BFSA Speaker Series
Read about the series below, select and join us!
What is it?
The BFSA Guest Speaker Series goal is to provide members an opportunity to hear from various speakers on various topics.
FALL 2021
Guest Speaker 1: Alethea West - August 28, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. Cumberland Room, Curris Center
Guest Speaker 2: Betty Dobson, Hotel Metropolitan - September 14, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.
Guest Speaker 3: Sheila Mason, LRC/State Government - October 12, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.
Sheila Mason, Legislative Research Commission (LRC)
Biography
Sheila Mason, aka Burton Sheila Mason began working for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission in 1980 as a Legislative Analyst with the Program Review and Investigations Committee. During her tenure with that committee, Sheila’s role evolved from that of researcher/performance auditor on assigned studies to Project Manager over multiple studies. In 1991, she was designated the Committee Staff Administrator for the Committee and held that position until reassignment to the LRC Director’s Office in 1998 as the Research Coordinator for the agency. Sheila was appointed the LRC Assistant Director for Research and served in that position until reassignment in 2003. She currently holds the positions of Record Compiler and Intern Coordinator for the agency. Sheila is responsible for the compilation and publication of the Legislative Record during legislative sessions. She also manages LRC’s Bill Processing and Bill Tracking offices and oversees the writing, editing, and publication of the Senate and House Journals. She coordinates LRC’s civic education initiatives and on several occasions has organized and presided over training sessions for foreign delegations hosted by NCSL, the World Affairs Council and the US Department of State. Sheila has served as a Director on the Executive Committee of the Research and Committee Staff Section of NCSL; has been a frequent panelist at national and regional legislative meetings; and has collaborated with legislative management from other states to provide on-site training to research staff. She was awarded a Henry J. Toll Fellowship by the Council of State Governments in 1993; a Legislative Staff Achievement Award by the National Council of State Legislatures in 2005, the Southern Legislative Conference Carter/Hellard Award in 2014, and the LRC Vic Hellard, Jr. Award in 2017. Sheila has served on numerous city and non-profit boards and commissions in Frankfort and currently serves on the boards of the Kings Center, Greenhill Cemetery, Capital City History Museum, Capital Day School Trustees and Frankfort Independent School Educational Foundation. She is a charter member of the African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky, has served on the board of the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation and is a past president and current member of the Kentucky Historical Society Executive Committee. Sheila is co-author of Community Memories: A Glimpse of African American Life in Frankfort.