Meet Senate Leadership

Robert Stivers

Senate President

Senate President Robert Stivers was elected to the Senate in 1997. He represents the 25th District, which encompasses Clay, Jackson, Knox, Lee, McCreary, Owsley, and Whitley counties. 

President Stivers was elected by his colleagues to serve as Senate Majority Floor Leader in 2008, a position he held until being elected as Senate President in 2013.  As the Senate President, Senator Stivers represents the entire body of the Kentucky State Senate in any official state business. 

In 2015, President Stivers was honored by Governing Magazine as a Public Official of the Year for his work in the General Assembly. In 2016, he was named the Chair of the Southern Legislative Conference and in 2018 served as the Chair of the Council of State Governments, a national organization. The President currently serves as Chair of the Senate President’s Forum. 

President Stivers serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Committees and Rules Committee and the co-chairman of the Legislative Research Commission. Additionally, President Stivers is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Education Committee and was most recently appointed as co-chair to the Bourbon Barrel Taxation Task Force during the 2022 Interim. 

President Stivers was the Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney from 1989 to 1993.  He has served as a member of the Kentucky Appalachian Council, the Kentucky Appalachian Commission, the Early Childhood Development Council, the Governor's Council on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, the OxyContin Task Force, the Evidence Committee (University of Louisville Law School), the Corrections & Public Safety Task Force of the Council of State Government, the Fiscal Affairs and Government Operations Committee of Southern Legislative Conference, the Southern States Energy Board.

President Stivers was born on December 24, 1961.  He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in industrial management and a minor in economics. He earned his law degree from The University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and is a practicing attorney in Manchester.  He is married to Regina Crawford Stivers and between the two of them, has seven children and 10 grandchildren. 

David Givens

Senate President Pro Tempore

Senator David Givens (R-Greensburg) was elected to the Kentucky State Senate in 2008 and represents the 9th District comprising Allen, Barren, Green, Metcalfe, Monroe, and Simpson counties.

He serves as the Senate President Pro Tempore and is co-chair of the Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity as well as the Emergency Medical Services Task Force.  Senator Givens is a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Appropriations and Revenue, Agriculture, Education, and Health and Welfare. Additionally, Senator Givens is a member of the Legislative Research Commission, the Rules Committee, and the Committee on Committees.

Senator Givens is a managing partner of Central Farmers Supply in Greensburg.  He and his family raise corn and soybeans on their 150-acre farm in Green County. He also is an Elder at Ebenezer Presbyterian Church.

Senator Givens was born in December, 1966 in Pulaski County, Kentucky. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Arts in Communication from Western Kentucky University. 

Senator Givens is married to Laurie Kidd Givens, the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.  Their combined family of five children is the source of their greatest pride.  Hannah Givens coaches volleyball at Lynchburg University (Va.).  Kathleen Dudgeon is a law school student at the University of Kentucky.  Matthew Givens recently completed his undergraduate degree at Western Kentucky University.  Tate Dudgeon is progressing on his undergraduate studies at William and Mary (Va.). Michael Givens is working on his undergraduate degree at Georgetown University (Washington, DC).  Laurie and David make their home in Frankfort and Greensburg.

Max Wise

Senate Majority Floor Leader

Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, represents the 16th Senate District, including Adair, Allen, Metcalfe, Monroe, and Taylor Counties and eastern Warren County. He serves as Senate Majority Floor Leader.

Wise is a member of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee, Senate Education Committee, and Senate Families and Children Committee. As part of Senate Leadership, he also serves on the Legislative Research Commission, Rules Committee, and Committee on Committees.

Wise has been at the forefront of transformative legislation. He championed Kentucky's model school safety framework, spearheaded reforms to pharmacy benefit managers, and played a key role in advancing Senate priority legislation in 2022, including SB 1 (Name, Image, and Likeness) and SB 6 (Teaching American Principles Act).

During the 2024 Interim, Wise co-chaired the Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force, which examined Kentucky's workforce participation challenges and submitted findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission. The task force proposed targeted solutions to address barriers such as childcare, transportation, and licensing requirements while enhancing apprenticeship programs and marketing Kentucky as a destination for families and businesses. These recommendations may be considered during the 2025 Legislative Session.

Wise is involved in several caucuses, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, South Central Kentucky, Pro-Life, Kentucky History, Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperatives, Engage and Empower, and Kentucky Sportsmen’s Caucuses.

In addition to his legislative work, Wise teaches graduate-level courses in terrorism studies, intelligence, and intelligence analysis at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky.

Wise holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in political science and history from Campbellsville University and a Master of Arts in international politics and national security from the University of Kentucky Patterson School. He also earned an advanced certificate in homeland security from the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University.

Sen. Wise resides in Campbellsville with his wife, Dr. Heather Wise, a pediatric dentist, and their four children.

Robby Mills

Senate Majority Caucus Chair

Senator Robby Mills (R-Henderson) represents Kentucky's 4th District, which includes Henderson, Hopkins, Union, and Webster counties. He was elected as the Senate Majority Caucus Chair in November of 2024.

