 Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) Vice Chair Lu Young, right, shares a laugh with KBE Chair Sharon Porter Robinson during a recent KBE meeting. Photo by Myles Young, Kentucky Department of Education, Oct. 2, 2025
Lu S. Young, vice chair of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE), has been elected to the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Board of Directors.
NASBE is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that elevates state board members’ voices in national and state policymaking, facilitates the exchange of informed ideas and supports members in advancing equity and excellence in public education for students of all races, genders and circumstances. Young will serve as the NASBE southern area director for a two-year term.
Young was appointed to KBE by Gov. Andy Beshear in December 2019 and was reappointed and confirmed by the Kentucky Senate in 2025. During her tenure on the board, Young also served three years as chair.
As a board member, Young plays an active role in statewide initiatives such as United We Learn, the Kentucky Portrait of a Learner initiative and the development of a new Model Framework for innovative assessment and accountability systems in the Commonwealth. She is widely recognized for her leadership in deeper learning, student voice and agency, and learner-centered redesign.
Young has dedicated more than 30 years of service to public education and continues to serve educators through her role with the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Education. Young is a clinical professor in UK's Educational Leadership Studies Department and chief leadership officer of the UK Center for Next Generation Leadership.
She began her career in education as a classroom teacher in the Jessamine County schools before advancing to the positions of director of curriculum, assistant superintendent and superintendent. She was superintendent from 2004 to 2013 and was named the 2012 Superintendent of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators. She concluded her public education career as chief academic officer for the Fayette County schools.
Young worked as principal research scientist for the education division of CNA's Institute for Public Research, which conducts research and analysis on domestic policy issues for government agencies.
Young holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in Spanish from Eastern Kentucky University, Rank I and superintendent certifications from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate in educational leadership from Northern Kentucky University. She is a graduate of Jessamine County High School.
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