The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government is getting a new member that will fill its vacant seat. Lisa Higgins-Hord will replace councilwoman Denise Gray as representative of the city’s 6th District after Gray stepped down earlier this summer.
Gray said she made the decision to step away from city government following treatment from some media members, stemming from sexual assault allegations against former counci lmember Brenda Monarrez.
It’s Higgins-Hord’s second time being appointed to the council. She previously served at the tail end of 2020 when councilwoman Angela Evans stepped down to pursue a master’s degree.
She currently works at UK Healthcare as its Assistant Vice President of Community Health, and also works on multiple community boards.
Mayor Linda Gorton tapped her out of a pool of 15 applicants because of her previous experience.
“Lisa has a long history of service with community organizations of all types,” she said. “She stood out to me because of the depth of her experience and her involvement in the community.”
Higgins-Hord says she’ll begin her term by speaking with her constituents, and prioritizing issues from there.
“I don't like talking about what I think versus what I think that people need, and at the end of the day, it's what they tell me they need, and then we prioritize after that,” Higgins-Hord said. “If I go in telling people what I think they need, then I think I've lost them immediately.”
Higgins-Hord says she’s not ruling out running for the 6th District seat after her term expires in 2027. She decided to not run for re-election in 2020 after her initial term ended.
