PRICHARD COMMITTEE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Job Titles:
- Community Schools State Coach
Andrea is a first-generation college graduate with a Master's degree in Child and Family Studies from Western Kentucky University and undergrad degrees from Eastern Kentucky University. She has spent her career educating families on how to become the best advocates for their children within the social services field and education. In her spare time Andrea enjoys spending it with her family on her small farm in Corbin, KY where she was born and raised. Andrea also enjoys woodworking and creating handmade wood crafts.
Job Titles:
- Community Schools State Coach
Job Titles:
- Director of Early Childhood Policy and Practice
Benjamin Gies serves as Director of Early Childhood Policy and Practice for the Prichard Committee. Ben is recognized as a champion in advocacy by the Child Care Advocates of Kentucky and is earning his Doctorate in Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University. Ben successfully moved several key early childhood initiatives through the Kentucky General Assembly and secured significant federal investment in Kentucky's early childhood sector. Ben is a graduate of Bellarmine University and the University of Louisville where he attended as a James Madison Memorial Fellow and led civic education at the McConnell Center.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President & CEO of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
Brigitte Blom is the President & CEO of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. She's been an education leader for over 20 years, spending time in both public service and professional public policy, maintaining a steadfast commitment to improving the quality of life for Kentuckians through increased education outcomes and opportunities.
Before joining the Prichard Committee, Brigitte was director of public policy for United Way of Greater Cincinnati with a specific focus on early childhood policy. Ms. Blom spent a decade as an elected member of the Board of Education in rural Pendleton County and is the former vice-chair of the Kentucky Board of Education where she served from 2008-2014. Ms. Blom has worked in policy, research, and advocacy on issues related to education, poverty, and state taxes and budgets - including work for universities in Ohio and Kentucky and for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. She holds undergraduate degrees in economics and international studies and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Kentucky Martin School.
In 2022, Brigitte received an honorary doctorate from the University of Pikeville and the Karem Award for Excellence in Education Policy from the Kentucky Board of Education. In 2019, Brigitte was recognized as one of 50 Notable Women in Kentucky Politics and Government, by the Kentucky Gazette, and in 2018, under Brigitte's leadership, the Prichard Committee received the 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. award from the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Fun fact about Brigitte: Her high school diploma was handed to her by an elephant!
Job Titles:
- Media and External Affairs
- VP & Director, Collaborative for Families and Schools
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Chairman / E.M. Ford & Co.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Communications & External Affairs for the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
Courtney Daniel is the Chief of Communications & External Affairs for the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. She has a proven track record in strategic communication, team leadership and stakeholder engagement. Her background includes directing integrated communications for nationally recognized campaigns, overseeing communication strategies at the Council of State Governments, serving as a communications and policy advisor for the Legislative Research Commission in Kentucky, and playing a pivotal role in policy and communications for the Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood. At the Prichard Committee, she spearheads a highly-skilled team that works to develop innovative communication strategies, enhance digital outreach, build strong relationships with key stakeholders, and effectively convey the Committee's mission and goals to a broader audience.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Western Kentucky University
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Vice Chair / National Center for Families Learning
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Wyatt Tarrant & Combs LLP
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Job Titles:
- Family Friendly Schools Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Secretary / Treasurer / Young and Wadlington PLLC
Job Titles:
- Grants & Finance Associate
Jamie Givens is currently the Grants & Finance Associate for the Prichard Committee. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Sociology from Western Kentucky University. She has over 20 years of experience including working in client relations, and public aid programs for those without health insurance. Prior to joining Prichard, she worked in the Workers' Compensation industry for over a decade, obtaining her state adjusters license and eventually working in management.
Jamie also has a passion for education and literacy for all children to have equal educational opportunities and resources. She has volunteered in the community in youth mentoring programs such as the Delta GEMS.
Jamie enjoys attending musicals, going to the movies, and singing in her church choir. She also loves spending time with her family and friends.
