Welcome To Our New Interim Executive
Director
Derrick K. Ramsey
Deputy Secretary of Commerce
The
leadership qualities that served Derrick Ramsey so well in college and
professional football are still obvious today. The field is different,
but Ramsey still is very much a quarterback. As Deputy Secretary of the
Kentucky Commerce Cabinet, it's up to Ramsey to help draw up the game
plan, get 16 different agencies to perform as a cohesive team, and achieve
victories for the taxpayers of Kentucky in everything from the Department
of Parks to the Kentucky Arts Council to the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
"I've always loved to compete," says Ramsey, "and it's the same in state government as it was in football. I don't care what arena we're playing in, I want us to be the best in everything we do. I love to see the folks in our Cabinet get excited about something we're doing, and it's my job to keep that excitement at a high level so we can achieve great things together."
Ramsey won the starting quarterback job for the University of Kentucky in 1976, his junior season, and led the Cats to a 9-3 record. Nobody really expected Ramsey’s senior team to be much better. But they were, in a big way. That team was, arguably, the best Wildcat squad between the end of Paul "Bear" Bryant's UK coaching career in 1953 and the present. Ramsey led the offense, and All-American Art Still, who came from the same Camden, N.J., high school that produced Ramsey, anchored one of the greatest defenses in UK history.
After being drafted by the Oakland Raiders, he was moved to tight end, where he proved to be as adept at catching the ball as he was throwing it for the Wildcats. In 1984, he was selected to the all-star team for the American Conference. He also played in Super Bowl XV with the Raiders and Super Bowl XX with the New England Patriots. Oakland teammates such as Ray Chester, Fred Biletnikoff, Art Shell, and Gene Upshaw admired Ramsey for his unselfishness and consistency.
Armed with a 1983 Bachelor of Arts degree from UK, Ramsey was ready for life after football. He plunged into athletics administration, and, after working for several years at his alma mater, he was named Athletics Director at Kentucky State University in 1999. Under his leadership, the Thorobreds were consistent contenders for SIAC conference, regional, and national championships in football, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, and golf.
In addition to building championship teams, Ramsey also presided over the opening of a new athletics center and weight room, facilities that were necessary for KSU to recruit top student-athletes. But Ramsey is most proud of the fact that, during his 4 1/2-year stewardship of the athletics program, the grade-point average of student athletes rose from an average of 2.4 to 2.8. Along with that, the athletics department produced more full and part Presidential Scholarship recipients than any other department on campus.
The first African-American quarterback in University of Kentucky football
history, Ramsey is the Commerce Cabinet's point man on minority issues.
But his former "coach," Secretary Jim Host, had so much confidence
in his deputy that he insists that Ramsey be deeply involved in the activities
of every agency, especially in areas pertaining to business, finance,
and human resources.
TEAM Kentucky Representatives
Hold Retreat in Maysville
Misty Maynard
The Ledger Independent
The retreat, hosted by the Maysville-Mason County Chamber of Commerce
and Tourism Commission, brought together partners of the organization
to discuss ideas and share suggestions on ways to attract sporting
events to areas. TEAM Kentucky is a part of the Kentucky Sports Authority,
which was started two years ago with the purpose of bringing more sporting
events to the state, and thereby increase tourism.
"
Our role ... is more of a support basis," said Derrick Ramsey,
the deputy secretary of the Commerce Cabinet and interim acting executive
director of the Kentucky Sports Authority.
Ramsey was the introductory speaker for the day-long retreat and spoke
on the importance of teamwork, and all that can be accomplished as
a team. Ramsey said that as the smaller cities, and larger cities,
attract more events, the state of Kentucky as a whole grows stronger.
"
We want everybody to have an incredible experience when they come to
Kentucky," he said.
Also during the day, Ramsey said the group would discuss how to determine
what events the community should try to attract.
"
You try to host things that make sense," he said, adding the community
should determine the potential economic impact of the event, the facilities
at hand, accommodations in the area and restaurants available.
Ramsey commended Maysville for the events it had been able to attract,
and said with the partnership with the Kentucky Sports Authority and
TEAM Kentucky, he imagined the city would continue to see growth.
Tourism Director Duff Giffen said the retreat was a "great educational session," with
a "great exchange of ideas."
