a paralegal for the past 15 years with that time being divided between the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney and a private law firm. Susanna French is an elected member of the Marshall County Democratic Executive Committee where she has served on and chaired numerous committees. She has served as Precinct Chair and was appointed to the Board of Supervisors for Marshall County. She is currently Secretary of the Marshall County Democratic Woman's Club and where she also served as President. She is immediate past Secretary/Treasurer for the 1st Congressional District Democratic Woman's Club. She served two (2) consecutive terms as Treasurer for the statewide Democratic Woman's Club of Kentucky and is now serving as President. She has been appointed by the President of the National Federation of Democratic Women to chair the national Committee on Young Democrats. Susanna French is a lifetime member of Woodlawn Cumberland Presbyterian Church where she plays the piano. Susanna and her husband, Jamie French are the parents of three children; Krista (19), Danielle (12), and Matthew (10).
James L. "Buddy" Gallenstein currently serves as Mason County Judge/Executive. He was elected to that position in 1994 after serving a four-year term as a Mason County Commissioner. Prior to his governmental service, he was affiliated with the Bank of Maysville as a loan officer for thirty years. He served in the United States Marine Corps for four years. He is an active member and past Grand Knight of the Maysville Knights of Columbus. He is a member of the St. Patrick Church. He has also served on the Saint Patrick School board and has been actively involved with the Maysville Housing Authority for over fifteen years. In addition, he serves as the Chairman of both the Mason County Local Health Board, Comprehend and the District Board of Health. He is married to Alice Kay and is the father of Jim Gallenstein, Elizabeth Chamberlain, Louise Williams, and Allison Adams.
Billy Hayes was born and raised in Ashland, Ky. He has been a trial lawyer for the past 28 years. He is a graduate of Fairview High School where he is in the Hall of Fame, Ashland Community College, Asbury College and the University of Kentucky College of Law. He has had a varied career, being trained as an officer and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, serving as a United Methodist missionary in the Congo, Commonwealth's Attorney for the 44th Circuit, bank director, junior pro basketball coach, Sunday school teacher, real estate developer and bar officer. He, along with his high school friend, Jerry Byrd and his son, Dan Hayes founded Island Relief Inc., a nongovernmental organization that builds water, sewer, school and recreation projects for poor children in the Caribbean. Bill resides in Middlesboro, Ky., in sight of the Cumberland Gap and enjoys fly fishing, shooting, travel, friends and writing his long published newspaper column, A View From the Mountains.
Phinis V. Hundley is a lifelong Democrat and 36 year Charter member of U.A.W. Local 2012. Phinis has been President of the local U.A.W. for more than 30 years and has attended many International Conventions and Conferences. He is a two-time delegate to the Democratic National Convention, is the Chairman of the La Rue County Democratic Party, and is serving his 4th term on the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Committee.
Brenda P. McClanahan, ASID, KYCID, is Chair of the Fayette County Democratic Party and is a member of the Women’s Network, the Kentucky Heritage Council, the National Society for Historic Preservation and numerous other organizations. She is a retired Interior Designer and past Vice-Chair of the KY Interior Design Legislative Organization (KIDLO). She holds BA and MA Degrees in Interior Design from the University of Kentucky, an AA Degree in Business Art from the Ohio Visual Arts Institute, and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from the Sanders-Brown Research Center on Aging.
Michael Meeks was born in Louisville, KY and is founder and president of Frankfort Lobbyist, LLC, formed in 2008, and owner of Special Event Coordinators, LLC, established in 2000. Meeks served as Committee Staff Administrator of the Government Contract Review Committee of the Legislative Research Commission from 1996 to 2006, and served as Legislative Analyst for the Occupations and Professions Committee from 1985 to 1996. Meeks earned his B.A. at Morehead State University in 1980 and his J.D. at Howard University School of Law in 1983. He was selected Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Big Brother of the Year in 1990; Outstanding Young Men of America,1981-1985; Outstanding Kentucky Young Democrat of the Year in 1979; Who's Who Among American College Students in 1978-1980; and elected State Secretary of the Kentucky Young Democrats in 1978. He is also listed in the 2007 Inaugural Edition of Who’s Who in Black Louisville and subsequent issues in 2008 and 2009.
George Mills was born and raised in Muhlenberg and Hopkins Counties. He served in the United States Army and was recalled to active duty with Kentucky’s 100th Division at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. George graduated from the University of Kentucky where he obtained a BS in Commerce and a JD in law. He was the first law clerk of Judge Bernard T. Moynahan, Jr., U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. George practiced law with the law firm of Stites & Harbison (and its predecessor firm, Harbison, Kessinger, Lisle &Bush) in Lexington from 1966 until his retirement in 2004. He is presently Of Counsel to the firm. A former Chairman of the Fayette County Democratic Party, George is a State Central Executive Committee Member from the 6th Congressional District. He presently serves as Chair of the ByLaws committee.
