# Coleman reappoints one member and appoints two new members to opioid commission **Published:** 2026-08-17T19:43:32.000Z **Source:** [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/17/coleman-reappoints-one-member-and-appoints-two-new-members-to-opioid-commission/) **Republished from:** [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/17/coleman-reappoints-one-member-and-appoints-two-new-members-to-opioid-commission/) (Authorized by publisher (with credit)) **Canonical:** https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/17/coleman-reappoints-one-member-and-appoints-two-new-members-to-opioid-commission/ By Melissa Patrick, [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net) · August 17, 2026  Attorney General Russell Coleman has reappointed one member to the state opioid commission and appointed two new members, each serving two-year terms. “For too long, Kentucky has been at the center of the drug crisis. But we are also blessed with some of the nation’s best leaders in recovery,” Coleman said in a news release. “It’s an honor to serve alongside the commission as we take on the drug epidemic in Kentucky and save lives.” Coleman reappointed Van Ingram, who is the executive director of the **Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy** and fills a slot representing the drug treatment and prevention community. The new appointees are Alex Elswick and Carrie Oser. Elswick, of Lexington, will serve as the voice for victims of the drug crisis. He is a co-founder of **Voices of Hope,** a recovery center in Lexington, which offers a variety of services to people struggling with substance abuse issues. Elswick also serves the **University of Kentucky** as an assistant extension professor for substance use prevention and recovery. He is also in long-term recovery from addiction. Elswick will fill Jason Roop’s seat. Oser will represent the research community. In July, she was named director of the **University of Kentucky** College of Medicine’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research. Oser was appointed by the University of Kentucky to fill Patricia Freeman’s spot. “Both Freeman and Roop decided to finish out their terms and not seek re-appointment,” according to the commission. The **Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission**has nine voting and two non-voting members. In addition to Executive Director Chris Evans, Ingram, Elswick and Oser, other voting members of the commission are Republican State Treasurer Mark Metcalf; Darren Allen, manager of Court Security, **Administrative Office of the Courts**, representing law enforcement; Dr. Allen Brenzel, medical director for the **Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities**; Von Purdy, a vice president of **Simmons College** in Louisville, representing citizens at large; and Debbie Rains, a long-time educator whose son died of a fentanyl overdose in 2015, representing citizens at large. Nonvoting members include Rep. Chris Fugate, R-Chavies (Perry County), and Karen Kelly, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th District. The legislature created the commission in 2021 to distribute the state’s portion of the now more than $1 billion in settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors, with half of the money going to the state and the other half going to local governments. The money is provided in installments. Since 2023, the commission has awarded 300 grants totaling $86.5 million to organizations throughout Kentucky focused on prevention, treatment and recovery work, as well as research and innovation. Another $52.7 million was dedicated to other investments, including Senate Bill 90 diversion programs and the ‘Better Without It’ youth prevention initiative. ## Sources - [Kentucky Health News](https://kyhealthnews.net/2026/08/17/coleman-reappoints-one-member-and-appoints-two-new-members-to-opioid-commission/)