David Byerman

David Byerman

Headshot of David A. Byerman Director of the Legislative Research Commission
Director, Legislative Research Commission
Assumed office
October 1, 2015
Personal details
Born David Byerman
Political party Non-Partisan
Spouse(s) Caroline Byerman
Children Amanda
Will
Residence Frankfort, KY
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
University of Redlands
Website

David Byerman serves as Director of the Legislative Research Commission. In this capacity he manages all nonpartisan legislative staff in Kentucky, overseeing an agency with approximately 400 employees[1] and a $63.4 million annual budget.[2] Byerman was announced as the unanimous choice of legislative leadership on September 10, 2015[3] and was formally appointed by the 16-member Legislative Research Commission on September 23, 2015.[4]

Biography

Byerman is a graduate of McQueen High School in Reno, Nevada. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Redlands, with a double major in history and political science, serving as President of the student body. Byerman earned a Master of Governmental Administration degree from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.[5][6]

He is married to Caroline Byerman. They have two children, Amanda and Will.[7]

Early career

Byerman began his career as Executive Director of Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities, Inc., a public-private partnership that promotes alternative fuel vehicles. Under Byerman's leadership, Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities developed from a start-up non profit to the become the winner of the "Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence," an honor awarded by Governor Tom Ridge in 1998.[8]

Byerman moved back to his home state of Nevada in 1998 and served on the senior staff of Governor Bob Miller. There, Byerman served as Executive Assistant to the Governor, a policy position in which Byerman managed transportation, environmental, and information technology issues as a member of the Governor's senior staff. From the Governor's staff, Byerman went on to lead intergovernmental relations for the Nevada Department of Transportation.[5]

As a volunteer in his community, David has served as President of the Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the State of Nevada's Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy, and Chairman of the Board of the Nevada Association of Nonprofit Organizations.[7]

Census 2000 and Census 2010

Byerman served as Chief Government Liaison for Nevada for the U.S. Census Bureau during both the 2000 and 2010 Census campaigns.[9] In this role, Byerman served as the lead strategist and media spokesman for both campaigns. Nevada's 2000 Census Campaign produced the biggest turnaround of any state in the nation; while 2.3% of Nevadans were missed in 1990, the undercount was cut to only 1.6% in 2000. The improved Census count was calculated to have produced $16 million for Nevada annually in additional federal allocations from 2000 to 2010.[10] Both campaigns were highly successful, and Byerman was widely credited with having played a major role as both an advocate and an organizer.[11]

Secretary of the Senate

David Byerman was the 40th Secretary of the Senate for the Nevada Senate.[7] He was appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford on August 18, 2010[11] and was then unanimously elected by the full Nevada Senate on February 7, 2011[12] and on February 4, 2013.[13]

David Byerman was the first Southern Nevada resident ever appointed to serve as Secretary of the Senate.[14] The position is full-time and non-partisan. As Secretary of the Senate, Byerman served as the Chief Executive Officer and Parliamentarian for the Nevada State Senate.[15] The Secretary of the Senate oversees a session staff that grows to over 100 during legislative sessions, and includes legislative staff, floor staff, sergeants at arms, research assistants, and others.[6][16]

Secretary Byerman implemented a wide variety of initiatives to increase accessibility and transparency in government during his terms of office. Channel 21 serves as a communications channel for the Senate and includes Senate news and information, explanations about jargon and legislative terminology, live video of Senate committee and floor sessions, national and local news, and meeting information.[17] SENarts was a partnership among the Nevada Senate, Nevada Division of Museums and Nevada Arts Council that included arts competitions, programs, and a campaign to build the Senate’s permanent art collection.[18] uLegislate was a simulation in the Senate Chambers that offered visitors the chance to play the roles of Senators and Senate officers on the floor of the Senate.[19]

After a change in party control in the Senate for the 2015 Legislative Session, the new Republican leadership announced that former secretary Claire J. Clift would be re-appointed to the job.

