Brunty to serve on Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission

Ron Brunty of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College has been chosen to serve as a member of the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission. The appointment was recently made by Gov. Steven L. Beshear, and is based on Bruntys active involvement in the science classrooms on the SKCTC Whitesburg campus as well as his involvement in the local community in the areas of environmental science, agriculture and natural resource conservation.

Brunty will represent Southeast as well as the Kentucky Community and Technical College System during meetings of the commission. He is to serve for a period of four years.
The commission (EQC) is a seven-member citizen advisory board that works to strengthen the publics role in solving environmental problems in the communities and the state. The commission was created under state law with a mission to facilitate public discussion and resolution of environmental issues; promote partnerships to protect the environment for future generations and serve as an advisory panel to the governor and other state officials on environmental matters.

Brunty serves SKCTC as a counselor; he has also taught ecology and biology classes. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, he relocated with his family to Blackey in 1976. He graduated from Letcher High School in 1980, and holds a Bachelors Degree from Alice Lloyd College as well as a Masters from Morehead State University. He began his tenure at SKCTC in 1986 as a teacher/counselor in the High School Dropout Re-entry Program.

He is pleased to be chosen for the commission post. All of this has come about due to my service over the years to the area conservation district board and working for Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, he said. I have been blessed to work with Area 9 board members and with the Kentucky Conservation District Association over these past 27 years.

Brunty noted since 1987 he has learned much about the special distinctiveness of the state and its people who join forces to protect, utilize and repair the lands, water sources and soil for use in the present and for use by future generations.

I am honored to be selected to serve on the board, I hope we can be a rational voice that speaks out for the environmental quality of our beautiful state. I am excited to begin serving my term. I will strive to represent well my college, KCTCS and all of eastern Kentucky with honor and humility.

Brunty and his wife, Helen, are the parents of a son, Cameron, a freshman at Eastern Kentucky University.