Jon Ackerson
Jon Winston Ackerson (born July 29, 1943)[1]is an attorney and Republican former politician in his native Louisville, Kentucky. Ackerson was the state representative for District 30 from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1984 to 1997. In the interim, he was from 1978 to 1983 the state senator for District 34, also based in Jefferson County.[2]
| Jon Winston Ackerson | |
 | |
Kentucky State Representative for
District 30 (suburban Jefferson County) | |
| In office January 1, 1976 â December 31, 1977 | |
| In office January 1, 1984 â December 31, 1997 | |
Kentucky State Senator for
District 34 (Jefferson County) | |
| In office January 2, 1978 â December 31, 1983 | |
Member of the
Louisville Metro Council for District 18 | |
| In office January 2009 â 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Julie Raque Adams |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Marilyn Parker |
| Born | July 29, 1943 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Patricia Ormerod Ackerson (divorced) (2) Kay B. Meurer Ackerson |
| Children | From first marriage: Brent Thomas Ackerson |
| Residence | Jeffersontown, Kentucky>br>
Punta Gorda, Florida |
| Alma mater | University of Indianapolis University of Louisville School of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Background
Ackerson is one of three children of Louis E. Ackerson (1906-1984), an attorney and a certified public accountant, and the former Sara Mercedes Romans (1907-1989). His brother, Robert Louis "Bob" Ackerson (1934-2008), was also a Louisville lawyer and an Episcopalian. These Ackersons are interred at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. His sister, Mary Beth Ackerson (1936-2020), worked in the health services industry.[3]
Ackerson graduated from the Methodist-affiliated University of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the University of Louisville School of Law. He practiced law in the firm of Ackerson & Ackerson.[4]
Political life
In 1978, Ackerson persuaded his seven Senate Republican colleagues to hire a young Louisville attorney, Bob Heleringer as their administrative assistant. Heleringer, the son of a Louisville furniture dealer and the grandson of a horse trainer, subsequently served in the Kentucky House from suburban Louisville from 1980 to 1991. Ackerson himself left the Senate after the Democratic majority in 1982 moved his district to rural southeastern Kentucky, including Clinton and McCreary counties near the Tennessee state line. Ackerson objected to the redistricting on grounds that 96,000 suburban constituents would no longer have local representation.[5]
He instead returned to the Kentucky House.[6]From 1999 to 2002, Ackerson served on the Jeffersontown City Council in Jefferson County but relinquished the position to run unsuccessfully in the nonpartisan election for mayor held on November 5, 2002.[7]
In 2008, Ackerson came out of political retirement to win the District 18 seat on the Louisville Metro Council. He defeated Ellen L. Reitmeyer, a figure in the local Republican Party, for the right to succeed the retiring council member Julie Raque Adams. Reitmeyer had been a legislative aide to Adams. The Democratic candidate for the seat, Mike Perkins, cited a lack of funding and withdrew to leave Ackerson without opposition. From 2009 to 2012, he served alongside his son, attorney Brent Thomas Ackerson, a Democrat, who represented District 26 on the Metro Council. Brent and his brother, Marc Alan Ackerson, are sons by Jon Ackerson's former wife from whom he was divorced, the former Patricia Ormerod (1944-2012). She is interred beside her family at Evergreen Cemetery in Louisville.[8]
Ackerson's second wife is Kay B. Ackerson, formerly Kay Meurer, the former wife of businessman Gerald Meurer. She is a [[real estate broker who earlier served for three terms on the Jeffersontown City Council.[9] Early in his term on the Metro Council, Ackerson became the subject of media interest when his office aide, Sherlon R. Worthington, abruptly left the position after having accused Mrs. Ackerson of interfering with her own duties. Worthington wrote that Mrs. Ackerson "came in my office and asked me what my problem was. I told her she was my problem."[10]
From 2004 to 2007, Ackerson was a director of the Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance Authority during the administration of Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher.[11] Ackerson is considered a Moderate Republican, but he supported conservative-libertarian Rand Paul for the United States Senate in 2010. In 2011, Ackerson endorsed the reelection of Democratic Governor Steve Beshear for a second term. Beshear unseated Fletcher in the 2007 campaign. Beshear subsequently appointed Ackerson to represent employers on the Unemployment Insurance Commission for a term extending from January 1, 2013, to October 26, 2016.[12]
In 2012, Ackerson lost his primary election for the Metro Council seat by 37 votes (1,306 to 1,269) to Marilyn Parker, a favorite of the Tea Party movement, who subsequently carried the general election as well. Like Ackerson, Parker supported Paul for the Senate in 2010. Ackerson had formerly attended Tea Party meetings and expressed surprise that the group had moved against him in favor of Parker.[9]
Ackerson and his wife retired to Punta Gorda, near Sarasota in southwest Florida.
References
- â Jon W Ackerson, 79 - Punta Gorda, FL (mylife.com), accessed March 18, 2023.
- â Jon W. Ackerson. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved on March 20, 2023.
- â Robert Louis Ackerson. Findagrave.com. Retrieved on March 20, 2023.
- â Jon W. Ackerson. intelius.com. Retrieved on March 20, 2023.
- â Park City Daily News, Barren County, Kentucky, January 13, 1982.
- â John Cheves (January 20, 2012). Kathy Stein isn't the first Kentucky state senator whose district was moved. The Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved on February 7, 2016; under pay wall.
- â Jon Ackerson for Mayor of Jeffersontown. kref.ky.gov (April 10, 2002). Retrieved on February 7, 2016.
- â Patricia Ackerson obituary. The Louisville Courier-Journal]] (January 10, 2012). Retrieved on Mrch 20, 2023.
- â 9.0 9.1 Jacob Conway (December 7, 2011). Moderate Jon Ackerson ready for challenge from Tea Party activist Marilyn Parker in GOP primary. insiderlouisville.com. Retrieved on February 10, 2016.
- â "Aide Resigns Angry from Ackerson's Office," The Ville Voice: A Critical Take on Louisville News, April 21, 2009.
- â "Governor Ernie Fletcher Appoints Former Legislator to the Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance Authority Board of Directors," migration.kentucky.gov, November 17, 2004.
- â Governor Beshear makes appointment to Boards and Commissions. migration.kentucky.gov (December 21, 2012). Retrieved on February 7, 2016; material no longer on-line.