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.

Fun fact about Ben: At 24 years of age, Ben became the youngest citizen to serve on the Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE).

‍