Roger T. "Tucker" Daniel fully expected to be among some of Kentucky's most powerful and respected Republican officials when he attended the recent 66th Annual Lincoln Day Banquet in Corbin.

He didn't expect to be enshrined into the Fifth District Lincoln Club's Hall of Fame, an honor which places him in the esteemed company of many past and present Kentucky political luminaries, including the late Gov. Louie B. Nunn, legendary Sen. John Sherman Cooper, Republican National Committee General Counsel Mike Duncan, and Larry Forgy, who nearly became governor in 1995.

Daniel serves as Johnson County's judge-executive and also chairs the Board of Directors of the Hazard-based Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). He said his induction into the longtime political club's Hall of Fame took him by surprise. Everybody, including U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers and much of Daniel's family, was in on the secret-except him, Daniel said.

"I thought it was just a banquet," he said with a laugh. "I don't think I realized what was going on until Congressman Rogers started reading my bio.

"It's a humbling experience to think of some of the people on that list, and the contributions they made when they were in public service," Daniel said. "I think what I've done in my five years in office pales in comparison, but it's obviously a tremendous honor that I'm proud to have."

Speaking during the March 6 event to a crowd that included current Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher and U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, Rogers said Daniel's reputation for promoting honesty and a strong work ethic in local government makes him worthy of being honored among the state's leading Republicans.

During his tenure as judge-executive, Daniel has instituted measures that allowed Johnson County's property tax collections to surge from 84 percent to 97 percent. The change, Daniel said, continues to bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenue to the county's health department, library, schools, and local government. State auditors also recently declared Johnson County to be in the best financial shape in its history, he added. Voters rewarded Daniel's efforts by electing him to a second term in 2002, making him the first Johnson County judge-executive to ever be re-elected.

"It's not rocket science," Daniel said. "It's about taking a common-sense approach to government."

Besides being a great honor tied to his service as judge-executive, Daniel said his inclusion in the Lincoln Club's Hall of Fame provides him the opportunity to remain connected to Gov. Fletcher and the state's Republican leadership in Frankfort and Washington, D.C. As chairman of EKCEP's Board of Directors, that connection can aid EKCEP in its continuing mission to provide its nationally-recognized job training and retraining programs and employer services to the 23 eastern Kentucky counties it serves.

"Having those contacts and being recognized like this certainly makes things easier. If you're on friendly terms with a good number of the folks in leadership and the administration, people take your calls and doors do open easier," he said. "I'm hopeful these contacts will help EKCEP by helping to make sure more of our programs stay funded, make sure our message is heard and make sure proper consideration is given to the things we're trying to do."

EKCEP Executive Director Mable Duke echoed Daniel's sentiments.

"As budgets are shaped and funding priorities are established, it's important to have a person from within our own ranks to help speak to those in positions of leadership on behalf of EKCEP," Duke said. "Mr. Daniel's being publicly recognized by some of those key leaders can only help strengthen those connections, and we are certainly proud to have him as our board chairman."