Volume 61, Issue 3
KEA Honors President Eddie Campbell for His Leadership, Dedication, and Unmatched Service to Our Members
As the final gavel fell on the 153rd Delegate Assembly, the Kentucky Education Association paused to celebrate a remarkable chapter in its history—a chapter led with heart, courage, and unshakable resolve and spirit by President Eddie Campbell. With deep gratitude and admiration, KEA offers a profound THANK YOU to a leader whose service has left an indelible mark on our union, our schools, and our future.
President Campbell has always been more than a leader; he has been a servant and a champion for public education and the educators who make it possible. From his earliest steps into union leadership to his final Delegate Assembly speech, Eddie has led KEA with humility, strength, and profound respect for the profession and its people.
In his own words, Eddie described his presidency as “one of the greatest honors” of his life—and it showed in everything he did. Over the past six years, he has guided KEA through some of the most challenging times in our history, from the heartbreak and upheaval of a global pandemic to natural disasters that tested the resolve of entire communities. And through it all, Eddie stood firm—not just as our president, but as one of us. He reminded us that educators are first responders to crises, protectors of hope, and relentless advocates for their students and communities.
Eddie’s tenure was marked not only by his calm leadership in turbulent times but also by bold, collective victories where the very future of our association and public schools were on the line. Under his guidance, KEA organized against dangerous voucher amendments, reclaimed our power after legislative attacks, and fought tirelessly to repeal unjust federal policies like WEP and GPO. These victories were not just political wins—they were declarations of our power, our unity, and our undying devotion to public education and educators. They were also the fruits of Eddie’s belief in people—his trust in members to rise to the occasion, to act, to lead, and to never back down.
Eddie’s rallying cry—“Promote, Protect, and Strengthen Our Public Schools”—isn’t just a slogan. It is a call to action that captures the heart of our mission and the soul of his leadership. He challenged us to uplift our schools, to defend them fiercely, and to build something even stronger for the generations to come. And when he asked gathered delegates, “Are you ready, KEA?” it wasn’t a question—it was a charge for KEA’s future.
Campbell has also been a great cultivator of leadership in his service to KEA and his profession, mentoring and empowering a new generation of educators to find their voice, step into their power, and carry the torch forward. KEA is stronger, more united, and fiercer because of the culture Eddie helped build—a culture rooted in solidarity, organizing, and boundless hope.
Behind every decision, every rallying speech, and every organizing campaign is a man who deeply loves his chosen profession and the people in it. Eddie led with empathy and integrity, always reminding us that our strength is in our members, our stories, and our shared purpose. He continues to give his all to this union—not for personal recognition, but because he believes in KEA, its mission and its members.
As Eddie closes this chapter, we celebrate a legacy built on courage, compassion, and community. We thank him for his mentorship, his steady presence, and for showing us what it means to “do what we can,” like the courageous little hummingbird he spoke of in his farewell speech at the DA. No act is too small when done with purpose.
“When all of us do what we can, when we all do our small part—when each of us takes flight like the little hummingbird doing what we can—the fires that threaten our public schools don’t stand a chance because all of those little drops of water combined together creates an unstoppable force of change,” said Campbell.
From all of us at KEA—thank you Eddie. Thank you for your years of service, your unwavering commitment to public education, and your unshakable belief in the power of educators. You have led with your whole heart, and KEA is better, stronger, and more united because of you.