Whitney Allen whitney.allen@ky.gov
Robbin Higgins rchiggins62@gmail.com
David Best david.g.best1@gmail.com
Anyah Hoang-Ansert anyahh@voamid.org
MG Hal Lamberton Haldane.b.lamberton.mil@army.mil
Steve Bullard steven.bullard@ky.gov
George Wright George.b.wrightjr@gmail.com
Sidney Shouse sidneyshouse1@icloud.com
Josh Hicks josh@hfkylawyers.com
Commissioner Whitney P. Allen, Jr.
On August 4, 2021, Governor Andy Beshear appointed Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Retired) Whitney Allen as the seventh Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs. Whitney Allen is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with 25 years of combined military service. He enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1988, and later received his commission through the Tulane University ROTC program in 1994.
Commissioner Allen has served in various military organizations and military locations. His assignments include three combat tours in Afghanistan/Kuwait (2006-07, 2008-09, 2013-14), a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia (1996), a training exercise in the Kingdom of Jordan (2003), tour in Germany (1995-1998) and various assignments throughout the United States.
Commissioner Allen military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, (OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (Silver OLC), Army Commendation Medal (two OLC), Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal (Bronze Star), Army Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Ribbon (#3 Device), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal (Bronze Star), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Meritorious Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, Airborne Badge, and the Military Intelligence Association Knowlton Award. He also received an award from the Afghanistan Minister of Interior for his work with Afghanistan's local police.
Commissioner Allen’s formal education include a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the Dillard University and a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University. His military education include the U.S. Army War College Department of Distance Education Defense Strategy Course, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (Intermediate Level Education), U.S. Naval War College CDE Command and Staff Program - Joint Professional Military Education Phase (Distance Education), 1st Infantry Division Military Transition Team Training Course, National Training Center Joint Observer Controller Academy OC Academy, Operations Research/System Analysis Military Application Course – ORSA MAC, Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course, Military Intelligence Signal Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School – CAS3, Military Intelligence Advance Course, Military Intelligence Transition Course, Chemical Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, US Army Corps of Engineers Advance Individual Training and US Army Corps of Engineers Basic Training School.
Commissioner Allen is a member of Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame, Louisville Week of Valor 2020 Honoree, Humana’s Boots on the Ground Honoree, Louisville Business First 2019 “Salute to Veterans” honoree, Kentucky Colonel, Commonwealth Ambassador and holds membership/leadership positions in local and national veteran organizations including Veterans Community Alliance of Louisville (VCAL), the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, and the NAACP Louisville Chapter’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. He and his wife Yolanda have two daughters and currently reside in Louisville.
Dr. Robbin C. Higgins
Robbin C. Higgins is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with over 20+ years of active duty service. She received her commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Signal Corps from the Eastern Kentucky University Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. Robbin’s military education includes the Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Communications-Electronics Staff Officer Course, the Motor Officer Course, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College, and the Army Inspector General Course. Robbin holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Eastern Kentucky University, a Master’s Degree in General Administration from Central Michigan University, and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Kentucky University.
Robbin has a varied military career. Her tours of duty included assignments as a Platoon Leader in Karlsruhe, Germany; Signal Staff Officer at Fort Lewis, Washington; Company Commander at Fort Greely, Alaska; Information Systems Manager in Yongsan, Korea; Military Science Instructor at Pacific Lutheran University and Seattle University in Tacoma and Seattle, WA; Battalion Executive Officer at Fort Gordon, Georgia; Operations Officer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Operations Officer in Camp Doha, Kuwait; Signal Staff Officer at Fort Shafter and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Joint Logistics Command Executive Officer and Interim Commander at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; Operations and Plans Officer at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Department of the Army Inspector General in Washington, DC; and Rear Detachment Commander (Expeditionary Command) at Fort Knox, KY.
During the course of her honorable service, Robbin earned the following awards and decorations: Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (5 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (2 OLC), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2 Awards), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (6 Awards), and the Air Assault Badge.
Robbin has always endeavored to be an active participant in community activities in every location in which she lived. She currently serves as the Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Board for Veterans’ Affairs and is a member of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Women Veterans Coordinating Committee. Robbin is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, the Association of the United States Army, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronic Association, and is a Kentucky Colonel. She also volunteers and dedicates time to various church ministries where she is better able serve her community.
Robbin hails from Falmouth, Kentucky where she was an honor graduate from Pendleton County Memorial High School. Currently, Robbin lives in Villa Hills, KY.
David Best
David Best joined the Army as an armor crewman at the age of 17 and spent 32 years on active duty retiring as an Army Sergeant Major at the end of June 2013.