As a Senate majority leadership member, Mills serves on the Legislative Research Commission, the Committee on Committees, and the Rules Committee. He is a member of the Senate Family and Children; Natural Resources and Energy; and State and Local Government committees.

Additionally, he is active in several legislative caucuses, including the Affordable Housing, Tennessee Valley Authority, Western Kentucky, and Pro-Life Caucuses.

Before his election to the State Senate in 2019, Mills represented the 11th District in the State House from 2017 to 2018 and was a Henderson City Commissioner from 1998 to 2016.

A graduate of Oral Roberts University with a BS in Business Management, Mills is a proud Kentucky small business owner. He resides in Henderson with his wife of over 30 years, Vickie. They have three adult children, Caleb, Chelsea, and Noah, and are grandparents to Halle Ruth.

Mike Wilson

Majority Whip

Senator Mike Wilson (R-Bowling Green) represents the 32nd District which includes Warren, Logan, Simpson and Todd Counties. He was elected as the Senate Majority Caucus Whip in September of 2017 and was just recently reelected in 2022.  

As a Senate majority leadership member, Wilson serves on the Legislative Research Commission, the Committee on Committees, and the Rules Committee. He is a member of the Senate Agriculture; Economic Development, Tourism and Labor; Education; Transportation; and Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection committees. He also serves as Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee and Public Pension Oversight Board member. Wilson recently served as a 2022 Interim Early Childhood Education Task Force member.

Mike was born in New Albany, Mississippi and grew up in Memphis, TN. In December of 1972, he joined the United States Marine Corps serving his country for 8 ½ years. Upon his honorable discharge from the Marines in July of 1981 he attended college at California State University at Fullerton and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. During his college years, Mike served with Campus Crusade for Christ as a volunteer leader and was an Associate Staff Member for their Student Venture High School Ministry at Anaheim High School and Magnolia High School Campuses in Anaheim, California. He served as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Magnolia High School Football Team as well as the Team Chaplain. 

Upon graduation, Mike worked for the largest personal lines insurance broker in Southern California starting his career as a sales agent and working his way up to branch manager for the company’s office in the San Fernando Valley. His leadership and management of over 45 employees within 5 departments helped turn an unprofitable office into one of the top earning branches in the company

Mike served as the Director of High School Ministries in his church as well as the Director of the Singles Ministry. In December of 1989 Mike was invited to join the staff of Calvary Chapel of South Bay in Carson, California where he served as the Administrator and As Executive Minister. There he managed a staff of 13 people and oversaw all ministries within the church. He was also responsible fora million dollar annual budget and oversight of all financial expenditures and accounting. While at the church he helped establish a Community Crisis Hotline and a Volunteer Clergy Ride-Along Program under the Police Chaplain of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department at the Carson station.

Senator Wilson moved his family to Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1993 where he helped establish a small church and worked with the local Christian Radio Station to start a community wide event known as Harvest Festival. In October of 1994 Mike began working for Bowling Green Community Broadcasting, Christian Family Radio, as the Promotions Director and Business Partnership Director. In September of 1997 He was selected by the Board of Directors to become the next General Manager of the radio station. Under Mike's leadership the station grew from one full-power radio station in Bowling Green to 3 full-power stations to include Owensboro and Glasgow, Kentucky as well.  Mike increased the community outreach and sponsorship of many community events such as the Community Impact Awards and Faith and Family Nights with the Bowling Green Hot Rods Baseball Team.  

Mike is happily married to his wife Cammie and they have six children, Michael Jr., Dawn, Sam, Grace, Jessie and Mary Catherine. Mike and Cammie attend Hillvue Heights Church in Bowling Green.

Mike owns a consulting company, The Wilson Group, LLC. He provides consulting services to businesses in the areas of management, marketing, and work force solutions. Mike is also very involved in the community as a member of The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Ambassador's Club.  With the Chamber he has served on the Agri-Business Committee and the Government Relations Committee. He has also helped develop a Police Chaplain Program for the Bowling Green Police Department and served as a Police Chaplain for a period of time. He has served on various boards in the community such as the Barren River Area District FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and The Bowling Green Area Prayer Breakfast.  Mike has served as President, Vice President and Secretary of the Greenwood High School Quarterback Club. Mike is very supportive and active in the arts and has appeared in numerous plays at The Public Theatre of Kentucky and with Fountain Square Players. Mike also serves on the Board of Advisers for Western Kentucky University.  He is a board member of The Fund for Transforming Education, a Commissioner on the Education Commission of the States, and a Legislative Advisory Board member on the Southern Region Education Board, SREB

Mike will tell you that the most important decision he ever made was in November of 1979 when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.  “It changed the whole direction of my life and my belief system about life.”   Today he realizes his life is about serving others, and that is what drives him on a daily basis.  He believes he is here to make a difference and wants to do that for his family, his friends, and his community.