Blair Skidmore is a Barbourville Independent school board member
Please share why you decided to run for your local school board.
Two of my classmates are senior administrators at the school and one encouraged me to run for an open position on the board. He felt my work and life experience would be a welcome addition to the board.
What is your favorite thing about serving on your local board?
My favorite part about being on the board is hearing the immense pride of our teachers as they report on the progress of our students, especially after the difficulties of the pandemic. We have many teachers who have been with us their entire career and, because of our small size, view the school as a large family. Students are greeted by name as they arrive at school and are well known to the staff by the time they graduate.
What activities do you enjoy doing outside your board work?
I enjoy spending time with my family and traveling, particularly when it takes me to places I've never been. I love to cook and experiment with fusion cooking of all varieties. I can also be found working on our family Land Rover which we use to tour land in Kentucky.
Name someone in your life you admire, or who inspired or helped you along the way.
I still admire my superintendent from when I was in school. He was also my battalion commander when I was in the Kentucky National Guard. I always admired his leadership and dedication. We recently had breakfast together at our old unit and it was great to catch up with him.
Name a book/magazine/website/publication/etc. that you would recommend to other school board members.
"The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids"
Please share something about yourself that most people may not know.
I come from a inventive and industrious family. My grandfather operated a coal company in Kentucky without the union for 40+ years. He felt that if you treated your employees well, they wouldn't need a union. I have a great aunt who invented the white cane for the blind. The family hickory business made a number of hickory products including golf clubs. They made the clubs that Bobby Jones used to win the first ever "Grand Slam" in golfing. Because of this, our hometown of Barbourville, Ky., was once known as the "World Golf Shaft Capitol".