Office of the Secretary

Senior Staff

Lindy Casebier

Secretary

Lindy Casebier was appointed by Gov. Beshear in February 2023 as the Secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. Casebier was appointed deputy secretary for the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet in December 2019 after many years as a public school educator, administrator, legislator and non-profit director. For 18 years, Casebier represented Louisville in the Kentucky General Assembly, where he chaired the Senate Education Committee. Casebier previously served two governors in senior roles within the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. He currently serves on the boards of Americorps, Louisville Waterfront Development Corporation and United Way of Kentucky. Casebier holds a BMEd and MEd from the University of Louisville.

Sebastian Kitchen

Deputy Secretary

sebastian.kitchen@ky.gov

Sebastian Kitchen was appointed deputy secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet in February 2024. Deputy Secretary Kitchen joined the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet after years of working in public service, politics and journalism, where he had an award-winning career. Kitchen served as deputy communications director for Governor Andy Beshear during the first two years of the administration. Kitchen, who lives in Louisville with his family, is a graduate of Texas Tech University.

Mona Lewis Juett

Chief of Staff

mona.juett@ky.gov

Mona Lewis Juett was appointed as the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet's chief of staff in January 2023. Juett is a veteran of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, having served since 2007 in various roles, such as research director, legislative director, assistant director for resorts within the Department of Parks, and most recently, deputy commissioner of the Department of Tourism. Prior to her career in state government, Mona was marketing manager for The Council of State Governments in Lexington. Juett is a graduate of Morehead State University.

Cannon Armstrong

Executive Director of Human Resources

Office of the Secretary

cannon.armstrong@ky.gov

Cannon, a native of Albany, comes to the Cabinet with several years of public service experience in both agency management and legal affairs. Prior to joining the Cabinet, he served as the Commissioner of the Department of Charitable Gaming. He previously worked in the Public Protection Cabinet, Labor Cabinet, Department of Workers' Claims and the Public Service Commission. Cannon lives with his family in Lexington.

Cannon joined the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet as Executive Director of Human Resources in January 2020.

Melissa Brewer

Executive Director of Finance

Office of the Secretary

melissa.brewer@ky.gov

Melissa is a Frankfort native and a career state government employee. Brewer held various finance positions throughout her professional tenure, primarily focused on budget, financial management, accounting and administrative services. She has previously worked for Public Health Protection and Safety and the Administration and Financial Management within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Brewer joined the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet in 2008, holding positions of Budget Manager, Division Director of Finance at the Kentucky Horse Park, and Accounting Branch Manager in the Department for Fish and Wildlife. Brewer was promoted to Executive Director of the Office of Finance in January 2022.

Sarah Grider Cronan

General Counsel

Office of the Secretary

Sarah is a Louisville native, and recently returned to Kentucky after serving as in-house corporate counsel for two global product manufacturers in the Carolinas. She previously was a partner at law firms in Louisville and Chicago. Sarah was listed in Kentucky Super Lawyers 2012 and 2013 and was one of the Top 25 Women Super Lawyers of Kentucky in 2013. She earned her undergraduate degree from Tulane University and graduated from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Sarah joined the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet as General Counsel in January 2020.

Anita Hatchett

Executive Director

Public Affairs and Constituent Services

anita.hatchett@ky.gov

Raised in Frankfort, KY, Anita Hatchett is a Franklin County High School graduate. After completing her BA in English from the University of Kentucky, she served as a graphic design coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Education for nine years. In August 2017, Hatchett worked as a graphic designer for publications in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment communications office.

Hatchett joined the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet in March 2020 as the Creative Director of Public Affairs and Constituent Services. She was later appointed as Executive Director in July 2022.