By Carol Jordan, Office of the Governor

UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. discusses UK's efforts to combat violence against women, while First Lady Judi Patton listens.

"While women have played the most significant role and served as the underlying spirit of this work for years, this project stresses that men have a vital role to play as well. It is the goal of the project to inspire other men in Kentucky to become part of the effort to stop violence against women."

-- Kentucky First Lady
Judi Patton

UK sets up a Center for Research on Violence Against Women

First Lady Judi Patton poses with activists fighting violence against women and recipients of her White Ribbon Award.

For a larger view of the White Ribbon winners, click here.

Oct. 1, 2002 (Lexington, Ky.) -- At a special luncheon at the Executive Mansion today, First Lady Judi Patton highlighted the accomplishments of 21 men from Kentucky and around the nation who have contributed significantly to ending violence against women. These individuals were honored as a part of Mrs. Patton's White Ribbon Project.

"While women have played the most significant role and served as the underlying spirit of this work for years, this project stresses that men have a vital role to play as well," explained Mrs. Patton. "It is the goal of the project to inspire other men in Kentucky to become part of the effort to stop violence against women."

Honorees in the White Ribbon Project include public figures, private sector businessmen, university professors, community activists, criminal justice professionals and others. Among the 21 recipients were U.S. Sen. Joe Biden for his sponsorship of the federal Violence Against Women Act; Former Gov. John Y. Brown Jr., for his service as co-chair of the Governor's Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Wilson for his diligent work in both the courtroom and the community to improve victim services; and University of Kentucky President Lee Todd for his plans to create a Center for Research on Violence Against Women at UK.

Three outstanding corporate CEO's -- Dennis Strigl from Verizon Wireless, Louis Camilleri from Philip Morris Companies Inc., and Paul Charron from Liz Claiborne, Inc. -- were honored for their companies' leadership in addressing the issue.

County music star Billy Ray Cyrus was also chosen as an honoree for lending his fame to a public service announcement on family violence and in recognition of his song "Enough is Enough," which addresses the same topic. From Canada where he is shooting the TV series "Doc," he said, "I am proud and humbled to accept this award as a Kentuckian and to share my dedication to making my home state, and the entire nation, a safer and better place for families. When it comes to the harm any man would commit against a woman, we have to say, 'Enough is enough'."

Posters with photos and quotes from each honoree were distributed at the ceremony. In addition, stickers and a brochure highlighting what all men can do to end violence against women will be distributed to Kentucky schools and made available at Verizon Wireless retail stories. Verizon Wireless has served as a corporate co-sponsor of the White Ribbon Project. These materials can be viewed and downloaded online by clicking here and are available by contacting the Governor's Office of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Services at (502) 564-2611.

In alphabetical order, the 21 men recognized today are:

-- Charles (Chuck) Adkins, Rape Crisis Center Volunteer, Elizabethtown, for his efforts to educate military men and young boys on ending sexual violence;

-- U.S. Sen. Joseph R. Biden, for his authorship of the federal Violence Against Women Act which created strong federal laws and appropriated millions of dollars to victim service programs;

-- Clay M. Bishop, Clay County Attorney, for outstanding efforts to prosecute domestic violence offenders in his local community;

-- Jerry J. Bowles, Jefferson Co. Family Court Judge, for his innovative work as a domestic violence prosecutor and his insightful management of domestic violence cases from the family court bench;

-- Former Gov. John Y. Brown, Jr., for his tireless service as co-chair of the Governor's Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and his outspoken voice against this crime;

-- Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman & CEO, Philip Morris Companies Inc., for his leadership of a corporation dedicated to addressing violence in the workplace and providing funding to communities to strengthen the safety net available to victims;

-- Paul R. Charron, Chairman & CEO, Liz Claiborne Inc., for making education about dating and sexual violence a priority for Liz Claiborne and providing innovative materials and significant funding for service providers;

-- Billy Ray Cyrus, country music artist, for lending his fame to building awareness through a public service announcement on family violence;

-- John T. Dickerson, Rape Crisis Center Educator, Frankfort, for his tireless service educating hundreds of boys and young men in Central Kentucky about rape prevention;

-- Senator Jeffrey R. Green (in memoriam), Mayfield, for his outstanding leadership in the Kentucky State Senate to push reforms on behalf of domestic violence victims;

-- Sgt. Kenneth R. Jones, London Police Department, for his dedication to improving criminal justice response to victims;

-- Timothy M. Kelly, President/Publisher, Lexington Herald Leader, for overseeing completion of a Pulitzer Prize winning series on domestic violence which led to significant change in Kentucky laws;

-- Dr. Christopher Kilmartin, researcher and educator, Fredericksburg, VA, for his focus on educating men on masculinity issues and his specific attention to educating college students on this topic;

-- Dr. Dean G. Kilpatrick, researcher, Charleston, SC, for his scholarly work advancing the understanding of sexual violence in our culture;

-- Joseph E. Lambert, Chief Justice Ky. Supreme Court, for serving as a champion of family courts in Kentucky;

-- Peter C. Macdonald, District Judge, Hopkinsville, for his outstanding service as a district judge and his innovative training efforts for the judiciary across the country;

-- Representative Paul Mason (in memoriam), Whitesburg, for being an outspoken voice in the General Assembly for victim advocates across the Commonwealth and for assuring the availability of needed funding for services to victims;

-- Steven S. Reed, former U.S. Attorney, for his prioritization of a tough criminal justice response to violence against women while serving as a federal prosecutor;

-- Dennis F. Strigl, President and CEO, Verizon Wireless, for the dedication of his company and its employees to addressing domestic violence by providing funding, materials, and support to victim service providers;

-- Dr. Lee T. Todd, Jr., President, University of Kentucky, for his visionary leadership in planning for a UK Center for Research on Violence Against Women, and

-- Steve A. Wilson, Warren Co. Commonwealth Attorney, for his diligent work in both the courtroom and the community to improve services to victims of crime.