Executive Staff

In his capacity as Assistant Secretary of State, Allen Eskridge represents Secretary Grayson in all official capacities, and he is required to act on the Secretary’s behalf at his direction or in his absence.  Further, Mr. Eskridge provides operational supervision as well as policy management for the office.

Mr. Eskridge has many years of public service including tenures at the Council of State Government, the National Association of State Treasurers, the Governor’s Office for Policy and Management, and the Office of the Secretary of State.  In addition to his official duties, he currently sits on the Inter-Alumni Board for the Council on Postsecondary Education, the Owensboro Community and Technical College Board (where he currently serves as secretary), and the Kentucky Digital Government Board.  He is also a Steering Committee Member of the Connect Kentucky Statewide Broadband Initiative, the outgoing president of the Transylvania Bluegrass Alumni Board, and secretary of the Pi Kappa Alpha – Kappa Chapter Alumni Association.

Mr. Eskridge is a native of Owensboro, Kentucky where he graduated from the Owensboro Senior High School.  He is also a graduate of Transylvania University with a bachelor of arts in history and political science, and he holds a masters degree in public administration from the University of Kentucky.

Mr. Eskridge currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife, Randa Remer-Eskridge and son Jae.

Les Fugate comes to the Office of the Secretary of State after serving as the Director of Alumni and Annual Giving for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program.  He oversees all aspects of the Office of the Secretary of State's communications efforts including serving as the office spokesperson and webmaster for the internationally acclaimed website.  Les also works extensively on the office's legislative initiatives where he partners with a talented team to pass and implement the Secretary's expansive legislative agenda.  He is a graduate of Centre College where he received a B.A. in Economics and of Vanderbilt University where he recently received an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration.  He is a member of the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) & Kentucky Association of Government Communicators (KAGC) with which he served two terms as treasurer.  He is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America, as well as its Bluegrass Chapter and Public Affairs and Government Section.

Outside of work, Les is active in the performing arts serving as a board member for the Kentucky Theatre Association, Jenny Wiley Theatre, and the Actor's Theatre of Louisville Generation One board.  Les was recently named to the Centre College Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Governor's Scholars Program Board of Directors. He is active member of the Westport Road Church of Christ.  

Les is a graduate of Focus Louisville, Ignite Louisville, and the Leadership East Kentucky program.  He is currently participating in Leadership Louisville's Bingham Fellow's Program.  Les has been profiled in Velocity Weekly as one of fourteen next generation of leaders in Louisville.  He was recently honored as the recipient of the prestigious 2007 Jennifer Schaaf Memorial Award for excellence in government communications.  This award, presented by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, recognizes the outstanding public information officer in Kentucky. 

Les has presented media training to a number of groups including the Kentucky County Clerks Association and the Election Center.  He is currently serving as a member of the Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) Working Group on Media and Public Relations for the EAC's Election Management Guidelines.

Les is a native of Prestonsburg, Kentucky and currently resides in Louisville.

Colleen Chaney joined the Office of the Secretary of State in January 2008.  In her capacity as Director of Corporations and Legislative Programs, Chaney oversees all corporate initiatives including Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), Corporate Records, Trademarks and Annual Reports.  In addition, she works closely with the Congressional Delegation and members of the General Assembly on legislative initiatives impacting local, state and national policy.

Chaney’s background is a reflection of her passion for local government.  As commissioner of the Governor’s Office for Local Development (GOLD), Chaney oversaw the administration of grant funding for community projects and the financial management of Kentucky’s cities, counties and special districts.  Prior to entering state government, she served as public relations coordinator and membership director for the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC). 

In her professional capacity, Chaney credentials include numerous state and national boards including the Appalachian Regional Commission, Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, Kentucky Housing Corporation and PRIDE.  In addition, she is proud to have served as a big sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, worked with the American Red Cross and the Lexington Humane Society.  In 2003, Chaney was named a Lexington’s Rising Star award recipient. 

Chaney is a native of Lexington, Kentucky, where she graduated from Tates Creek High School.  She earned her B.A. degrees in communication and political science from Indiana University.

As Special Assistant to the Secretary, Nathan Parsons works directly with many of Secretary Grayson’s initiatives and serves as the advance coordinator for many of his public appearances.  Parsons was previously a Field Representative for the College Republican National Committee, where he coordinated the youth effort during the last New Jersey gubernatorial election.  Most recently, he was the Field Director for a congressional campaign in New York. 

Parsons is a 2001 graduate of Lawrence County High School and a 2005 graduate of Transylvania University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.  While a student at Transylvania, Parsons was chair of the College Republicans, served in Student Government, was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and spent two summers as an intern in Washington DC in the Rural Development mission area of the United States Department of Agriculture.   He is also a member of the Kentucky Association of Government Communicators (KAGC).

Nathan is a native of Louisa, Kentucky and currently resides in Lexington.