Agriculture & Rural Development
Industrial Hemp Cultivation
Dr. Nancy Cox, Dean, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
Ryan Quarles, Commissioner of Agriculture, Kentucky
The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement
Warren Beeler, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, Kentucky
J. Roger Thomas, Chair, SLC Agriculture & Rural Development Committee (2000-2002)
Animal Welfare: Bringing Balance to the Provision of Care
Senator J. Thomas McElveen III, South Carolina
Dr. Robert Stout, State Veterinarian, Kentucky
Economic Development, Transportation, Cultural Affairs
Impact of Federal Surface Transportation Legislation on the SLC States
Alex Herrgott, Deputy Staff Director, Environment and Public Works Committee, U.S. Senate
Ingredients Necessary to Promote Economic Development
Neal Wade, Director, Economic Development Academy, The University of Alabama
The Arts and Kentucky: Catalyst for Economic Growth
Dr. Everett D. McCorvey, Vice Chair, Kentucky Arts Council
The Equine Industry’s Impact in Kentucky
Dr. Jill Stowe, Associate Professor and Director, UK Equine Programs, University of Kentucky
Education
Effective Teacher Preparation Programs
Ashley LiBetti Mitchel, Senior Analyst, Bellwether Education Partners, Washington, D.C.
Student Success in Postsecondary Systems
Tristan Denley, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Tennessee Board of Regents
Update on the Every Student Succeeds Act
William Knudsen, Education Policy Advisor, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Energy & Environment
Clearing the Air: An Update on the Clean Power Plan
Joel Visser, Associate, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, D.C.
Legal Challenges to Waters of the United States
LaJuana S. Wilcher, Partner, English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP, Kentucky
Cyber Security and Nuclear Power
William R. Gross, Senior Project Manager, Engineering, Nuclear Energy Institute, Washington, D.C.
Fiscal Affairs & Government Operations
Commuter and Light Rail Systems in the SLC States: Recent Trends
Senator Brandon Beach, Georgia
Delegate Ronald Villanueva, Virginia
Public Pensions: Trends from the SLC States
Representative Barry Ivey, Louisiana
Representative Stephen Ross, North Carolina
Douglas Offerman, Fitch Ratings, New York
National and Regional Economic Trends
William R. Emmons, Assistant Vice President and Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Tax Credits, Deductions and Exemptions: Making them Work for States
Josh Goodman, Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, D.C.
Human Services & Public Safety
Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic
John Tilley, Secretary, Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
Van Ingram, Executive Director, Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy
Robert Childs, Executive Director, North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition
Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women
Representative Helena N. Moreno, Louisiana
Diabetes in SLC States
Dr. Philip A. Kern, Director, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Kentucky
Dominique Wilkins, Vice President of Basketball Operations, Atlanta Hawks
Comparative Data Reports
Adult Corrections: Monique Appeaning, Legislative Fiscal Office, Louisiana
Education: Hank Hager, Senate, West Virginia
Medicaid: Zachary M. Rau, Legislative Fiscal Office, Louisiana
Staff Workshop
Supreme Court Update: A Briefing from the State and Local Legal Center
Lisa Soronen, Executive Director, State and Local Legal Center, Washington, D.C.
Handout: Supreme Court Review for States 2017
How a Repeal of the Affordable Care Act Would Affect State Governments
Mattie Quinn, Health Writer, Governing, Washington, D.C.
Parliamentary Procedure: History and Practice
Kay Allison Crews, President, American Institute of Parliamentarians, Texas
Program Design and Performance Evaluation
Linda Triplett, Director, Performance Accountability Office, Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, Mississippi
Kirby Arinder, Ph.D., Research Methodologist, Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, Mississippi
State Transformation in Action Recognition (STAR) Award Judges Panel
Arkansas – Amputation Prevention Stand-Down Program
West Virginia – Electronic Application Processing System (Winner)
Tennessee – Prioritizing Student Veterans (Winner)
West Virginia – Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit Information System
Louisiana – Integrative Behavioral and Primary Care Model