Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XII. Conservation and State Development § 154.10-050.Secretary as chief executive officer; duties and responsibilities

(1) The secretary shall be the chief executive officer of the Cabinet for Economic Development and shall possess the professional qualifications appropriate for that office as determined by the board.

(2) The board shall set the salary of the secretary and up to two (2) additional executive officers of the cabinet as determined by the board, which shall be exempt from state employee salary limitations as set forth in KRS 64.640. No executive officer of the cabinet shall be paid a salary greater than that of the secretary.

(3) The secretary shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the cabinet and shall report and submit on an annual basis implementation plans to the board as provided in KRS 154.10-060; carry out policy and program directives of the board; coordinate programs of the cabinet with all other agencies of state government having economic development responsibilities; hire all other personnel of the cabinet consistent with state law; and carry out all other duties and responsibilities assigned by state law.

(4) The secretary shall prepare and submit the proposed budget of the cabinet to the chairman who shall present it to the board for final approval. Upon approval, the board shall submit the proposed budget to the Governor's Office for Policy and Management.

(5) The secretary shall be reimbursed for all actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of all assigned duties and responsibilities.

(6) The secretary shall give highest priority consideration in marketing, targeting, and recruiting new businesses, in expanding existing businesses, and in recommending state economic development loans, grants, and incentive programs administered by the authority, to Kentucky counties which have had an average countywide rate of unemployment of fifteen percent (15%) or greater in the most recent twelve (12) consecutive months for which unemployment figures are available, on the basis of the final unemployment figures calculated by the Department of Workforce Development within the Education and Labor Cabinet.