Kentucky School Advocate
June 2023

Staff report

Gov. Andy Beshear has appointed former Boone County school board member Julie Pile (pictured at right) and former Campbellsville Independent Superintendent Diana Woods (pictured at left) to the Kentucky Board of Education.

Pile, of Florence, will serve as an at-large member until April 14, 2026. She replaces Alvis Johnson, whose term has expired. In addition to her board service, Pile is a well-known family advocate both locally and nationally. She has served in various volunteer and leadership positions with schools in northern Kentucky, including as local PTA president. She is the co-founder and president of ParentCamp, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to family-school engagement and a member of the Kentucky Department of Education’s United We Learn Council.

“It is an honor to be asked to be on the board,” Pile said. “I’ve had experience on the local level and a lot of what we do on the local level is promulgated by the state level, so to be able to have a parent voice input at the state level is really important.”

Woods, of Lexington, is a retired superintendent who will serve as an at-large representative. She replaces Claire Batt, whose term has expired. Woods’ term will expire April 14, 2026.

Woods, a native of Harrison County, was a teacher, principal and director of middle schools in Fayette County, and then became superintendent of Campbellsville Independent. In retirement, she has worked as a consultant with the Kentucky Center for School Safety and is a clinical educator at Georgetown College.

“As a native Kentuckian who received a great education in our public schools, I am very appreciative of the opportunity to work to ensure that current students in our great Commonwealth have the same experience,” she said.

Under state law, Beshear was required to fill both seats with women, one of whom needed to be a racial minority and one of whom needed to be a Republican.

Pile and Woods will be subject to confirmation by the Senate when the legislature convenes in January.