About NFWL

Representative Addia Wuchner (KY)

Elected Order Representative to NFWL Board

State Representative Addia K. Wuchner has been a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives since 2005. She is completing her second term representing the people of the 66th District in Boone County . She serves on the Education, Health and Welfare, and Economic Development Committees, Postsecondary Education and Families and Children, Tourism and Economic Development Subcommittees, Ohio River Task Force, and is a former member of the Banking and Insurance Committee and most recently was selected to serve on the Kentucky Adolescent Literacy Task Force.

She attended the University of Louisville and is a graduate of Bellarrmine University School of Nursing. Representative Wuchner holds an honorary degree from Thomas More, Doctorate of Humane Letter for her research and work in bioethics and culture and her expertise and participation in the area humanitarian and medical mission. She is continuing her studies at Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University , School of Bioethics , Rome , Italy .

Representative Wuchner has a background in health administration, corporate negotiations and strategic planning, and marketing. Her experience brings a different dynamic to the legislature with a focus on Kentucky 's economic future as well as her passion for education and health care policy. For many years Representative Wuchner dedicated her life to the health care profession as a registered nurse and a bioethicist. She served as the Director of Corporate Relations and Strategic Planning for the Health Alliance and St. Luke Hospitals. She has presented complex health issues at local and international conferences and before a U.S. Congressional Committee. Representative Wuchner is a member of the Board of Directors of Boone County Success By Six, Boone County CASA Board, Northern Kentucky Tourism and Visitors Bureau, the Health Point Foundation Board, Representative Wuchner was the recipient of the 2007 Health Achievement Award by American Advocates for Health for her leadership to improve the health of Kentuckians. She is a graduate of the 2007 Class of Leadership Kentucky and a 2005 Toll Fellow (Quest for Excellence) alumna, which recognizes excellence in political leaders.

As a community leader on the Board of Directors of the Success by Six Program for Boone County , Representative Wuchner was instrumental in designing the concept and vision that resulted in Boone County Success by Six securing a $719,000 Early Learning Opportunity Grant, the first to be awarded in Kentucky . This model program addresses the health, school readiness, and education issues of children from birth to age six.

Committed to focusing on strategies and public policies to assure all children are born healthy, remain healthy, are nurtured, and are prepared to succeed in school, Representative Wuchner filed model legislation in 2006, the "Ready, Set, Success Act," which was adopted for by Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family.

In 2007 initiated legislation ( HB 299) committed to improving the health and welfare of Kentucky 's elementary and middle school children in public schools. She continues that effort with the "Health Kids Act 2008," introduced in this 2008 Legislative Session (HB34) . In May of this year, she helped launch Fit Boone and Boone on the Move as part of Leaders on The Move and her continued commitment to combat childhood obesity and increase physical activity in her home community.

In 2006 Representative Wuchner successfully incorporated her proposed child pornography legislation into the Kentucky 's sex offender legislation, changing State law - increasing child pornography from a misdemeanor to a class D felony.

She has been a dynamic force in bringing attention to the school funding inequities, sponsoring legislation that was adopted into the Executive Budget in the 08 session resolved the issue that has cost school districts hundreds of thousands over the years. She also has filed House Bills 269, HB 270 that would keep excess SEEK funding in education and secure it from being moved into the general fund and a measure to allow growth district to utilize unrestricted funds for land acquisition and opening a new school.

In past years Representative Wuchner has served the people of Northern Kentucky as Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore's designee on the Northern Kentucky Independent Health District Board of Directors, a Fiscal Court appointee to the Boone County Health Department, and as the Chair of the Northern Kentucky Character Development and Education Coalition. Representative Wuchner is a member of the Northern Kentucky University Newman Center Advisory Board.

Representative Wuchner has ventured where many would hesitate to travel as founder and director of Project Wings of Mercy, conducting humanitarian aid and medical missions to war torn Bosnia during the 1992-1995 conflict. She also served as regional liaison with Helping Hands Medical Missions and participated in missions in Haiti and Mexico .

In 1998 she served as a US delegate to the Pontific Conference on Women's Health in Rome . She was a member of one of Kentucky 's first medical response teams in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, and in 2006 she served as honorary chair of the Summit on the Economic Status of Kentucky Women.

Aside from her legislative and civic duties, Dr. Wuchner is a national and international speaker. She speaks on a range of topics including bioethics, culture, women, health and wellness issues facing the family and children, complexities of the human genome, beginning and end of life ethics, stem cell research, war and human genocide, reproductive technology, , health care and insurance reform. Addia presents a series of Saturday morning mini retreats for Women - "Faith Lifts with Addia - Better than A Botox Brunch" , "Ester and the Rest of the Handmaidens of the Lord", "Communication- Her Hearts Speaks and His Head Hears".

Diagnosed with breast cancer in October 06 Addia has added to her list of presentations, "Not Just Fighting and Surviving but Thriving" and "Joy in the Shadow of the Cross". At the 2008 Relay for Life- Wuchner's Team of Champions for a Cure will be donning pink boxing gloves as they walk to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer and childhood cancers.

Representative Wuchner, originally from Jefferson County , has lived in Northern Kentucky for over twenty-two years. Addia and her husband Jan have three adult children and six grandchildren, including a set of identical twins. Additional members of the Wuchner family, JACK and JILL are two wonderful draft horses. The Wuchners drive the team of draft horses in local parades, "just by the names they came with- they were meant for children" and since she can not drive them to Frankfort , they work as part of an equine therapy team for special needs children and adults.