David served at Fort Hunter-Liggett, CA; Germany; Fort Riley, KS; Saudi Arabia, Fort Sill, OK; Fort Lewis, WA; Germany; Fort Sam Houston, TX; Fort Lewis, WA; Germany; and Fort Knox. During these assignments, he was deployed in support of Desert Storm/Desert Shield (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq), Operation Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait), Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq), and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).
His awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (x2), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal (x6). His campaign medals include the Southwest Asia Service Medal with three bronze service stars, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze service star.
After his lengthy Army career, he transitioned directly into Humana where he served as a Talent Management Lead/Veteran’s Hiring Initiative Leader.
As part of his Humana work, David worked with many partners to help veterans and military spouses gain employment. He assisted them with resume preparation, career coaching, interview preparation, and advocacy to recruiters and hiring managers on their behalf. He also taught at military transition events. During his time as Humana’s Veteran’s Hiring Initiative Leader, he helped engineer an onboarding process designed to help newly transitioned veterans ease into the corporate world.
Because of his work, he has been recognized by Louisville Business First as a military veteran who has made a difference in the Louisville business community and was inducted into the Kentucky Veteran’s Hall of Fame.
David recently left the workforce and is currently on Sabbatical. He continues to advise and assist veterans and military spouses with the transition process. He teaches employers about hiring and retaining veterans and military spouses for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as the vice-chair of Gov Beshear’s Veterans’ Advisory Board (GAB) as well as being a member of the Veteran’s Program Trust Fund (VPTF).
Anyah Hoang-Ansert
Anyah Hoang-Ansert is the Vice President of Veteran and Housing Services at Volunteers of America Mid-States in Louisville, KY. In this role, she oversees and is responsible for all Veteran and Housing/Homeless Services programs in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana.
With 20 years of experience in Veteran and housing services, Dr. Hoang-Ansert joined Volunteers of America Mid-States in 2015. She is a Certified Professional Mediator, and is a facilitator in ReST, QPR, and CALM. She holds a BA in Political Science and a BA in Military Affairs, a Master of Public Administration and a MS in Organizational Leadership, a Doctor of Public Administration, and a PhD in Psychology with a specialization in Addiction and Disaster and Trauma Relief. She serves as the co-chair of the Veteran Community Alliance of Louisville, promoting collaboration and coordination of Veteran services within the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and serves on the Kentucky Governors Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families.
Dr. Hoang-Ansert is committed to promoting mental health and wellbeing, destigmatizing suicide, and spotlighting the role of moral injury in individual’s psychological health.
Major General Haldane “Hal” Lamberton
Major General Hal Lamberton was appointed the 53rd Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky by Governor Andy Beshear on December 10, 2019. As the Adjutant General, he serves as the Commanding General of both the Kentucky Army and Air National Guard and as Executive Director of the Department of Military Affairs where he guides the preparation of 8,000 Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen, along with the Division of Emergency Management, to respond in times of state and national emergency. He is responsible for Federal and State missions, assignment of leaders, recruiting, training, equipping, mobilization, facilities, and public relations.
He also oversees the development and coordination of all policies, plans, and programs affecting Army and Air National Guard members in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. General Lamberton serves on the Governor's cabinet and is the principal advisor to the Governor on military matters.
His years of service include commands from Platoon to Brigade level. This service reflects five operational deployments to include Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq), Operation Noble Eagle (Western Europe), Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm (Saudi Arabia / Iraq), Operation Just Cause (Panama), and Operation Golden Pheasant (Honduras). These deployments occurred over eight years of overseas service to include Germany, Honduras, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and South Korea.
General Lamberton's Kentucky National Guard leadership roles included the Director of Human Resources (responsible for over 1400 Airmen and Soldiers), Director of Logistics (responsible for the acquisition, maintenance, and accountability of over one billion dollars of equipment), Director of Military Support (responsible to plan, coordinate, oversee, and execute the National Guard response in nature disasters and domestic operations), and Brigade Commander (responsible for training over 1,000 Soldiers to include the future Officer & Non-Commissioned Officer leadership for the Kentucky National Guard.
General Lamberton received his commission through the ROTC program at the University of Kentucky, where he also graduated with a BS degree in 1986. Subsequently he was one of only 17 National Guard Officers selected nationwide to attend the U.S. Army War College where he earned a MS degree in National Policy & Strategic Studies.
General Lamberton's awards include multiple awards of the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and the Meritorious Service Medal; the Combat Infantryman's Badge, and the Ranger Tab. He also serves on the national Reserve Forces Policy Board.
Brigadier General (Ret.) Steven P. Bullard
Brigadier General (Ret.) Steven P. Bullard works with and advises the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Kentucky Congressional Delegation on military matters. In his position as the Executive Director, he strives to maximize the Commonwealth’s relationship with the Department of Defense, spur economic growth across the State, and improve the quality of life for service members, veterans, and their families. Governor Matt Bevin appointed him as Executive Director, Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs; and Commissioner of Kentucky’s State Council for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission on 16 August 2019.
