After 20yrs of public service, Gerina Whethers is first Black woman to be Louisville’s top prosecutor

Gerina Whethers has been appointed as the new Commonwealth’s Attorney for Jefferson County, making her the first Black woman to serve in the post. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear appointed Whethers as Louisville’s top prosecutor following the death of Tom Wine, who entered office in 2012. 

Beshear said that Whethers has the vast legal experience required as well as the dedication and compassion needed to best serve the people of Louisville. “Having worked together for many years, from our time in the Attorney General’s Office to my current cabinet, I have seen firsthand how talented Gerina is, and I am proud to appoint her Commonwealth’s Attorney for Jefferson County,” Beshear said, according to WLKY News.

Whethers, who was recently secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet, led two divisions in the Office of the Attorney General. She has also been in the courtroom as a prosecutor in the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office and is now humbled to have been given the chance to lead one of the most important roles in her city. 

“From victim services, especially for our seniors and youth, to mental health services – our families, our younger generation, our community and our law enforcement deserve loyalty and commitment to cohesive change, and I look forward to being part of that change,” said Whethers, who has served the public for 20 years.

Besides holding a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Louisville with a minor in pan-African studies, she also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law.

Whethers is an executive board member of the Louisville Chapter of the NAACP and the organization is proud of her latest achievement, saying that the Louisville native has the capacity to bring tremendous assets to the city having lived in the county, being a prosecutor and as personnel’s cabinet secretary.