For Immediate Release
Nov. 25, 2002
Contact: Terry Sebastian (682-9405) or Channell Barbour (502) 564-2611  

Gov. Patton appoints Mary Lassiter Acting Budget Director

FRANKFORT, KY. - Governor Paul Patton today appointed Mary Lassiter Acting Budget Director. Lassiter replaces Jim Ramsey who was appointed president of the University of Louisville earlier this month.  

“Mary is a proven leader and budgetary expert with almost 20 year of experience in state government,” Patton said. “Her role and advice have been vital throughout this administration when helping us to review and to prepare our budgets - especially during these tough economic times when some hard decisions are having to be made.” 

Prior to her appointment, Lassiter worked as a special assistant to the State Budget Director and Deputy Executive Director in the Governor’s Office for Policy Research -- positions she has held since 1999. In this role, she served as adviser to the Governor on workforce, workers’ compensation, budget, economic development and financial management issues.   

Prior to coming to the budget office, Lassiter served 15 years as a financial analyst in the Office for Financial Management and Economic Analysis, which operates the Commonwealth's investment and debt management programs. 

Lassiter has served as a special assistant to Governors Wallace Wilkinson and Patton on economic development and workers' compensation issues. She holds both a BBA and MBA from the University of Kentucky and lives in Woodford County with her husband Frank and two children, Mary Beth and Ben. 

“I am honored to serve the Commonwealth and the Patton Administration,” Lassiter said. “I look forward to working with all branches of government toward enactment of a budget for our state.”  

Lassiter is the second woman to hold the budget post. The first was Crit Luallen who held the position during the 1999 in addition to her position as Secretary of the Cabinet.  

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