Gov. Matt Bevin's administration has created a new position in the Cabinet for Economic Development that comes with an annual salary of $250,000 to improve workforce development strategies.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Economic Development Secretary Terry R. Gill and the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership Board named Vivek Sarin as an executive officer in the cabinet on Monday. Gill and Sarin will earn the same salary.
Gill says the goal is to make Kentucky a national leader in engineering and manufacturing. Sarin led Shelby Industries LLC, a manufacturer of towing and trailer equipment that closed recently. He is the president of a professional services firm and has contributed to Bevin's campaigns.
State Democratic Party spokesman Daniel Lowry said Sarin's salary was an affront to state workers who haven't received raises.