Giffen said Maysville, while not quite on the same level as Louisville or Lexington,
could take pieces of ideas exchanged at the retreat and apply those ideas on
a smaller scale here.
Giffen said among events Maysville will host this year is a Fame Fitness and
Modeling Expo hosted by Tina Rigdon and Cabela's King Cat Fishing Tournament,
a tournament the city was able to secure as a direct result of its participation
in TEAM Kentucky.
Giffen said the retreat was hosted in Maysville because she never wants to miss
an opportunity to showcase the city.
Ramsey expressed appreciation for individuals with the city of Maysville, including
Mayor David Cartmell, as well as Rep. Mike Denham. He also thanked Giffen and
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director John Carpenter.
Ramsey said he has been to Maysville on previous occasions five or six times,
and each time he comes he falls more in love with the area.
Ronald McDonald™ Teams Up with High School Hoopsters
What
do Ronald McDonald™ and high school basketball players from around
the country have in common? Come March, they’ll join forces in
Louisville for the 30th Anniversary of the McDonald’s® All
American High School Basketball Games®.
A big player in this year’s event will be Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Kentuckiana, which will receive proceeds from the Games. Locally, the Kentuckiana chapter is amongst over 100 others across the country and has served nearly 60,000 family members of seriously ill children. “Providing families a ‘home away from home’ is Ronald McDonald House’s duty and obligation to communities nationwide,” explained Hal Hedley, Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Kentuckiana Executive Director. “Our guests are families that travel from out of town in order to give their child access to proper medical care. Usually, it’s a serious and stressful time for families to see a child have to undergo vast medical care. Therefore the ‘home away from home’ aspect remains extremely important.”
Louisville’s Ronald McDonald House has been in operation since 1984, making families feel at home as they cook, watch television, read, do laundry and enjoy the comfort of a warm, friendly environment after a long day at the hospital. The facility houses 29 private bedrooms, three fully stocked cooking areas, three dining areas, a library, laundry facilities, a children’s play area and two family lounge areas with televisions. With 24,000 square feet of space, Louisville’s local chapter has served families from 21 countries, 25 states and 119 counties in Kentucky. The average stay is about five nights, but many families need to stay for weeks or months at a time. Families are asked to pay $10 per night, but no family is turned away because they cannot pay.
On Wednesday, March 28, 2007, Louisville will be hosting the McDonald’s® All American High School Basketball Game® at Freedom Hall. “This year is not only special because it’s the 30th anniversary of the games,” said Hedley. “The games are finally being played in ‘basketball country’, which couldn’t be a better time for our organization to reap benefits of this fantastic and exciting event.”
Come prepared to see the best boys and girls basketball talent in the nation this March. This might be the year to witness a future basketball legend, such as former All-Americans Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James and Magic Johnson, among countless others. Tickets can be purchased at the Freedom Hall box office, from any Ticketmaster location, ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-866-909-GAME. For more information, visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com.
National Wheelchair Basketball Association National Championships
Lexington will host the 59th Annual National Wheelchair
Basketball Championships March 30th & 31st. The
National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) consists of 181 basketball
teams within twenty-two
conferences. The NWBA was founded in 1948, and today includes men's,
women's, intercollegiate, and
youth teams throughout the United States of America and Canada. Over
the past five decades, the NWBA has helped more than 50,000 individuals “Get
Back in the Game” both on and off the court.
The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) is the nation's
oldest and largest disability sport organization. Based in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, the NWBA is a non-profit organization which serves
as the national governing body for men's, women's and youth wheelchair
basketball in the United States.
Join more than 3,000 spectators at Memorial Coliseum on the campus
of the University of Kentucky for this fast paced exciting sporting
event. Don’t miss the action as the top four teams in Division
I and Division II compete in this unique sporting event. Game times
are as follow:
Friday, March 30 Saturday, March 31
11:00AM Div. II Semi-Final 10:00AM Legends Game
1:00PM Div. II Semi-Final 12:00PM Div. II Championship
3:00PM Div. I Semi-Final 2:30PM Div. I Championship
5:00PM Div. I Semi-Final 6– 7PM Pre-Banquet Social
7:00PM– 10PM Championship Banquet
For more information www.nwba.org
