About Us
Department of Corrections
Health Services Building
275 East Main Street
P.O. Box 2400
Frankfort, KY 40602-2400
Phone: (502) 564-4726
Fax: (502) 564-5037
Organization Chart
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Commissioner LaDonna H. Thompson |
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 LaDonna H. Thompson, an 18-year veteran of the Kentucky Department of Corrections, made history when Gov. Steve Beshear named her commissioner, marking the first time a woman has been chosen for the top DOC post.
Thompson, 45, has spent the last two and a half years as Deputy Commissioner of the agency. While serving as a project manager, she was instrumental in implementing a statewide offender management system – a comprehensive project that combined three large, outdated systems to allow for a seamless flow of information.
As one of the original correctional officers at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, Thompson moved on to hold a position at Kentucky State Reformatory and Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange. She made her way up through the ranks, working with the VINE program (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), inmate classification and population management divisions.
During her career in Corrections, Thompson received numerous awards, including three honors for distinguished service to the department. A recent graduate of the Leadership Kentucky class of 2007, her awards also include two for recommendations that resulted in fiscal savings for the Commonwealth. Thompson was a 2007 recipient of the “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” Award presented by the National Center for Women and Policing, and was selected as a participant in the 2006 NIC Executive Leadership for Women class.
A graduate of Morehead State University, Thompson received her degree in psychology and sociology. She and her husband Brian, a detective with the Louisville Metro Police Department, live in Bullitt County with their two sons, Seth and Christian.
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Deputy Commissioner of Support Services |
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 Kimberly Potter-Blair, as Deputy Commissioner of Support Services, is responsible for administrative services, corrections training, budget management, correctional industries, offender information and information technology.
Potter-Blair began her career with the Department of Corrections on Feb. 1, 1998 as a Corrections Officer at Blackburn Correctional Complex. She was promoted to caseworker at Blackburn before transferring to the Division of Probation & Parole in District 9 on Dec. 16, 1999. After supervising a caseload of offenders for approximately four years, Potter-Blair was promoted to Assistant District Supervisor for District 9 on Nov. 1, 2003, and then to District Supervisor in October of 2005.
During her time in District 9, which encompasses Fayette County, she was instrumental in the efficient flow of court work in the Fayette Circuit Court system. She has also been active in helping to create the Fayette County Re-Entry Program for offenders on probation and parole, as well as coordinating efforts with the CJ-DATS research project with the University of Kentucky. Additionally, Potter-Blair is a member of the Fayette County Transitions Committee which works to aid in the re-entry of all incarcerated individuals back into the community.
During her career, Potter-Blair has been a member of the Kentucky State Parole Officers’ Association and the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency, where she previously served as President of the Bluegrass Chapter of KCCD. She is a graduate of the inaugural Commissioner’s Executive Leadership Program, which began in May 2005.
A native of Warren County, she and her husband Myron reside in Lexington and are the parents of two sons, Chase and Aven.
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Deputy Commissioner of Community Services, Rodney Ballard |
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 Rodney Ballard has over 30 years of experience in the field of law enforcement and corrections. He most recently served as Chief Deputy at the Kenton County Detention Center. Ballard, as Deputy Commissioner of Community Services, will oversee DOC's Probation & Parole Division and Local Facilities.
Ballard began his career as a police officer, first serving in Taylor Mill and Kenton County. In 1982 he joined the Kentucky State Police for what would be a decorated 17-year career that included stints as a member of the agency’s Special Response Team, detective, and member of the Executive Security detail. Ballard has received numerous awards and commendations during his career and he is a guest instructor in the field of criminal justice for several organizations including the FBI, KSP, Office of the Attorney General and Kentucky Jailers’ Association.
In 1999 Ballard became the Major and Commander of Internal Affairs and Training at the Kenton County Detention Center. Soon afterward, he was promoted to Chief Deputy at the facility, a position in which he oversaw the facility’s $1.5 million renovation. He was second in command at the detention center, a jail that houses an average of 500 inmates, has 95 employees and a budget of more than $7 million.
Ballard is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University where he received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. A native of Kenton County, he and his wife Beverly reside in Edgewood and are the parents of three children, Britni, 25, Zac, 17 and Wes, 16.
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Deputy Commissioner of Adult Institutions, Al Parke |
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 Al Parke, as Deputy Commissioner of Adult Institutions, will oversee all aspects and operation for Kentucky's 13 state prisons. Park, a 37-year veteran of Corrections, will return to the agency where he began his career in 1975. He most recently served as Southern Regional Director for the Indiana Department of Correction where he supervised and monitored 17 facilities.
Parke served in three correctional systems since 1970, including a total of 25 years as warden of eight prisons in five states. He also has eight years of Central Office experience in various administrative positions, including a stint as Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of Adult Institutions for Kentucky. He retired from the Kentucky Department of Corrections in 1994, and has served as a consultant with the National Institute of Corrections and the National Institute of Justice. He is currently an auditor for the American Correctional Association.
A graduate of the University of Louisville, Parke received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology. He is pursuing his master’s in criminal justice administration. A native of Berea, Parke and his wife Patricia reside in Frankfort. The couple has four children and 12 grandchildren.
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