Senate Committees

Purpose

The purpose of the Bylaws Committee shall be to:

1. Keep the Staff Senate Bylaws up to date;
2. Keep the records of the Bylaws;
3. Review and consider any proposed changes, and to take suitable change proposals to the Staff Senate after due consideration and timely announcements;
4. Ensure that copies of the Bylaws are readily available to all members of the University community as well as the general public; and
5. Audit the Bylaws every three (3) years (done during the election cycle of the Staff Representative to the Board of Trustees election), composed of a subset of the Bylaws Committee, the Staff Senate Office Coordinator and the Parliamentarian.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Olivia Ellis (Chair)
• Ryan Blanton (Secretary)
• Michael Adams
• Elizabeth Andrade
• Courtney  McCalla
• Madeline Trudeau

Purpose

The purpose of the Community Outreach committee shall be to:

1. Strive to provide a structure to better allow the Staff Senate to engage with the University of Kentucky community through acts of service, as well as by supporting acts of service organized by the University of Kentucky community
2. In partnership with the Public Relations committee, support the CRISIS program with the creation of deliverables and active outreach
3. Review or encourage development of new types of service activities or programs in collaboration with Staff Senate's main body, as well as the entire University of Kentucky community
   1. a) Potential UK Partners, including but not limited to:
      1. Office of Work-Life
      2. Center for Community Outreach
4. Leverage existing membership of the Staff Senate to support community outreach through service opportunities across the Commonwealth

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Audrie Johnson (Chair)
• Blazan Mijatovic (Secretary)
• David  Faulconer
• Alexis Faye
• Jonnisa Ferguson
• Pam McFarland
• Kristina Morgan

Purpose

The purpose of the Elections Committee shall be to:

1. Conduct an annual review of the Staff Senate precincts and make recommendations for changes to ensure that the Staff Senate represents the staff fairly and proportionately;
2. Certify eligibility of candidates for election to the Staff Senate and Staff Representative to the Board of Trustees;
3. Conduct the election of Senators to the Staff Senate; and
4. Conduct the election of the Staff Representative to the Board of Trustees.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

No members are currently assigned to this committee.

Purpose

Create opportunities for employees to engage in University and Staff Senate activities.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Sheneda Goforth (Chair)

Purpose

​The purpose of the Healthcare Administration/EVPHA Advisory Committee shall be to:

Bring staff-related concerns to the Healthcare administration and increase communication between the Healthcare administration and staff.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Kevin Duncan (Co-Chair)
• Halley White (Co-Chair)
• Andrea Crookston (Secretary)
• Sandra Frey
• Julien Galyon
• Sandra Gifford
• Mandi Martin
• Monical H. Perez
• Kendall Smitley

Purpose

To enhance workplace efficiency and effectiveness within the University's higher education settings.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Brittany Lawrence (Chair)
• Carol Simpson (Secretary)
• Dale Davis
• Heather McAtee
• Glenn Means
• Kimberly Monast
• Miguel Prieto-Valle

Purpose

To ensure that the Staff Senate's efforts effectively serve the broader staff community.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Justin Sumner (Chair)
• Tessa Pinkerton (Secretary)
• Kevin Horn-Pacheco
• Komal Pandya
• Andrea Shackelford
• Andrea Strassburg

Purpose

The purpose of the Advisory Committee to the President of the University shall be to:

1. Provide advice on any issue brought to it by the President; and
2. Bring to the President any issue the Staff Senate deems appropriate.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Terry Keys (Chair)
• Michael Millett (Secretary)
• James Aaron
• Rebecca Earls
• Kyle Hardesty
• Tiffany Miller
• Aaron Peffer

Purpose

1) Provide opportunities to employees to engage in development and growth within the University

2) Execute and present monthly Lunch and Learns to University employees

Explore Professional Development Resources

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Shelly Bishop (Co-Chair)
• Conner Henson (Co-Chair)

Purpose

The purpose of the Public Relations and External Affairs Committee shall be to:

