I am an attorney who served as an Air Force Judge Advocate for 25 years, served as General Counsel for two Shipbuilding Trade Associations and Brown and Company in Washington, DC. My career highlights include advising General Officers, Commanders, and Presidents of multi-billion dollar corporations; serving as defense counsel in five homicide trials; orchestrating amendments to Federal Statutes; and speaking on behalf of the U.S. Government at an international Shipbuilding Meeting in Paris, France. After witnessing 23+ years of care provided to five family members in nine different nursing homes, I am now committed to making a substantive difference in the quality of care provided to all Loved Ones in nursing homes.

I live in Lexington and my passion for improvements in nursing home standards began through experiences with my mother's care in 4 different nursing homes in this area. The range went from bad to superior. The sure and certain knowledge that life in a nursing home does not have to be impersonal and degrading has propelled me into advocacy for all residents of Kentucky's nursing homes.

I earned a BA from UK and an MA from Indiana University. I have 4 kids, 8 grandkids, worked for IBM, then Lexmark and retired in 2001. My personal goal is to make a positive impact in the area of nursing home standards.

I am a native of Paducah, Kentucky and now reside in Louisville. I have been active in nursing home industry reform efforts since 2004. Having gained first-hand experience with three loved ones who were residents in long-term care facilities in Kentucky, I became an advocate for residents and families in nursing homes, in part due to my frustrations with the lack of information and resources available to residents and their family members regarding their rights for quality, safe care. I work to educate families, policy makers, and the public to ensure the safety,dignity and well-being of those in long term care facilities in Kentucky. I am an active member of NCCNHR - The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (Washington, DC).

My name is Sherry Cooke. I was born and raised in Kentucky. I have been involved in the care of my father, mother and most recently my brother, in numerous nursing homes in and around the Louisville area. When you go in to visit loved ones that you are not responsible for, you view nursing homes by their beautiful entrance, shiny floors and manicured lawns. When you are responsible for those loved ones, you view the facilities by the number of staff and the care they receive. I have seen good nursing homes and bad ones. It is my desire to use the lessons that I learned to help change the requirements in nursing homes so that no one suffers the kind of neglect that I have seen.

I am a long-term Kentucky resident serving as consultant to national and international nonprofit organizations in the fields of social, environmental, and mental health advocacy. My interest in striving for improved nursing home standards is rooted in my family's personal experience with my beloved grandmother who has lived in several Kentucky nursing homes over the years, and our struggle to obtain a higher quality of care for her in her advanced age.

I hold a bachelor's degree in biology and environmental studies and a master's degree in social work for which I am licensed by the Kentucky State Board of Social Work.

I am a partner in the law firm of Morgan & Pottinger, PSC, where I practice primarily in the areas of public interest litigation and issues relating to State government. I was the Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1996-2003.