Gov. Matt Bevin appointed two new regents to WKU’s Board of Regents on Aug. 12, according to a release from the governor’s office.

Julie A. Hinson and Jason McKinney were appointed to replace former regents Melissa Dennison and Laurence Zielke, whose terms expired on June 30, 2016. Dennison served as the Vice Chair of the Board of Regents and Zielke served as a regent.

Dennison served on the Board of Regents since 2011 and Zielke had served since 2004, according to Board of Regents records.

Hinson earned a B.A. in Public Relations from WKU in 1990. She is currently the president and CEO of Advanced Lifeline Services, Inc., the “the leading provider of ventilator care services to long term care facilities in the US,” according to Hinson. She lives in Prospect with her husband, Mike.

“I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled,” Hinson said of her appointment to the Board.

In 2015, Hinson was named WKU Alumnae of the Year. This April, she was inducted into the WKU College of Health and Human Services Hall of Fame.

Hinson was also a founding member of the WKU Sisterhood, and a member of the WKU Foundation Board. She is currently serving on the Presidential Search Committee, which is charged with conducting the search process for the university’s next president.

“I really hope that in the next six years, I can help with my knowledge and expertise and love for Western,” Hinson said.

As a member of the search committee, Hinson said she felt she could be useful during the transition from Ransdell to the next president and viewed that decision as the most important decision the Board will be making.

“I think the most important thing for the Board of Regents now is voting on the next president of Western Kentucky University,” Hinson said. “I think that’s probably the thing on everyone’s mind.”

Jason McKinney graduated from WKU in 2001 with a bachelor’s of science in accounting. He currently lives in Scottsville with his wife, Rebekah, and son, Grayson.

McKinney is a partner and CPA at McKinney Woosley, LLP, a public accounting firm in Scottsville. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Heart of Scottsville, an organization “dedicated to the preservation and economic development of Scottsville’s historic downtown,” according to their website. Additionally, he is the treasurer for The Core and LifeSkills in Scottsville and Glasgow.

“I am originally from Bowling Green and a love for WKU was instilled in me from an early age,” McKinney said in an email. “My grandfather and uncle both obtained their accounting degrees from WKU and I distinctly remember attending football games as a child, even in the freezing cold. There was never any doubt about where I would attend college. To be able to participate and help shape the future of the University is a dream come true.”

McKinney said that although the campus has changed since he attended, he hopes to be part of the growth of WKU.

“I hope to be actively involved in continuing this growth and improvement that President Ransdell and the Board of Regents have already set in motion,” McKinney said.

Both Hinson and McKinney’s terms expire on June 30, 2022.

Reporter Monica Kast can be reached at 270-745-6011 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @monicakastwku.