Jacqueline Coleman (born June 9, 1982) is an American educator and politician serving as the 58th

lieutenant governor of Kentucky The lieutenant governor of Kentucky was created under the state's second constitution, which was ratified in 1799. The inaugural officeholder was Alexander Scott Bullitt, who took office in 1800 following his election to serve under James Garra ...

since 2019. She has worked as an administrator, high school teacher, and high school basketball coach. Coleman is also the founder and president of Lead Kentucky, a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

focused on education policy reform. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and career

Coleman attended Mercer County High School in

Harrodsburg, Kentucky Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbo ...

, where she played basketball. She enrolled at

Centre College Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819. The college is a ...

to study history, earned a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

in 2004, and played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Centre Colonels Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819. The college is a ...

. She earned a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

at the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one ...

in 2008, and was a graduate assistant on the

Louisville Cardinals women's basketball The Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team represents the University of Louisville in women's basketball. The school competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Cardina ...

team. After graduating, Coleman became a social studies teacher at Burgin High School in

Burgin, Kentucky Burgin is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, in the United States. Its population was 965 at the 2010 census. History What is now Burgin was originally known as "Cane Run." In 1874, the Cincinnati Southern Railway obtained a r ...

, and coached the girls' basketball team. From 2008 through 2015, she coached and taught advanced government at East Jessamine High School in

Nicholasville, Kentucky Nicholasville is a home rule city in and the county seat of Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,490 during the 2020 U.S. Census, making Nicholasville the 10th-largest settlement in the state. Since the late 20th ce ...

. Coleman ran in a 2014 election to represent the 55th district in the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...

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. Specifically, there was no Democratic candidate to win a race in the 55th district that day. In 2013, Coleman founded Lead Kentucky, a

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." 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. She became assistant principal at Nelson County High School in

Bardstown, Kentucky Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...

in 2017, a position she held until her resignation in November 2019, following her election as lieutenant governor. Coleman is a doctoral student at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...

, where she is studying educational leadership.

Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky

Elections

2019 Kentucky Governor election Andy Beshear selected Coleman as his running mate in the

2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election The 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2019, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Kentucky. The Democratic nominee, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, defeated Republican incumbent Matt Bevin by ...

. On November 5, 2019, Beshear was declared the winner of the election, making Coleman the lieutenant governor-elect. After the election, Coleman said she would focus on education and rural economic development as lieutenant governor. In addition to serving as lieutenant governor, Beshear tapped Coleman to be the Secretary of Education and Workforce Development in his

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

; though, she stepped down from this position in October 2021, saying that "seeing these commitments through requires a laser-like focus".

Tenure

Coleman and Beshear were sworn into office on December 10.

Personal life

Coleman's grandfather, Jack Coleman, played in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

. Her

father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

, also named Jack, served in the Kentucky House, representing the 55th district from 1991 through 2004. Coleman and her husband, Chris O'Bryan, announced her 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. Coleman also has another daughter, a former student she coached, whom she and O'Bryan adopted in December 2019, and is the stepmother to O'Bryan's two sons from a previous relationship.Women's basketball senior Young changes name to Coleman-O'Bryan
/ref>

References

External links

Official website of Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman

Beshear/Coleman campaign website
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Jacqueline 1982 births 21st-century American educators 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American educators Centre Colonels women's basketball players Kentucky Democrats Kentucky women in education Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky Living people People from Harrodsburg, Kentucky State cabinet secretaries of Kentucky University of Louisville alumni University of Kentucky alumni Women in Kentucky politics 21st-century American women educators