MSU hosts speaking engagement featuring Gene Detherage Jr.
Morehead State University's Master of Public Administration program will host Gene Detherage Jr. (Class of 2017, 2020), a recovery specialist and two-time MSU alum, for a speaking engagement at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, in Room 221 at Rader Hall. The event will feature free food, door prizes, and time for a Q&A. It is free and open to the public.
An Appalachian Kentucky native, Detherage has dedicated his career to addressing the social and economic consequences of our region's substance use disorder crisis. He began long-term recovery from substance use disorder in July 2014. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in University Studies in 2017 and a Master of Public Administration in 2020 from MSU.
Detherage played a vital role in expanding access to recovery housing. Utilizing his MPA, he worked for former Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher from 2019 to 2022, helping expand access and quality of recovery housing in Kentucky's rural communities as part of the HRSA Rural Center of Excellence in Recovery Housing. He served on the Board of Directors for Frontier Housing and the state's Advisory Board for Recovery Ready Communities.
Detherage was elected president of the Kentucky Recovery Housing Network's Advisory Board, a statewide initiative to provide oversight and quality standards for recovery housing in Kentucky. Through this role, he provided expertise to Representative Samara Heavrin (KY-18) and the Kentucky League of Cities on HB 248, which passed the General Assembly in 2023 and was signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear on March 24, 2023. He then worked on HB 462 to further strengthen the recovery housing legislation with Representative Steven Bratcher (KY-25) in 2024, which also passed and was signed into law.
In December 2024, he was named NARR Advocacy Chair for 2025. Detherage currently works at Bluegrass Area Development District as an economic development specialist, helping to expand research on recovery and technological continuity of care solutions in the recovery support services field. He resides in Morehead with his wife, Kiara, and their two sons, Caleb and William.
"The Morehead State University MPA program provided me with deep and meaningful insights into the relationships that exist between nonprofit agencies and local, state, and the federal government. This knowledge has allowed me to bring practical application in helping nonprofit agencies achieve key policy goals in a variety of areas including infrastructure, social programs, and economic development," Detherage said. "Because of the writing and research skills I learned in the program, I have successfully participated in acquiring, implementing, and supporting over $6 million in grants in my career so far, as well as helped advise on state laws and regulations to improve the health, safety, and wellness of communities in Kentucky."
Detherage's accomplished career in public administration demonstrates how MSU's MPA program can support individuals in reaching their professional goals and contributing to the University's service region.
"More than anything, the program has enabled me to enjoy a middle-class life for myself and my family but has also firmly equipped me to be of service to others, which brings me a great deal of joy, purpose, dignity, and fulfillment," he said. "As a person in long-term recovery from substance use disorders, I'm very grateful that MSU and the MPA program supported me in pursuing my goals and enjoying a fully realized life in recovery."
For those unable to attend in person, Savannah Jackson (Class of 2024), graduate assistant and MPA student, will host a virtual live stream at https://moreheadstate.webex.com/meet/srjackson4.
Find out more information about the event by emailing Dr. James Masterson, department chair for the Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, Global Studies & Legal Studies, at j.masterson@moreheadstate.edu.
To learn more about MSU's Master of Public Administration program, contact the Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, Global Studies & Legal Studies at hpgl@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2655.
Photo: Gene Detherage Jr. (pictured here with his son, Caleb) will give a special presentation at Morehead State at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, in Room 221 at Rader Hall.
