BIOS FOR 2014 DEATH PENALTY MOBILIZING FUND GRANT APPLICATION
The Rev. Patrick
A undergraduate of St. Mary's College and University in Baltimore, he completed his post-secondary
education at the University of Louisville in the field of Community Development. He has served as
KCADP Chair since its beginning 25 years ago. In 1992, he led the effort that resulted in the abolition of
the death penalty for mentally retarded persons in Kentucky. For his work with the Racial Justice Act,
Delahanty was named A bolitionist of the Y ear in 1998 by the National Coalition to Abolish the Death
Penalty. He has also received the Rights Enforcer A ward from the Kentucky Association of Criminal
Defense Lawyers and the Rosa Parks A ward from the Kentucky Deparment of Public Advocacy.
He recently retired from the Catholic Conference of Kentucky where he was executive director. He
now spends nearly full time volunteering to direct the abolition campaign in Kentucky.
Kaye Gallagher
Hired as the first staff for KCADP’s Abolition 2000 Campaign, she was named coordinator in 1999.
Her duties have included grassroots works with Campaign Director/Fundraiser Carl Wedekind traveling
the state to promote his books, meeting with editorial boards and lobbying efforts in key communities.
She now serves as treasurer of the KCADP Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and has worked at several Kentucky newspapers.
Ben Griffith
Ben Griffith is Secretary of the Board for KCADP and is a family member of a murder victim. His
brother, Chris, was murdered in 1986 by a man who randomly killed four people. He is a member of
Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation. He serves on a committee of the Board that oversees the
day to day operation of the Coalition.
Shekinah I. Lavalle
Shekinah Lavalle is the Outreach Coordinator. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the
University of Louisville in English and has worked most recently at the American Printing House for the
Blind.
In 2010-2011 Shekinah educated herself about the benefits of abolition and then used this as a
member of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth to educate her local chapter in Jefferson County and
eventually the statewide organization which resulted in a vote by the KFTC membership to adopt
abolition as part of its platform. During her first year with KCADP she has led several trainings for
volunteers, including victim family members and exonerees. She has a high degree of enthusiasm which
helps in her appeal to others to engage in working together to end the death penalty in Kentucky.
Kate Miller
Kate Miller is a Board member of KCADP. As an employee of the Kentucky A merican Civil
Liberties Union she spends one-fourth of her time working on death penalty abolition issues. She has
organized several of the Witness to Innocence tours in Kentucky to bring exonerees to college
campuses, faith communities, and other public venues. She serves on a committee of the Board that
oversees the day to day operation of the Coalition. She is a key person in developing strategy and
gathering information needed to know how we best bring abolishing the death penalty to the attention of
the general public.
Dianna Taylor
Diana Taylor is a partner in Taylor-Gray Associates and also owns Diana Taylor Communications, a
media relations and publications development enterprise.
Before starting her own business in 1993, Diana was Chief of Staff for the Govemor of Kentucky,
overseeing the administration’s budget and policy initiatives. She also served as issues and
communications director for the governor’s campaign and co-chaired a successful statewide effort to
amend Kentucky’s constitution to allow gubematorial succession.
A writer and editor, Diana is a former reporter and state news editor for The Associated Press in
Kentucky and Tennessee, and Frankfort bureau chief and columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader.
She also has worked in marketing and legislative coverage for public television in Kentucky.
Diana's current focus is on message development and delivery, strategic communications and policy
research.
Bob Gray
Bob Gray is a partner in Taylor-Gray Associates.
A veteran of more than 25 years in state government, Bob began his career with the Kentucky
Legislative Research Commission, where he conducted policy research and drafted legislation for the
Kentucky General Assembly on issues ranging from health care to insurance reform. He has served in
the Office of A ttomey General as Executive Director of the Office of Rate Intervention, where his work
focused on issues related to health insurance, public utility costs, and legislative policy. And he was
Director of Performance A udit in the Kentucky State Auditor's Office with responsibility for examining
the efficiency and effectiveness of various state government operations.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Bob also has experience in the private sector, operating family-
owned supermarkets in his hometown of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Bob's current focus is on public policy research and development.
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