Judi Conway Patton Endowed Chair

Judi Conway Patton became the First Lady of the Commonwealth in 1995. As Governor Patton assumed office, it took the First Lady no time at all to determine what she would use her public role to accomplish. She would bring light to the issues of child abuse, intimate partner violence and sexual assault.

On day one of the administration, Mrs. Patton began her work. She was instrumental in establishing these concerns within the Governor’s Office. During the Governor's tenure, testimony was given to promote legislation, testified on legislation to strengthen the role of victim advocates in courtrooms, policies were created for domestic violence prosecutions, and training initiatives were expanded. In 1998, legislation to create the Governor’s Office of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Services in statute was advocated. During the 2000 Session, a substantial legislative package on domestic violence and rape, including a bill to create the Governor’s Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault was proposed. After time, the Governor also set aside $1 million to upgrade the fifteen facilities in Kentucky which house battered women’s shelters in 1998 and to increase operating funding for rape crisis centers and battered women’s shelters.