Kentucky community and business leaders are among the 19 new members named to the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence during its annual business meeting Thursday. The committee also elected the following new officers to its board of directors:
• W. Clay H. Ford, of Owensboro, was named chair of the Prichard Committee. He is a partner in EM Ford, a regional insurance and financial planning firm, and represents the fourth generation of Fords involved in the family business.
• Susan Elkington, of Georgetown, was named vice-chair. She is the president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky.
• Gwendolyn Young, of Lexington, was named secretary/treasurer. She is a CPA partner at Wadlington Young CPAs & Advisors.
Also joining the board of directors for a 3-year term are Elaine Wilson and Lonnie Lawson, both of Somerset, Julie Tennyson, of Paducah, Derrick Ramsey, of Lexington, and Dr. Jay Box, of Georgetown.
“With the leadership of these Kentuckians, the Prichard Committee will help Kentucky take the next giant leap to the top tier of all states for education attainment – and do so in this generation,” said Prichard Committee President & CEO Brigitte Blom.
Three Kentuckians were also designated as life members of the Prichard Committee: Becky Goss, of Nicholasville, Dennis Pearce, of South Carolina, and Pam Shepherd, of Versailles. This is an honor bestowed on those who actively engaged for 10 years or more in the Prichard Committee’s work to promote vastly improved education in the Commonwealth.
In honoring these life members, Blom said, “Thank you for your years of commitment to improving education. My commitment to you is that we will not let the early success in education improvement go to waste and that we will instill this important citizen-led effort deeply in the next generation.
Joining the Prichard Committee as new members are:
• George E Long II, Marshall County
• Ryan Salzman, Campbell County
• Bonnie Higginson, Calloway County
• Dr. Kate Akers, Spencer County
• Todd Holland, Graves County
• Tara Boh Blair, Montgomery County
• LTC (Ret) Terry G. Owens, Hardin County
• Edna O. Schack, Rowan County
• Rachel Watts Webb, Jessamine County
• Jennifer Carroll, Perry County
• Cassandra Akers, Floyd County
• Jeff Hawkins, Perry County
• Sharon Baker, Jefferson County
• Derrick Ramsey, Fayette County
• Kevin Fields, Sr., Jefferson County
• Dr. Jay K. Box, Scott County
• Rodney Henderson, Jefferson County
• Susan Douglas, Fayette County
• Tara Johnson-Noem, Kenton County
The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary.
Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
