Our dear friend Lewis D. Cole passed away on Saturday, June 28^th. Cole dedicated his 93 years of life to community service working with organizations such as Metro United Way, the Jewish Community Center, The Temple, Metropolitan Housing Coalition, the Fairness Campaign, and the ACLU of Kentucky. Cole, a fifth generation Louisvillian on his mother's side and third generation on his father's side, was known for his compassion, vision, and inspiration. His character had a profound impact on many areas of our community and our nation.

As an early member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, many knew and admired Lewis D. Cole. Suzy Post, former Executive Director, spoke fondly of their friendship, "I loved him for his true sense of what Judaism means. Tikkun... he leaves a huge hole in the nonprofit community here." Carla Wallace expressed that, "Lewis was unflappable in his ardent advocacy of civil liberties and civil rights and never hesitated to build bridges, even when this was challenging." Lewis D. Cole, leaves an incredible legacy and will be deeply missed by the Louisville community.

Kate Miller- Program Associate 

While earning a B.A in Psychology from Western Kentucky University I volunteered and later worked at a domestic violence shelter. This rewarding experience demonstrated the systemic problems that helped me to recognize my need to work toward social justice. I studied at the University of Louisville's Kent School of Social Work where I discovered, in conjunction with an internship at the Kentucky ACLU, my passion for advocacy. While at the ACLU I helped coordinate events, participated in fundraising activities, implemented research and lobbied through the legislative session. Through all this I was able to more cohesively analyze the relationship between civil liberties and social conditions.

After graduation, I worked as a Union Organizer for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the largest public sector employee's labor union in the U.S with over 1.4 million members. In Colorado and Oklahoma, I successfully developed the union through a combined effort of grassroots organizing, leadership development and political action. I spent many nights living out of hotels and days waiting anxiously in airports before returning to Louisville in December of 2007 to organize state workers here in the commonwealth. While working for AFSCME I have had a plethora of diverse experiences. I've helped to coordinate trainings; everything from developing and presenting materials to coordinating participant's flights. I have knocked on many a stranger's door, facilitated a committee's first meeting and built valuable relationships. My diverse experience has been exciting and most importantly has afforded me the skills and gumption to bring back to the Kentucky ACLU.