Benham J. Sims, III 

Benham J. Sims, III graduated from Riverview High School in 1979. While at Riverview, Benham served as President of Young Democrats, and developed a passion for Political Science and Speech. Benham recalls that during, his first speech tournament, his hands shook so noticeably and his voice cracked such that other students looked away in embarrassment. However, just a few short years later, he was selected by a panel of Riverview teachers and administrators to deliver the graduation speech for the Class of 1979.

Benham graduated from Transylvania University. After graduating from Transylvania, worked one session of the Kentucky General Assembly as a Bill Analyst for the Senate Majority Leader Joe Wright. Benham entered the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. While at UL, Sims served on the National Mock Trial Team and as President of the Moot Court Board. Benham graduated law school as a two-year finalist in the Pirtle Washer Moot Court Scholarship.

As a prosecutor, Benham won statewide recognition for writing the Kentucky DUI Prosecutor’s Trial Manual. In recognition of Benham’s work, the Kentucky Attorney General Ben Chandler appointed Benham special counsel to the Kentucky DUI Task Force to draft the law for the 1996 legislative session. Later that year, General Chandler awarded Benham the Outstanding Public Servant Award by the Kentucky Prosecutor’s Advisory Council. In 1996, the Louisville-Jefferson County Fraternal Order of Police recognized Benham as the Prosecutor of the Year, and in 1997, Governor Paul Patton appointed Benham to the Jefferson District Judge. Later, Governor Beshear appointed Benham as a Special Justice to the Kentucky Supreme Court and to the Kentucky Lottery Board where he served as audit chair and vice chair of the Kentucky Lottery Board. Benham has also author and instructor for the Kentucky and Louisville Bar Associations (LBA), instructor for numerous police agencies, and the Louisville Jefferson County Crime Commission, the legislative committee of the LBA, attorney for the Kentucky Democratic Party, and as delegate to the Rules Committee to two National Democratic Conventions.

Benham has spent the last decade of his life advocating for passage of Kentucky’s expungement law. As a former Judge and prosecutor, Benham was one of the lead advocates before the Kentucky House Judiciary Committee. Benham was asked by the Bill’s sponsor Representative Darryl Owens to help draft and pass the expungement law. Bill 40 became law in July 2016. Today 91,000 Kentuckians are eligible to expunge their non-violent felony offenses and several hundred thousand Kentuckians can, for the first time, expunge multiple misdemeanor offenses.

Benham is married to Jefferson Circuit Family Court Judge Deborah Deweese. His stepson Patrick Moloney, graduated from the University of Kentucky and recently received a master’s degree in Sports Management and Administration from the University of Louisville. Benham’s son, Stephen Sims is a senior in Political Science at the University of Kentucky. Following in his parents’ footsteps, he plans on enrolling in Law School in 2019.

Ceremony- Gregory Waddell

For the first time, the Riverview High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Board presented its award in absentia. Due to travel limitations, Gregory Waddell, Class of 1979, received his honor at his home in Arlington, Virginia.

Greg Waddell graduated as valedictorian from Riverview High School in 1979.  Following his high school years which included stellar achievements in both academics and athletics, Greg earned a degree in economics in 1983 from Princeton University. After college, he headed off to Washington D.C. to work on Capitol Hill for Congressman Newt Gingrich. His next job on Capitol Hill was as an aide to Congressman Bill Goodling of Pennsylvania. Greg departed Washington D. C. just long enough to earn his master of arts in humanities degree from the Duke University Graduate School in 1989. With his masters degree completed, Greg  returned to Capitol Hill to work for Congressman Denny Smith of Oregon before joining the presidential campaign of George H.W. Bush. With a resume enhanced by the variety of experiences he had gained by working on both the House side of the Congress and in a presidential campaign, Greg was then hired to work for Senator Connie Mack of Florida. In 1999, Greg left his position on Capitol Hill to work for the IBM governmental programs office.

Greg’s connection to Riverview runs deep. His sister and step-brother attended Riverview, and his mother, Mrs. Charlotte Waddell Evans, taught in the English Department for many years.