The shakeup continues at the Kentucky Horse Park as the newly-reconstituted park commission chooses a new executive director.
As expected, the current head – Jamie Link, former deputy chief of staff for Gov. Steve Beshear – will exit the top post at the park after his contract expires at the end of June, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Taking over the reins will be Laura Prewitt, who oversaw the city’s Breeder’s Cup Festival last year.
This week the park's governing commission became only the latest board to undergo a reorganization under Gov. Matt Bevin. Since taking office, the Republican governor has removed the chairman of the state retirement system board and reshuffled the Kentucky State Fair Board. The goal, the chief executive maintains, is to root out entrenched interests that haven’t served Kentucky well.
"The bottom line is everything I'm doing I have the authority to do. I'm going to keep doing it," the governor told cn|2. "I was elected to clean this state up. Many of these things are an absolute mess."
One casualty of the governor's most recent action was former first lady Jane Beshear's appointment to an unpaid seat on the horse park board. Beshear's husband, former Gov. Beshear, placed his wife on the board shortly before leaving office last December. The ousted appointee has suggested to the Courier-Journal that Bevin has an "unfavorable view" of the preceding administration.
"At some point, I think the Beshears will realize they're no longer in charge. They seem hung up on the idea of staying around," Bevin responded, again speaking with cn|2. "She's one of a dozen people who's no longer on that board. For her to think it's all about her, it sort of says a lot I think."
Prewitt has yet to negotiate her new contract with the horse park.
