Biography
Steve Gold serves as the County Attorney in Henderson County, Kentucky. He is responsible for the prosecution of crimes; collection of bad checks, past-due taxes and child support; and he serves as legal advisor to the county’s governing body, the fiscal court. Prior to becoming County Attorney in 2008, Gold maintained a private law practice for ten years and served as First Assistant County Attorney for four of those years. He graduated from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Arts, cum
laude, and the University of Kentucky College of Law. In 2017, he received an executive certificate in Youth In Custody from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.
Steve has dedicated much of his life, both professionally and personally, to trying to create better futures for young people.
With a focus on positive,
effective reform of the juvenile justice system, Gold was instrumental in the
conception and implementation of a Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice
pilot project which drastically reduced the number of juvenile court petitions in the
county through early intervention, front-loading services to
youths, and the creation of a Victim-Offender Conferencing (Restorative
Justice) Program. In recognition of his work with the successful pilot project,
he was asked by the Kentucky County Attorney’s Association to serve on the
state legislature’s 2013 Unified Juvenile Code Task Force to recommend
state-wide reforms to the legislature.
In 2014, he was nominated by
the Attorney General and appointed by Gov. Beshear to serve as the
prosecutorial representative to the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council to
oversee the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Reform
Bill. In recognition of his ability to work across party lines, he was reappointed to that post in both 2018 and 2022 by governors of both parties. Gold was also appointed
to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court’s Juvenile Court Rules Advisory Committee and,
later, the Standing Committee on the Juvenile Court Rules. From 2013 to 2018,
Gold also served on the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice’s Subcommittee
for Equity and Justice for All Youth (SEJAY).
Steve is a founding member the Henderson Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board and is a trustee of the Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club. He also co-led the capital campaign which raised over $3.2 million to renovate the Henderson National Guard Armory to transform it into the permanent home of the Henderson Boys & Girls Club (Fidler Family Unit) which serves and develops hundreds of Henderson County young people.
Steve is currently a board
member of the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association, Inc., the nation’s oldest and
largest YMCA youth development organization. The group develops engaged
citizens and servant leaders, inspired to affect change in their school,
community, Commonwealth, nation, and world. Through experiential learning,
service, and community activism, the organization fosters critical
thinking, leadership, and social responsibility in teens.
In addition to his work on behalf of our youth, Steve is also involved in both professional and community organizations.
Steve has served as a board member of the Henderson Bar Association since 2023. In 2017, Gold was appointed to serve on the Kentucky Bar Association’s (KBA) Future of the Practice of Law Commission. As a member of the Kentucky
Consumer Advisory Council in 2002-2003, he worked with the Attorney General’s
Consumer Protection Division during the implementation of Kentucky’s No-Call
List.
In 2005-2006, Gold served as president of the Henderson Lion’s Club, an active civic group with nearly 100
members which provides for vision screening of children in local schools and
provides eye care for the indigent. He currently serves as First Vice-President of the Lions Club and is slated to serve a second term as President in 2026. Over the years, Gold has served his
community on many other non-profit and civic boards, such as the United Way of
Henderson County (Vice-President), the Ohio Valley Art League, and the Henderson
Tourist Development Corporation.
In 2008 – 2009, he participated
in the Delta Leadership Institute, a program of the federal Delta Regional
Authority designed to improve life for the residents of 252 counties and
parishes in parts of eight states. He is also a graduate of the 2007-2008 class
of the Henderson Leadership Initiative.
Gold
has served six years as chairman and over 20 years on the board of directors of the
Henderson Music Preservation Society, Inc., a non-profit corporation which
sponsors a “Blues in the Schools” program and the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue
Festival, one of the largest annual, free blues festivals in the nation.
Steve has received multiple recognitions and honors over the course of his career. The Kentucky County Attorneys Association recognized him as their Member of the Year in 2022. In 2020, the Green River Area Development District presented him with its Regional Legislative Leadership Award. Steve was honored with the 2015 Outstanding County Attorney Award by the Kentucky Attorney General. In both 2014 and 2015, the Henderson County Attorney’s Office was given an Outstanding Performance Award from the Kentucky Division of Child Support Enforcement. In 2016, he was elected President of the Kentucky County Attorney’s Association. In 2023, Steve was given the Henderson Lions Club's Highest Honor - the Melvin Jones Award- for his service to the club and to the community.
Gold, his wife, Holly, and their children,
Meredith and Nate, attend First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in
Henderson, KY where he serves as an Elder.