Former local resident heads budget office for state of Kentucky

FRANKFORT, KY. - For the past three months, Mary Steck Lassiter, daughter of George and Jeannette Steck of Sikeston, Mo., is leading the Kentucky State Budget Office through difficult budgetary deliberations.

Appointed by Gov. Paul Patton as acting budget director on Nov. 25, Lassiter is only the second woman to hold the budget post. She replaced Dr. Jim Ramsey who was appointed president of the University of Louisville in November.

"Mary is a proven leader and budgetary expert with almost 20 years of experience in state government," Patton said. "Her role and advice have been vital throughout this administration when helping us review and prepare our budgets - especially during these tough economic times when some hard decisions are necessary."

Prior to her appointment, Lassiter worked as a special assistant to the state budget director and as deputy executive director in the Governor's Office for Policy Research -- positions she has held since 1999. In this role, she served as adviser to Patton on workforce, workers' compensation, budget, economic development and financial management issues.

Prior to serving in the budget office, Lassiter served 15 years as a financial analyst in the Office for Financial Management and Economic Analysis, which manages the Commonwealth's investment and debt management programs. She served as a special assistant to Patton and Governor Wallace Wilkinson for economic development and workers' compensation issues.

Lassiter holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky. She lives in Woodford County, Ky., with her husband Frank and two children, Mary Beth and Ben.

"I am honored to serve the Commonwealth and the Patton Administration," Lassiter said. "I look forward to working with all branches of government toward enactment of a budget for our state."