A message from Commissioner Crews:
The Department of Corrections is pleased to announce the appointment of Kim Potter-Blair as Deputy Commissioner of Community Services and Local Facilities and the promotion of Kenny Talbott to Director of the Training Division.
Kim Potter-Blair Appointed Deputy Commissioner of Community Services and Local Facilities
“I am confident that her leadership will drive impactful initiatives and strengthen our commitment to serving and enhancing our communities.” - Commissioner Crews
Potter-Blair began her career with DOC in 1998 as a correctional officer at Blackburn Correctional Complex (BCC). She promoted to classification and treatment officer at BCC before transferring to Probation and Parole in District 9 in 1999 as a probation and parole officer. Potter-Blair promoted to assistant supervisor in 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.
From 2008 through 2017 she served as the deputy commissioner of support services, where she oversaw probation and parole, administrative services, offender information services, parole board services, and training. Most recently, she served as DOC’s chief of staff from 2020 through 2024.
Potter-Blair was elected to the board of directors for the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation in 2015. She is a member of the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency and previously served as president of the Bluegrass Chapter. She is a member of the Association of Women Executives in Corrections, and she served as a mentor to two women in the Governor’s Minority Management Training Program in 2018-2019. She was a participant in the National Institute of Corrections Executive Forum for Deputy Directors and Executive Leadership for Women.
Potter-Blair graduated from Kentucky State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a graduate degree in public administration, she is also a graduate of the inaugural class of the Commissioner’s Executive Leadership Program. She is a 2006 recipient of the Commissioner’s Award.
Kenny Talbott Promoted to Director of Training Division
“Mr. Talbott possesses the passion, dedication and customer service mindset to take the Division of Corrections Training to the next level, ensuring all DOC staff meet and exceed policy and ACA standards. Additionally, Kenny and his team of training professionals stand ready to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the DOC and its staff.” - Deputy Commissioner of Support Services Hilarye Dailey
Talbott began his DOC career in 2004 as the chaplain at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women (KCIW). While attending to the religious needs of the institution, he supervised over 200 certified volunteers and organized a yearly calendar with over 800 events. He also served as the institutional public information officer, grievance chair, volunteer coordinator, duty officer and security threat group team member.
For a brief period in 2011, Talbott worked as an institutional training coordinator at the Kentucky State Reformatory (KSR). In this role he taught KSR staff in common core and officer in-service, in addition to serving as a weapons instructor, before returning to KCIW as chaplain.
In 2018, Talbott promoted to justice program administrator for staff wellness. Along with working with staff across the commonwealth who have been involved in workplace violence, Talbott assisted in developing and presenting several courses on emotional survival and trauma exposure in corrections. In 2023, Talbott promoted to assistant director of the Training Division, where he worked to coordinate and manage the multiple missions of the division, while preparing it to meet the needs of the future.
In 2019, he presented at the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency (KCCD) conference on the impact of trauma exposure on corrections professionals. He was also instrumental in implementing the first staff wellness fair at the conference. Additionally, while working with WebMD, he promoted department-wide step challenges and health fairs.
Talbott has served on nearly 40 Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD) involving institutions, Probation and Parole offices, jails, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. He has created curriculum and conducted quarterly training for all CISD team members. Over the past two years he has reviewed, edited and provided voice-over work for several DOC training courses.
Talbott earned his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Cincinnati Christian University. He is a member of KCCD and serves as chaplain for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #53.