Kerry S. Morgan has served as our General Counsel since 2006. She has been affiliated with the SCEC in several capacities since 1997, including terms as vice chair and acting chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party. She has represented Kentucky on the Democratic National Committee, and has served as a delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention and a super-delegate to the 2004 convention. In 2006, she was tapped for Governor Beshear’s transition team (Office of the Governor), and was also appointed by the Governor to serve on Kentucky’s Commission for Women. Kerry is a 1988 graduate of Henderson County High School. In 1992 she graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in journalism. She received her law degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University in 1996, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Northern Kentucky Law Review. She is a partner at Breen & Morgan, Attorneys at Law, in Bowling Green, and she is married to R. Shannon Morgan, Deputy Secretary of the Finance Cabinet. Shannon and Kerry have two children. In her non-existent spare time, she likes to cook, paint, read and root on her kids' various sports teams.
Jim Morphew has been actively involved in politics all his adult life. He was on hand as a Young Democrat on October 8, 1960 when Presidential candidate Senator John Kennedy arrived at the Paducah airport. Governor Julian Carroll commissioned him a Kentucky Colonel, and among other organizations, he is a charter member of Kentucky Sheriff's Boys and Girls Ranch. Jim attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. A 45-year member of Ironworkers Local 782, he served as a trustee and is a former executive board member of the Western Kentucky Area Council. Currently, Jim represents the Democratic Party on the McCracken County Election Board. He has been retired for several years and enjoys hunting deer, turkey and small game on his McCracken County farm. He and his wife, Gladys, have one son and one granddaughter.
Betty Morrow is an accountant for two small corporations in Clinton, KY where her husband Jeff is serving his 6th term as Clinton City Councilman. They also own and maintain their Hickman County family farm. Betty has been a member of the Hickman County Democratic Committee since 1995 serving as Secretary/Treasurer, Vice Chair and currently Chair. She also serves as the county contact for Governor Steve Beshear. They are the parents of one son Daniel who is an ordained minister and musician. Their free time is devoted to church and enjoying the grandchildren.
Gerald A. Neal is a member of the Kentucky General Assembly, serving as Senator of the 33rd District in Louisville since 1989. Senator Neal is a member of the legislature's Judiciary; Banking and Insurance, and Education committees as well as the Subcommittee on Post-Secondary Education. He is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice. Senator Neal is a graduate of Kentucky State University, where he was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters, and of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, where he is a 2006 Distinguished Alumni Law Fellow. Senator Neal is married to Kathy Cooksie and has two children, Brandon and Kristin. He enjoys golf, skiing and reading.
Jeff Noble is a researcher and blogger, as well as a member of the Church of the Advent. He was first elected to the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee in 1980 and served four terms. Jeff has been a member of the State Central Executive Committee since 2004. He is a graduate of Spalding University.
Joey Pendleton, a member of the Kentucky State Senate since 1993, is a farmer who owns a 140-acre farm in Christian County where he raises dairy heifers and beef cattle. A 1964 graduate of Christian County High School, Senator Pendleton attended Hopkinsville Community College and Murray State University. He served in the Kentucky National Guard from 1968-1974 and formerly served as a magistrate in Christian County.
Kathy Jo Stubblefield, a graduate of Murray State University (M.S. Speech, B.S English, minor in Political Science) taught English for 33 years at Calloway County High School serving as Language Arts Dept. Chair and Prom & Graduation Coordinator before retiring in June 2008. She is Treasurer of Democratic Woman's Club of Kentucky and Vice-chair of the Calloway County Executive Committee. Kathy Jo currently serves as 2nd Vice-President of Murray Woman’s Club and Legislative Chair of Calloway County Retired Teachers Association. She has been named to Who’s Who Among American Teachers and Who’s Who of American Women. Residing on the family farm in Calloway County, in her spare time she enjoys gardening and spoiling her American Eskimo, Kentucky Maximillian Sundance.
Winnie Townsend is a wife, mother and grandmother who has been actively involved in the Democrat Party, both local and statewide since 1971. She is a member of Hardin Co. DWC and past 1st Member at Large, Chair or Co-Chair of the following committees of Democratic Woman’s Club of Kentucky. Winnie has been elected to the Hardin County Executive Committee for the past 38 years and has served as Hardin County Election Commissioner since 1984. She is a recipient of the Democratic Woman’s Club of Kentucky Rose Award and Elizabethtown Hardin County Chamber of Commerce Big E Award.
Charles B. Wells is in his second term as a member of the Democratic Party’s State Central Committee and currently chairs the Party’s Finance Committee. Charles previously served two terms as Chairman of the Scott County Democratic Executive Committee and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for State Senate in the 17th Senate District in 2003. Charles was born in Paintsville, Kentucky. He is a graduate of Georgetown College and has lived in Georgetown, Kentucky with his wife Sheila for almost 30 years.
Marcus Woodward is a native of Maysville Kentucky and continues to manage a family farm there. A graduate of Maryville College, Marcus has served ten years with the Kentucky Department of Labor, another ten years as a retailer, and the last twenty years as a broker for health and life insurance through his agency Woodward and Associates in Ashland, KY. He has served as Chairman of the Boyd County Democratic Party since 1992 and is an elected member of State Central serving in his 4th four-year term. He also serves on the Finance Committee.