Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission

Arnold Simpson

Former State Representative Arnold R. Simpson was appointed to the Commission by the LRC in September 2021. He was born in Somerset, Kentucky, and was raised in Covington. He received his BA in Political Science in 1974 from Kentucky State University, and his Juris Doctor in 1977 from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He practiced law from 1978 until his retirement in 2018. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1994 to 2018. He also served as the Covington City Manager from 1986 to 1989, and the Assistant City Manager from 1984 to 1986.  He has served on numerous community boards and organizations. He and his wife Jo Ann reside in Covington. 

Tanya Pullin​

Judge Tanya Pullin was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in May 2020. She graduated from Greenup County High School and received a B.S. from the University of Kentucky. She received an M.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Judge Pullin served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2001 to 2016. From 2016 to 2019, she served as an Administrative Law Judge in the Department of Workers’ Claims. Judge Pullin currently resides in South Shore in Greenup County.​

David L. Nicholas, Chairman of the Commission​

Mr. Nicholas was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in October, 2018.  He has worked for 15 years for the General Assembly as Staff Administrator of the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee.  Prior to that, he was Director of the Division of Occupations and Professions in the Finance Cabinet for 18 years.  Mr. Nicholas has a Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Eastern Kentucky University.  He is a member of Buck Run Baptist Church and member of the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Golf Association.  He and his wife Pat live in Frankfort and have four children and five grandchildren. 

Sheldon Baugh

Former State Representative Sheldon E. Baugh of Russellville was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in July 2017.  Mr. Baugh has an insurance agency in Russellville, and he served in the House of Representatives from January 1995 to January 2008.  He attended Western Kentucky University, and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1962 to 1966.  Mr. Baugh was a Magistrate on the Logan County Fiscal Court from 1977 to 1981, and he served as Midwest Director and two-term President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors.  He is a member and former President of the Russellville Rotary Club, and he and his wife Brenda have two children. 

Michael Noftsger was appointed to the Commission by the Speaker of the House in November, 2019. He serves as the Executive Vice-President, Bank Administration, for Forcht Bank.  He grew up outside of Xenia, OH and later attended Georgetown College, receiving a BS in Marketing & Finance.  Since the summer of 1992, he has worked in the banking industry. Mr. Noftsger has served on many community boards, including the Somerset-Pulaski (morning) Rotary Club, Somerset Christian School Board, Pulaski County Alzheimer’s Respite Center Board, the Cornelia Dozier Cooper Foundation and the Somerset-Pulaski County Development Foundation.  He is a former member of the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission. He married Hope King in 1995.  Hope is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and works as a Physical Therapist.  They have one son, Riley, who attends Somerset Christian School.  As a family, they are members of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Somerset, KY. 

Katherine Gail Russell

Ms. Russell was appointed to the Commission by the Speaker of the House in May, 2021.  She has a private law practice with the law firm of Tilford Dobbins & Schmidt PLLC in the area of bankruptcy, banking and collections, and serves on the Uniform Law Commission and on the Visiting Committee of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law.  A former Secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet, she also served as Counsel to the House Speaker, as a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission, the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership Board, the Kentucky 911 Services Board, and as the Small Business Ombudsman for the Public Protection Cabinet. She also has served as a Special Justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court. A native of Murray, Kentucky, she received her B.A. with highest distinction from the University of Mississippi and received her J.D. from the University of Kentucky.​

Paula Sherlock

Judge Sherlock was appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the House in 2018. She served as a Family Court Judge in Jefferson County from 2005 until her retirement as Chief Judge of Family Court in 2017. She was selected as Judge of the Year by the Louisville Bar Association in 2015, the Women Lawyers Association in 2016, and the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys of Kentucky in 2014.  In 2013, Kosair Children's Hospital selected her as Child Advocate of the Year.  In 2017, Judge Sherlock was appointed by the Kentucky Supreme Court to serve on the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, which reviews all child deaths and near deaths due to caregiver abuse and neglect.  She was on the Board of Directors of the LBA, the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, and the Family Court Rules Committee.  Judge Sherlock has been active in community organizations such as Volunteers of America, Operation Open Arms, and Dress for Success. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Colorado, a Master’s at Campbell University, and her J.D. from Washington & Lee University.  She and her husband, Ike, reside in Prospect.