Secretary's Office 

Mary Elizabeth Bailey 

Cabinet Secretary
Kentucky Personnel Cabinet

Mary Elizabeth has worked in State Government, specifically Human Resources, for over 25 years. Throughout her career, she has served on numerous committees and is a member of the National Association for State Personnel Executives, CSG South-Staff Alliance for Intergovernmental Leadership, and Society for Human Resource Management. In her current role, Secretary Bailey provides executive policy and management support to the Cabinet's departments, offices, and divisions; promulgates administrative regulations; advises the Personnel Board and all agencies in the Executive Branch on matters pertaining to the classified service. In her previous role as the Commissioner of the Department of Human Resource Administration, she oversaw the administration of the Commonwealth's employment application process, state payroll functions, personnel administration for all branches of government, official personnel records for state employees, the state Classification and Compensation system, the Executive Branch Performance Management Program, and state government's organizational structure. During her career, she led the largest human resource transformation in over thirty years with the implementation of the Kentucky Human Resource Information System including streamlining and modernizing the personnel administration process, hiring within the Executive Branch, and enhancing recruitment to ensure the commonwealth remains the employer of choice. ​​

Robert Long 

Deputy Secretary

A native of Owensboro and currently resides in Lexington with his wife and two children. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics in 1996 from the University of Kentucky and a Juris Doctorate in 1999 from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Prior to joining the Personnel Cabinet, Robert provided 20 years of service to the Commonwealth. Most recently, Robert served as Executive Director for Legal Services for Finance and Technology with the Finance and Administration Cabinet. Prior to his service with the Finance Cabinet, Robert spent 16 years as an Assistant Attorney General and two years with the Department for Medicaid Services. Robert also possesses three years of private practice experience specializing in medical malpractice defense, criminal defense, education law and general litigation. Robert has argued cases before all levels of state and Federal Court which have resulted in more than 50 published opinions. Most notably, he was counsel of record in Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010), which he also orally argued before the United States Supreme Court.​

Department of Employee Insurance

​Chris Chamness

Deputy Commissioner

Chris is a lawyer with regulatory and compliance experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to joining the Personnel Cabinet, Chris had a diverse law practice in consumer finance, banking, financial technology, online payments, merchant cash advance, and privacy law in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Chris also held a management role supporting the Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, in Lexington, Kentucky. He now provides legal and compliance support to the Department of Employee Insurance on a wide range of issues under state and federal law, including HIPAA compliance, federal health insurance regulations, vendor management, procurement, and contracting. Chris also provides strategic planning, communications, and policy advice to the DEI. He received his Juris Doctor from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a degree in Politics with honors from Whitman College.

​

Department of Human Resources Administration

Jamie Caldwell

Commissioner

Jamie Caldwell is a dedicated human resources professional with 20 years of experience in state government. Jamie has been with the Personnel Cabinet since 2011. During her time with the Personnel Cabinet, Jamie has served as the Classification & Compensation Manager, Assistant Director of the Division of Employee Management, and is currently Commissioner of the Department for Human Resources Administration. 

Jamie is an active member of the Kentucky Chapter of the Public Sector Human Resources Association (formerly IPMA-HR), and she is an International Public Management Association for Human Resources Senior Certified Professional. Jamie received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Eastern Kentucky University, and she resides in Frankfort with her husband and son

​

Alaina Myers

Deputy Commissioner

Alaina Myers is a human resources (HR) professional with over 16 years of HR experience, with the last 13 of those years in the Personnel Cabinet’s Department of Human Resources Administration (DHRA). She is a member of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Chapter as Past President. Alaina graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from James Madison University. She is an IPMA Senior Certified Professional (IPMA-SCP), received her Certificate of Supervisory Essentials (CSE) and is a trained mediator with the Kentucky Employee Mediation Program (KEMP). In her role as Deputy Commissioner, Alaina oversees the administration of the statewide Performance Management Program, the DHRA Training Program and the Division of Career Opportunities. Alaina resides in Lexington, KY with her husband and their two daughters.

Kentucky Public Employees' Deferred Compensation Authority

Chris Biddle

Executive Director

Chris is an attorney with twenty years of administrative, regulatory, and civil litigation experience. Chris has been with the Authority for over 10 years and has served as the Authority’s chief legal officer and Executive Director during his tenure. In his current role as Executive Director, Chris oversees the daily business operation and compliance for the accounts of approximately 75,000 individuals with combined assets of $3 billion. 

Office of Administrative Services

​Robbie S. Perkins 

IT Director, Division of Technology Services

Robbie brings more than 25 years of experience in information technology, accounting, and human resources with the last 14 of those years in service at the Personnel Cabinet. Robbie is a member of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the KY Chapter of IPMA-HR and is an past president. A native of Madison County, Robbie attended Eastern Kentucky University where he majored in accounting and received his Certified Public Manager (CPM) certification from GSC and now resides in Frankfort.

Governmental Service Center

 Wes Swarner

 Executive Director

Wes is a graduate of the University of Louisville with a BS in Health Occupations Education. Prior to joining state government, he spent 21 years in the United States Army, retiring in 1999. His last eight years in service was dedicated to training both U.S. and Allied Forces in tactical operations and leadership. Wes has more than 35 years of experience in management training and employee development and has served in multiple positions within state government. Wes received his certification in Lean Production Systems from the University of Kentucky’s Center for Manufacturing. Originally from Beavercreek, Ohio, He resides in Versailles with his wife, Lisa. 

Office of Diversity, Equality and Training

 Vikki Stone

 Executive Director

Vikki Smiley Stone comes to the Personnel Cabinet after having owned a public relations, community engagement, and diversity and inclusion programming company for over 20 years. Throughout her tenure as a business owner, she served as a consultant to local, national and international clients and has worked on a wide variety of projects, the largest of which was the Louisville Metro Housing Authority's $200 million dollar Park DuValle Revitalization HOPE VI project. Vikki has a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from the University of Louisville, Master's Degree from Kentucky State University, Diversity and Inclusion for Human Resources Certification from Cornell University and she is a graduate of the Leadership Louisville Bingham Fellows program. 

Office of Employee Relations

​Alan Hurst

Acting Executive Director

Alan is a committed legal professional with extensive experience in administrative and regulatory law. He received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Eastern Kentucky University and his juris doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Before joining the Personnel Cabinet, Alan served as a Staff Attorney for Kentucky Retirement Systems where he assisted with the disability and administrative adjudicative process, drafted administrative regulations, oversaw committee meetings, and handled issues related to HIPAA and the Open Records Act. In his current role with the Office of Employee Relations, Alan provides leadership and support to other state agencies through the coordination of a variety of programs and services including workers’ compensation, the return-to-work program, employee assistance and employee recognition. Alan is married and a proud father of two girls.

Office of Public Affairs

Steeley Shacklette​​

Executive Director

​Steeley Shacklette is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet Office of Public Affairs. When she joined the Personnel Cabinet team in 2019 as an Information Officer, she was responsible for graphic design, social media management, and she also acted as a liaison between OPA and other departments within the Personnel Cabinet. In her current role, she oversees communication planning and marketing services for the Personnel Cabinet as well as promoting employee benefits, programs and new initiatives. Prior to her time in state government, Steeley worked in public affairs as a civilian with the U.S. Army Cadet Command in Fort Knox, KY. Along with this, she brings experience in broadcasting and archiving.