Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Constituency Group elects new board

At the December meeting of the Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Constituency Group, the following board was elected:

President: Keith Jackson graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UK 1987, served in the military ranks becoming a lieutenant colonel in 2008. He had a 27-year career in the U.S. Army Reserve. He began his fire service career in 1991 and was the first African American to be named chief of the Lexington Division of Fire and Emergency Services in 2012. In 2019 he was selected as Kentucky Commissioner of Veterans Affairs. In 2021, Jackson became deputy secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

President Elect: Lilian Bland earned her associate degree from Lexington Community College in 1985 and her bachelor’s degree from Midway University in 1998. She worked for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government for 27 years before retiring in 2018. She now works for Delta Airlines as a ticket and gate agent at Bluegrass Airport.

Secretary: Darlene Simpson is the gift acknowledgement coordinator for the UK Office of Philanthropy. She earned an associate degree from Bluegrass Community and Technical College in 2010 and she is the owner of Dela’s Catering Services. She has worked with the group for 20 years.

Treasurer: Lee Jackson graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UK in 1973 and has been involved with the Lyman T. Johnson Alumni group since its beginning. He was president of the Kentucky Association of State Employees for 20 years and vice president of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO. He is immediate past president of the alumni group.

The officers serve two-year terms. The terms begin January 1, 2023.

The Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Constituency Group is an affiliate of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association. The group is named after Lyman T. Johnson who played an important role in integrating Kentucky higher education in 1949.

If you would like to learn more about the Lyman T. Johnson African American Alumni Constituency Group, visit www.ukalumni.net/LTJ.