After retiring from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, former Secretary Kerry Harvey will serve on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology.?

Gov. Andy Beshear appointed Harvey to fill an expired term left by Margaret Meredith. Harvey, of Lexington, will represent citizens at-large. Harvey’s appointment was announced in a list of appointments from the governor’s office Friday.?

Harvey previously announced his plans to retire from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet in December. His departure was Thursday. During his tenure, Republicans had been critical of Harvey and former Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Vicki Reed amid reports of issues within the department, including incidents of violence and understaffing in juvenile detention facilities.?

Beshear appointed both Harvey and Reed in 2021 to their positions within the cabinet.?

Before joining the cabinet, Harvey was the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky between 2010 and 2017. In that role, Harvey created the Overdose Prosecution Initiative to combat the opioid epidemic in Kentucky.

Beshear also appointed Lianna Nguyen, owner of Lianna’s Nail Academy; Kathy Burton, instructor of cosmetology at Bluegrass Community and Technical College; and Lindsey Morgan, owner of Beauty Shop on the Square, to the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. Their terms, along with Harvey’s, expire Feb. 1, 2026.