1. Internally and externally disseminate Staff Senate information;
2. Lead Staff Senate informational initiatives on issues affecting the University with regard to the local and state governments of Kentucky, other institutions, and other external affairs in a fair and equitable manner; and
3. Generate recommendations to the Staff Senate for action on such issues.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Alexis  Fellows (Chair)
• Sophia Gut (Secretary)
• Amber Bruce
• Cherish Oliver
• Brooke Poe
• Erin Tigges
• Riley Timmer

Purpose

To collaborate with the Faculty Senate and the Student Government Association (SGA) to develop the Shared Governance framework as set forth by the University Administration.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Dean Holt (Chair)
• Misty Dotson Wright
• LaTanya Hocker
• George White

Purpose

The purpose of the Special Events committee shall be to: 

1) Assist and execute all Staff Senate events, including but not limited to: UK Appreciation Day, UK Remembers, UK DanceBlue DanceParty, Conversation with the President, Chat with the Provost. 

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Courtney Chafin (Chair)
• Lisa Lockman (Secretary)
• Tamara Anding
• Mandi Banahan
• Kelley Beverley
• Leanna Brignola
• Destiny Carter
• Soma Chakroborty
• Kristen Lawson
• Krystle W. Moore
• Scott Sorrell
• Hardin Stevens
• LaTanya Walker

Purpose

The purpose of the Technology Committee shall be to:

1. Ensure maintenance of the Staff Senate website, SharePoint, listservs, and other technologies as necessary, in collaboration with the Staff Senate and other committees;
2. Liaise with University IT and the Office of the Staff Senate to resolve technology concerns for the Staff Senate; and
3. Generate recommendations to the Staff Senate on questions of technology.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Aaron Gosper (Chair)
• Daniel Naas (Secretary)
• Patty Alvayay
• Jennifer Hill
• Chris Larmour
• Ben Rice

The purpose of the University Benefits and Compensation Committee shall be to:

1. Meet regularly with the Human Resources Executive Director (or representative)
2. Generate recommendations for action on such issues to be:
   1. Referred to Executive Committee
   2. Referred to Staff Senate Body
   3. Referred to another committee

Our team came together for the first time on August 12, 2021. To date, we have discussed many employee concerns, including but not limited to:

• Workplace flexibility.
• Return to campus for remote/hybrid employees.
• Vaccine badging, booster shots, campus-wide mandate, as well as potential incentives to encourage Covid-19 vaccinations.
• Wage feathering and pay inequity concerns.
• Review of the performance evaluation process.
• Fertility insurance coverage.
• FMLA and unpaid leave concerns.
• Re-evaluation of shared leave pool parameters.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Melissa Barger (Co-Chair)
• Scott Pappas (Co-Chair)
• Karen McCann (Co-Secretary)
• Keisha Wells (Co-Secretary)
• Laura Hall
• Amy Lorenzo
• Stephanie Peeples
• Alice Williams
• Laurel Wood
• Markeda Yarbrough

Purpose

To meet regularly with members of the University administration cabinet to discuss budgetary issues and bring forward information for discussion with the Senate body to ensure transparency and collaborative decision-making.

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Lucas Redmond (Chair)
• Sandy Wooton Gay (Secretary)
• Jessica Howard
• Stephen Reed
• Stefan Schagane
• Tymory Stanton
• Elijah Wilson

Purpose

This committee serves as a forum to identify, review, and propose solutions for campus infrastructure issues affecting staff well-being, University operations, and institutional modernization. 

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Travis Short (Chair)
• Andrew Hainley (Secretary)
• Doug Burgess
• Melissa Claar
• Christian Cullip

Purpose

To review policy-related concerns brought forward by staff at the University. 

Members (July 2025 - June 2026)

• Fadiya Lowe (Chair)
• Sarah Fitzgerald (Secretary)
• Matt Fels-McDowell
• Beth Goins
• Kristi Jump
• Troy C. Martin