As the Commissioner of Kentucky’s State Council on the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, he advocates for the educational success of our military children. Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Bullard is the Commonwealth’s voice on circumstances pertaining to military children as they transition from one state/country to another, working to keep the educational process as seamless as possible. Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Bullard is a member of the following: The Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs Executive Committee, Governor’s Advisory Board for Veterans Affairs, the Kentucky Emergency Response Commission, and the Military Heritage Commission.
Bullard served in the military for 33 years, with both Air National Guard and active duty Air Force assignments. During his career, General Bullard participated in Operations Desert Shield, Provide Promise, Restore Hope, Joint Endeavor, Joint Forge, Southern Watch, Bright Star, Coronet Oak, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. He held multiple leadership and staff positions, including Director of Mobility Forces and Joint Air Component Coordination Element (JACCE) staff for the Commander, 7th Air Force, Osan Air Base, South Korea; NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Senior Airfield Authority of Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan; and Chief of Operations for the Joint Intelligence and Operations Center, Headquarters, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
Most recently, Bullard served as Chief of Staff for the Kentucky Air National Guard and Deputy Director of the Joint Staff of the Kentucky National Guard. He also has extensive experience in legislative affairs, representing the military and the manufacturing industry.
George Wright
(Awaiting Bio)
Joshua Hicks
Josh went to middle school and high school in Fleming County, where he lived on a farm with this family. His father, Dan, worked construction and his mother, Sharon, worked at the local Honda shop. Josh spent his high school years working on various farms (including the family farm) pitching hay, housing tobacco, and building fence.
Josh was a standout offensive and defensive lineman at Fleming County High School and went to Georgetown College to continue his football and academic career. After three semesters, he left college to work for the same construction company as his father. After a year or so as an iron worker and rigger, he joined the United States Marine Corps where he was trained as a radio operator and cryptographic custodian. He married his wife, Bethany, who was born and raised in Maysville, Kentucky, during the first year of his service. Josh served aboard the USS Ponce and the USS Trenton during two deployments with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He received his honorable discharge after four years of service, just after the birth of his and Bethany’s beautiful daughter, Kaitlin.
After his Marine Corps service ended, Josh completed training as a certified police officer at EKU’s Department of Criminal Justice Training and began working as a police officer in Bethany’s hometown. Josh spent five years as a Maysville Police Officer, serving on the Emergency Response Team and as a certified training officer, training new police recruits. Three years in, Bethany and Josh celebrated the birth of their son, Daniel. Because he worked nights and weekends at the police department, Josh was able to go back to school at Morehead State University during the day and graduated with honors. During his time at Morehead State, he began to consider a career as an attorney.
After graduation from Morehead State, Josh applied to and was accepted into the University of Kentucky College of Law. He was a competitor on national trial teams all three years of law school and built strong ties to the city of Lexington, where his wife opened an insurance agency and his children began attending school. After law school, Josh went to work for a mid-size firm in Lexington where he litigated and practiced cases from Paducah to Pikeville. He moved to a regional firm’s Lexington office where he continued to practice with and be mentored by some of the most respected attorneys in the state of Kentucky. He has represented individuals and businesses across the state in a wide variety of matters, conducting and participating in hundreds of depositions, oral arguments, mediations, and several jury trials. Josh volunteers his time as a mediator for the Fayette District Court.
Education
University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky
J.D. - 05/2011
Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky
1998
Morehead State University, Morehead, Kentucky
B.A. - 05/2008
Honors: magna cum laude
Major: Government
Classes & Seminars
American Bar Association Litigation Section Conference, San Francisco, California, May 2017
National Business Institute “Litigating Bad Faith Insurance Claims in Kentucky,” Lexington, Kentucky, September 2016 (Presenter)
National Business Institute “Police Liability Claims from Start to Finish,” Cincinnati, Ohio, March 2016
Kentucky Bar Association Annual Conference, Lexington, Kentucky, June 2015
Past Positions
Maysville Police Department, Patrol/SWAT Operator , 2003 to 2008
United States Marine Corps, Sergeant, 1999 to 2003
Golden & Walters, PLLC, Associate Attorney, 2011 to 2013
Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, Associate Attorney, 2013 to 2017
USS Ponce and the USS Trenton
EKU’s Department of Criminal Justice Training, Police Officer
Professional Associations
American Bar Association (ABA), Member
Kentucky Bar Association (KBA), Member
Fayette County Bar Association (FCBA), Member
Fraternal Order of Police, Limestone Lodge #5, Member
Current Employment Position
Owner | Trial Lawyer
Sidney Shouse
(Awaiting Bio)