Legislative Research Commission

Byerman assumed office on October 1, 2015, taking the helm of an agency that had been racked by a sexual harassment scandal and poor management practices.[20] Citing a highly professional workforce, Byerman expressed early optimism in a full recovery for the agency.[21] He wrote an op/ed less than a week into his tenure, which was widely run in every major newspaper in the state, in which he was widely quoted saying that LRC needed to "get its swagger back."[22] Byerman assumed office on October 1, 2015 and will make $135,000 per year until March 1, 2016, when his salary will automatically increase to $141,750.[23]

Awards and Recognition

In May 2013, Secretary Byerman was honored with the Jean Ford Democracy Award by Secretary of State Ross Miller in recognition of his dedication to engaging the public in the democratic process.[24]

In April 2014 Secretary Byerman was announced by the Clark County Law Foundation as a winner of the Liberty Bell Award. According to the citation, the Liberty Bell Award, "recognizes individuals in the community who uphold the rule of law, contribute to good government within the community, stimulate a sense of civic responsibility, and encourage respect for the law in the courts." [25]

At its Legislative Summit, the National Conference of State Legislatures announced in August 2014 that Secretary Byerman was the recipient of the Kevin B. Harrington Award.[26] The award, named for Senator Kevin B. Harrington, "recognizes an individual or organization for advancing public understanding of state and local representative democracy." [26]

References

  1. ↑ AP News Story, Retrieved 9/10/15
  2. ↑ HB499 of the 2016 Legislative Session
  3. ↑ Louisville Courier-Journal, September 10th, 2015
  4. ↑ CN2 Article, 9/23/15
  5. 1 2 University of Redlands "Alumni Spotlight"
  6. 1 2 http://www.fels.upenn.edu/news/alumni-story-david-byerman-secretary-senate-nevada
  7. 1 2 3 David Byerman biography, official Nevada Senate Website
  8. ↑ http://www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/pdfs/afnewsv1-2.pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2010/03/15/news/iq_34737132.txt
  10. ↑ http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/sep/17/state-launch-census-campaign/
  11. 1 2 http://www.nevadanewsbureau.com/2010/08/18/nevada-senate-majority-leader-picks-census-bureau-liaison-to-serve-in-top-administrative-post/
  12. ↑ http://leg.state.nv.us/Session/76th2011/Journal/Senate/Final/sj001.pdf
  13. ↑ http://leg.state.nv.us/Session/77th2013/Journal/Senate/Final/sj001.pdf
  14. ↑ http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/08/las-vegas-man-named-secretary-state-senate/
  15. ↑ http://www.lvrj.com/news/in-brief-101146144.html?mobile=y
  16. ↑ http://www.kolotv.com/news/misc/101094604.html
  17. ↑ http://nvsecsenate.blogspot.com/2013/02/IntroducingChannel21.html
  18. ↑ http://nvsecsenate.blogspot.com/2012/10/introducing-senarts.html
  19. ↑ http://nvsecsenate.blogspot.com/2011/12/introducing-ulegislate-nevada.html
  20. ↑ Glasgow Daily Times, October 7, 2015
  21. ↑ CN2 Interview, Time Warner Cable, October 7, 2015
  22. ↑ Op/Ed, "It's Time for LRC to Get Its Swagger Back, 10/5/15"
  23. ↑ Daily Independent, October 3, 2015
  24. ↑ Official Press Release from Secretary of State Ross Miller, May 14, 2013.
  25. ↑ News Release from Clark County Law Foundation, "LIBERTY BELL AWARD HONORS JUDGE ALLAN EARL AND SECRETARY OF THE SENATE DAVID BYERMAN", April 1, 2014.
  26. 1 2 NCSL Website, Nevada Senate Secretary David Byerman Awarded National Trust for Representative Democracy's Kevin B. Harrington Award, August 21, 2014.
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