Rooster Booster, Sponsored by Brescia University to feature Dr. Aaron Thompson, President, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
Rooster Booster, Sponsored by Brescia University to feature Dr. Aaron Thompson, President, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
The Chamber will host its Rooster Booster breakfast this Thursday, September 4 at 7:30 a.m. at the Owensboro Convention Center (501 West Second Street). The program is sponsored by Brescia University. The featured speaker for the event will be Dr. Aaron Thompson, President, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. The program will also feature the announcement of the Leadership Owensboro Class of 2026.
Dr. Aaron Thompson
Dr. Aaron Thompson is a passionate advocate for higher education. As a first-generation college student from rural Clay County, Kentucky, he experienced first-hand the transformative power of a college credential. As President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, he works to ensure all Kentuckians have an equal opportunity to improve their lives through postsecondary education.
Before taking the helm of CPE, Thompson served as interim president of Kentucky State University; CPE executive vice president and provost; and faculty member and administrator at Eastern Kentucky University. He has extensive leadership experience within the private and non-profit sectors and is a highly sought-after national speaker. Thompson has authored or co-authored numerous books and peer-reviewed publications on diversity, cultural competence, first-year experience programs, retention, and student success, among other topics.
Thompson received his doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Kentucky, with an emphasis on organizational leadership. He earned a master’s degree in industrial sociology from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern Kentucky University. He also holds honorary doctorates from Brescia University, Eastern Kentucky University and Union College.
Reserve your spot now at www.chamber.owensboro.com
When the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph founded the Mount Saint Joseph Junior College for Women in 1925, they put their dedication to education into action. Always guided by the instruction of St. Angela Merici, the founder of the Order of Ursula, to “read the signs of the times and adapt,” they responded to the call to serve and provide co-educational courses for the men returning from World War II in addition to their female students. Then in 1950, at the request of city leaders, the sisters consolidated the two campuses onto the present site in downtown Owensboro and named it Brescia College, after the city of Brescia, Italy where St. Angela established her community of Ursuline sisters in 1535. Since that time, Brescia has grown to offer 50 majors and minors and be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and recognized by four leading academic accrediting and licensing bodies. With the addition of graduate programs in 1998, Brescia has held University status for more than 25 years and has offered online classes for nearly two decades. Today, Brescia’s commitment to higher education and lifelong learning continues to be unwavering. Thousands of alumni have taken the education they received at Brescia University and transformed their communities for the better. Teachers, doctors, social workers, business leaders, public servants, and more have carried with them the four pillars that make the Brescia Difference and continue to live out the mission of the Ursuline Sisters brought to Daviess County all those years ago.
This year we celebrate 100 years of making a difference -- here’s to 100 more!
