Kentucky School Advocate
December 2023
KSBA will welcome several new members to the association’s board of directors following the completion of terms of six regional chairs. Regional Selection Committees, comprised of board members from within those regions, reviewed applications and put forward the regional chair candidates.
In total, six regional chairs will begin their three-year terms on KSBA’s 27-member board on Jan. 1. Regional chairs, in addition to their responsibilities as voting members of the association’s board, coordinate KSBA’s regional meetings each fall. Each regional chair’s superintendent serves as regional secretary.
Additional association members will be selected for board of directors’ seats in the weeks ahead. A special Selection Committee appointed by the association’s president conducted in-person interviews during KSBA’s Winter Symposium to fill four scheduled at-large vacancies. Members selected to serve will be subject to a vote of ratification during KSBA’s annual business meeting at the 2024 Annual Conference on March 2. Per KSBA bylaws, KSBA President Karen Byrd, of Boone County, will also appoint members to fill two remaining regional chair vacancies and a director-at-large seat which will become vacant on Jan. 1.
Meet KSBA’s incoming regional chairs
Second Region
Tom Bell, Christian County
Tom Bell has served on the Christian County Board of Education since 2014 and the last three years as chair. He previously served on the school-based decision making council at Millbrooke Elementary School and has been involved in various education committees, including the Christian County Education Coalition, Workforce Education Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and Partners in Education. Bell is a board member of the Jennie Stuart Medical Center, Boys and Girls Club and is a church trustee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in personnel management and a bachelor’s degree in theology. He is a self-employed insurance agent in Hopkinsville.
Fourth Region
Vanessa Lucas, Breckinridge County
Vanessa Lucas has served on the Breckinridge County Board of Education since 2011 and the last two years as chair. She is a member of the district’s Mission Vision Revision Committee for the elementary schools and is an active participant in fall festivals. Lucas is self-employed. She has held a seat as director-at-large on the KSBA board since 2019.
Northern Kentucky Region
Becky Burgett, Gallatin County
Becky Burgett served on the Gallatin County school board from 1992 until 2012 and then returned to board service in 2018. During her tenures, she has served as chair, vice-chair and legislative liaison. Burgett, a Gallatin County High School alum, is an ethics and compliance specialist with Procter & Gamble. She is a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and a long-time participant in KSBA’s training cadre. She previously served as chair for KSBA’s Northern Kentucky Region from 2011-2012 and served for several years on the board for the KSBA Educational Foundation. She is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership at Northern Kentucky University.
Middle Cumberland Region
Pat Hall, Campbellsville Independent
Pat Hall has served on the Campbellsville Independent Board of Education since 2009, currently as vice-chair. She previously served as chair. Hall served as chair of KSBA’s Middle Cumberland Region from 2014-2017. For the past eight years, she has been involved with Kids College and Junior Kids College at Campbellsville University in the areas of technological learning and photography. She is a past chair of the Taylor County Relay for Life and is a member of the community council for drug education and awareness. A retired educator, Hall holds Rank II certification in special education from Western Kentucky University and Rank II certification in business education from Campbellsville University.
KSBA salutes outgoing regional chairs
Six regional chairs complete their terms of service on the board of directors at the end of this month. We are grateful to outgoing regional chairs Diane Berry (Fourth), Bob Hutchison (Eastern Kentucky South), Megan Dames (Northern Kentucky), Jeremy Luckett (Second), Cindy Price (Middle Cumberland) and Brenda Rose (Upper Cumberland) for their many contributions to the association’s success and for hosting regional meetings in their communities. These individuals generously gave of their time and expertise on top of their commitments to their local districts.