The Governor Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame welcomed KEA members Jesse Brown from Glasgow Independent and Kimberlea Embry from Butler County High School into its ranks in December. These living legends are the newest additions to the 15th class of Hall of Famers along with the late Helen Russell and Donna Smith.

These distinguished individuals were chosen by a statewide selection committee and were officially inducted on December 1, at the Western Kentucky University campus as part of the 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony. Selection is made from individuals, living or deceased, who have spent a significant portion of their professional career in Kentucky and have made noteworthy contributions to the lives of children and youth in P-12 school settings.

Jesse Brown retired from Glasgow Independent Schools after 30 years of teaching high school history and continues to teach as a substitute for the district. Kimberlea Embry is a current teacher at Butler County High School where she has taught for 32 years and counting.

The Governor Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame was created in 2000 through a gift by former Gov. Nunn, who hoped to recognize the vital role that classroom teachers in Kentucky play in the education of young people and the positive impact education has on the state’s economy. WKU was selected as the home of the Teacher Hall of Fame because of its more than 100-year history in teacher education. WKU has consistently been one of the top producers of teachers, counselors, school administrators, and other school personnel in the Commonwealth.

You can learn more at https://www.wku.edu/kythf/.