Leaders of the Kentucky General Assembly reached an agreement Thursday in plans to hire David A. Byerman as the next director of the Legislative Research Commission (LRC) pending ratification of the full committee.
Byerman is an award-winning legislative administrator with experience in leading governmental organizations at the state and federal levels. He served two terms as Nevada’s Secretary of the Senate, the chamber’s chief executive officer and parliamentarian.
The Kentucky General Assembly’s top leaders reviewed in excess of 30 applications and interviewed several individuals before selecting Byerman. Commission members and lawmakers authorized the LRC co-chairs – Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo – to negotiate terms of employment with Byerman, who would be expected to take the helm of the LRC in October.
The LRC director is responsible for overseeing the performance of nonpartisan staff employed by the General Assembly and for delivering high quality, professional services to legislators and the legislature.
Byerman’s career path has given him experience in external affairs, communications, government relations, non-profit leadership and organizational management.
He was credited with bringing innovative practices to the Nevada Senate while he served as the chamber’s chief executive from 2010 to 2015. As Secretary of the Senate, Byerman was responsible for overseeing 90 session employees and managing a $21.5 million biennial budget.
Prior to serving as Nevada’s Secretary of the Senate, Byerman was the U.S. Census Bureau’s chief government liaison for Nevada. He served twice in that role, from 1999 – 2000 and from 2008 – 2010.
Byerman has also served as director of communications for MGM Mirage, a Fortune 500 company, president of Byerman Solutions Group, chief of program development for the Nevada Department of Transportation, executive assistant to Nevada Gov. Bob Miller and executive director for Philadelphia Clean Cities, Inc.
The winner of numerous public service awards, Byerman received the Kevin B. Harrington Award for Excellence in Democracy Education awarded by the National Conference of State Legislatures in 2014. He also received the Liberty Bell Award from the Clark County Law Foundation last year and the Jean Ford Award for Participatory Democracy from the Nevada Secretary of State in 2013.
Byerman earned his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from the University of the Redlands in California with a double major in political science and history. He earned a master’s in governmental administration from the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.
The annual salary range advertised to candidates was between $120,000 and $140,000; and it has been negotiated that Byerman will earn an annual salary of $135,000.
Kentucky Legislative Research Commission