Jacqueline Coleman

Jacqueline Coleman (born June 9, 1982) is an American educator and politician serving as the 58th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, since 2019. She has worked as an administrator, teacher, and basketball coach. Coleman is also the founder and president of Lead Kentucky, a nonprofit organization focused on education policy reform. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Jacqueline Coleman
58th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
Assumed office
December 10, 2019
GovernorAndy Beshear
Preceded byJenean Hampton
Kentucky Secretary of Education and Workforce Development
Assumed office
December 10, 2019
GovernorAndy Beshear
Preceded byDerrick Ramsey
Personal details
BornJune 9, 1982 (age 37)
Danville, Kentucky, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Chris O’Bryan
Children4
RelativesJack Coleman Jr. (father)
Jack Coleman (grandfather)
EducationCentre College (BA)
University of Louisville (MA)
University of Kentucky

Early life and career

Coleman attended Mercer County High School in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, where she played basketball.[1] She enrolled at Centre College to study history, and earned a bachelor's degree in 2004. While she attended Centre, she played college basketball for the Centre Colonels.[2][3] She earned a master's degree in political science at the University of Louisville in 2008, serving as a graduate assistant on the Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team while she was enrolled.[3][1]

After graduating, Coleman became a social studies teacher at Burgin High School in Burgin, Kentucky, and coached the girl's basketball team.[4] From 2008 through 2015, she coached and taught advanced government at East Jessamine High School in Nicholasville, Kentucky.[1] Coleman ran in a 2014 election to represent the 55th district in the Kentucky House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party. She lost the election to Kimberly King, a Republican, by over 30% in a traditionally Republican-dominated district.[3][5] Specifically, there was no Democratic candidate to win a race in the 55th district that day.[6]

In 2013, Coleman founded Lead Kentucky, a nonprofit organization focused on education policy reform. Inspired by Emerge Kentucky, the mission statement reads: "Lead Kentucky is a non-profit organization that recruits the best and brightest college women in the Bluegrass and empowers them to become the Commonwealth's next generation of leaders."[7] By focusing on leadership development of college aged women through emphasis on networking, finding a work/life balance, and overcoming obstacles (specifically in Kentucky), Coleman hopes that this program will empower women to take on roles that they may otherwise avoid.[8]

She became assistant principal at Nelson County High School in Bardstown, Kentucky in 2017,[3] a position she held until her resignation November 2019, following her election as lieutenant governor.[9] Coleman is a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky, where she is studying educational leadership.[10]

Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky

Elections

2019 Kentucky Governor election

Main article: 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election

Andy Beshear selected Coleman as his running mate in the 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election.[3] On November 5, 2019, Beshear was declared the winner of the election, making Coleman the lieutenant governor-elect.[11] After the election, Coleman stated she would focus on education and rural economic development as lieutenant governor.[12] In addition to serving as lieutenant governor, Beshear tapped Coleman to be the Secretary of Education and Workforce Development in his cabinet.[13]

Tenure

Coleman and Beshear were sworn into office on December 10.[14]

Personal life

Coleman's grandfather, Jack Coleman, played in the National Basketball Association.[2] Her father, also named Jack, served in the Kentucky House, representing the 55th district from 1991 through 2004.[3]

Coleman and her husband, Chris O'Bryan, announced their pregnancy during the 2019 campaign. Their daughter was born on February 8, 2020, making Coleman the highest ranking elected executive official and first lieutenant governor in Kentucky history to give birth while in office.[15] Coleman also has another daughter, Emma Coleman-O'Bryan, a former student she coached, whom she and O'Bryan officially adopted in December 2019, and is the stepmother to O'Bryan's two sons from a previous relationship.[2][16][17][18]

See also

References
  1. "Centre star Coleman applies experience to politics". The Advocate-Messenger. June 28, 2019.
  2. Ward, Karla (August 2, 2019). "'The newest member of Team Beshear/Coleman.' Lt. governor hopeful announces pregnancy". Lexington Herald Leader.
  3. Talerico, Kate (July 8, 2018). "AG Andy Beshear chose Jacqueline Coleman as his running mate". Courier-journal.com. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  4. Herald, Harrodsburg (July 10, 2019). "In the Know: Jacqueline Coleman – The Harrodsburg Herald". Harrodsburgherald.com. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  5. "Kentucky House of Representatives District 55". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  6. "Jacqueline Coleman has multiple exciting roles: mom, adoptive mom, educator, lieutenant governor | NKyTribune". Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  7. "Lead Kentucky Homepage". Lead Kentucky. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  8. "Raising Ms. President". Raising Ms. President. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  9. Phylicia Ashley (November 6, 2019). "Jacqueline Coleman, a teacher and coach, will leave the classroom after being elected Lt. Gov". Wave3.
  10. "Meet Jacqueline". Jacqueline Coleman. February 1, 2019.
  11. Ashley, Phylicia (November 6, 2019). "Jacqueline Coleman, a teacher and coach, will leave the classroom after being elected Lt. Gov". WAVE 3. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  12. Schreiner, Bruce (November 27, 2019). "Kentucky's next lt. gov: ex-teacher and education advocate". Associated Press. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  13. Moore, Robert (December 4, 2019). "Jacqueline Coleman Named Education Secretary". Harrodsburg Herald. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  14. "Kentucky's new governor officially sworn in at midnight, inauguration planned Tuesday". WDRB. December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  15. Kentucky Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman announces birth of baby girl
  16. Philpott, Amber (December 9, 2019). "Coleman looking to impact education as Kentucky's next lt. governor". WKYT. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  17. New start for Islanders basketball player with new family
  18. Women's basketball senior Young changes name to Coleman-O'Bryan
Party political offices
Preceded by
Sannie Overly		 Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
2019		 Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by
Jenean Hampton		 Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
2019–present		 Incumbent
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