Gov. Andy Beshear appointed Julie Pile and Diana Woods to the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) on May 30.
Pile, of Florence, will serve as an at-large member. She replaces Alvis Johnson, whose term has expired. Pile’s term will expire April 14, 2026.
Julie Pile
Pile’s dedication to K-12 education began more than 13 years ago when her daughter’s parent-teacher association (PTA) needed help with its website.
Now a well-known family advocate both locally and nationally, Pile has served in various volunteer and leadership positions with schools in Northern Kentucky, including as local PTA president. She currently serves as the co-founder and president of ParentCamp, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to family-school engagement. In addition, she is a member of the Kentucky 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 promogulated 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. She also will serve as an at-large representative. She replaces Claire Batt, whose term has expired. Woods’ term will expire April 14, 2026.
Diana Woods
Woods is a native of Harrison County and a lifelong educator. She 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,” said Woods.
Pile and Woods will not be able to attend the June 6-7 meeting in Frankfort. Arrangements will be made to administer the oath of office.
“We look forward to welcoming both Julie and Diana to the board. They will both bring valuable perspectives as a family advocate and a former superintendent as we shape our priorities for the upcoming school year,” said KBE Chair Lu S. Young.