Fun fact about Jamie: Jamie is married to an educator who is also a DJ!
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Marcum Tennyson PLLC
Job Titles:
- Community Schools State Coach
Job Titles:
- Brand and Content Strategist
Kirsten is the Brand and Content Strategist for the Prichard Committee. With over six years of experience in Print and Digital Design, Photography, and Videography, she is the Swiss Army knife of the Communications Department. Before joining the Prichard Committee, Kirsten worked as a freelance designer for the Charlotte Center City Partners and interned at Tattoo Project advertising agency in Charlotte, NC. She earned her Associate's degree in "Advertising and Graphic Design" from Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. In her spare time, she enjoys rock climbing, playing with her dogs and menagerie of farm animals, and reading.
Fun fact about Kirsten: Kirsten has visited 47 of the 50 US states. She is missing New Mexico, Arizona and Hawaii.
Job Titles:
- Director for the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Board Member / Northern Kentucky University
Job Titles:
- Board Member / the Center for Rural Development
Melody joined the Prichard Committee staff in February 2000 as the Grants & Finance Coordinator. She was named Finance and HR Manager in January 2020. Melody's volunteer activities focus on education and civic organizations. She has served in a variety of roles on several PTA boards and has also served numerous terms on two school-based decision making (SBDM) councils. Melody is an active volunteer with her church and the Boy Scouts of America, Bluegrass Council. She attended Lexington Community College (now known as BCTC). Melody is the mother of four children, all who have graduated from public school in Lexington, KY.
Fun fact about Melody: She has a goal of traveling to all 50 states before she turns 50!
Job Titles:
- Director of Policy Research
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Communications Manager
Job Titles:
- Director of Early Childhood and Primary Education Policy and Practice
Job Titles:
- VP & Director, Philanthropy
Job Titles:
- Community Schools State Coach
Suzetta joined the staff of the Prichard Committee in November of 2007. Prior to joining the committee, she worked at the University of Kentucky Athletics Association for nine years and served as the Tournament Coordinator for an ATP tennis tournament in Lexington for seven years. She is a 2006 Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (CIPL) Fellow and has a BA in Education from the University of Kentucky. Suzetta has four adult children that all attended public schools in Fayette County.
Fun fact about Suzetta: She has a dog named Dolly Parton that also serves as support and confidant to Prichard Committee staff.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President & Director of the Center for Best Practice and Innovation
Todd is the Vice-President & Director of the Center for Best Practice and Innovation for the Prichard Committee. He has over 15 years of experience in education ranging from the classroom, to the state department of education, to a national nonprofit research and leadership organization. Before joining the Prichard Committee, Todd worked with the National Center on Education and the Economy helping education leaders across the country improve their systems at scale. Prior to that, he was the Executive Strategic Advisor for the Associate Commissioner of the Office of Next Generation Learners for the Kentucky Department of Education where he provided leadership for Kentucky's College and Career Readiness, Proficiency, Gap, and Next Generation Professionals strategic plans. Todd began his career as a classroom teacher in both Tennessee and Kentucky. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Milligan College and his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Community Schools at the Prichard Committee for Educational Excellence
Leveraging 13+ years in the education field, Travis Marcum is the Senior Director of Community Schools at the Prichard Committee for Educational Excellence in Lexington, Kentucky. Prior to serving in this role, Travis was the principal of Conkwright Elementary School in Clark County, Kentucky, and was named the 2022 Principal of the Year by the Kentucky School Counselor Association. To prepare for the principal role, he was a classroom teacher for nine years, a curriculum specialist, and an assistant principal. Travis aims to inspire and empower others to succeed in all that he does and is excited to have a hand in advancing equity and reducing barriers to learning across the great state of Kentucky and beyond. Travis resides in Madison County with his wife Karmen and their two children, Hudson and Mila.
Job Titles:
- Business Owner
- Member of the Board