FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 1, 2020) – Kentucky Department of Corrections Commissioner Cookie Crews today announced that Kim Potter-Blair has been named chief of staff for the agency. Potter-Blair is a 22-year veteran of the department. She served as deputy commissioner of Support Services for nine years, from 2008 to 2017. During her time in this role, she oversaw the divisions of probation and parole, administrative services, and training.
“Kim Potter-Blair has the experience and dedication that is needed in this leadership position,” said Crews. “She understands the mission of the department and will be a true asset as part of the executive team.”
Potter-Blair began her career with the Department of Corrections on February 1, 1998 as a correctional officer at Blackburn Correctional Complex. She promoted to classification and treatment officer at Blackburn before transferring to the Division of Probation and Parole in District 9 in December 1999 as a probation and parole officer. After supervising a caseload of offenders for approximately four years, Potter-Blair was then promoted to assistant district supervisor for District 9 in 2003, and then to district supervisor in 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 was also active in creating the Fayette County Reentry Program for offenders on probation and parole, as well as serving on a committee that worked to aid in the reentry of incarcerated individuals.
Potter-Blair is an active member and was elected to the board of directors for the Correctional Peace Officers (CPO) Foundation in June 2015. She has been a member of the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency where she previously served as president of the Bluegrass Chapter. She is a graduate of the inaugural Commissioner’s Executive Leadership Program, which began in May 2005 and received the Commissioner’s Award in 2006. She is a member of the Association of Women Executives in Corrections (AWEC) and she served as a mentor to two women in the Governor’s Minority Management Training Program (GMMTP) in 2018-2019. She was a participant in the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Executive Forum for Deputy Directors and Executive Leadership for Women.
In addition to her work for the Department of Corrections, Potter-Blair is involved in numerous community activities. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, a community service organization. In September 2018, Potter-Blair was able to donate her kidney to her husband who for an extended period of time had suffered from kidney disease. She currently serves as an ambassador for Trust for Life.
A native of Bowling Green, Potter-Blair graduated from Kentucky State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a graduate degree in public administration.