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JJAB advances nominees and committee updates; Metro Louisville names behavioral-health director
Summary
The JJAB voted to accept three new nominees for open positions, discussed unclear county juvenile prevention-council activity under KRS, and heard committee updates including Metro Louisville’s appointment of Dr. Maria Luebman as executive director of behavioral health and Emerging Leaders plans for Morehead YDC learning circles.
At its Oct. 10 meeting in Louisville, the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board advanced three nominees to fill vacancies on juvenile-delinquency prevention councils and discussed steps to increase local and legislative engagement.
The board considered Rae (also recorded as DanRae) Cowan to replace Eric Hawkins, Rihanna Palmer as a youth member replacing Breonna Kelly, and Dwayne Depp as a youth advocate to replace an expired term. The minutes say Dr. Deonte Hollowell moved to accept the candidates, Jansen Hammock seconded, and the motion passed. The minutes also record that one appointment has been sent to the Governor’s Office for final confirmation. The minutes do not provide formal vote tallies for the motion.
Members raised a broader governance concern: the minutes state local juvenile delinquency prevention councils created under Kentucky statute (KRS) often have unclear functions and that many county seats are vacant, including in Jefferson County. The board discussed the need to expand outreach and suggested holding meetings in different sites to boost community engagement and legislative awareness.
Committee updates included the Executive committee’s report that Metro Louisville appointed Dr. Maria Luebman as the city’s first Executive Director of Behavioral Health; Dr. Luebman plans to develop a strategic behavioral-health plan with attention to youth reentry following the reopening of the Jefferson Regional Juvenile Detention Center and intends to coordinate with JJAB leadership. During testimony to the Juvenile Justice Oversight Commission (JJOC), DBHDID Commissioner Dr. Katie Marks noted surprise at the existence of JJAB, and Senator Strong asked how legislators could support JJAB’s community engagement.
The Emerging Leaders committee said it will visit Morehead Youth Development Center on Nov. 10 and is planning a five- to six-month youth-voice learning circle focused on restorative practice and youth experiences; organizers plan to submit the proposal to DJJ Executive Director Elzie Burgher for approval and emphasized the initiative should center youth voice rather than serve as a grievance process.
Next steps: the board asked staff to identify a site for the Dec. 19 meeting, left the next regular meeting scheduled for Dec. 10, 2025, and adjourned.
