Laura Benningfield is an experienced educator with over 35 years of service in various educational capacities. For 20 years, she taught English and math to students from grades 7th-12th before moving on to become one of the first college and career counselors in the state of Kentucky. Laura then went on to become the principal of Taylor County High School and later the Director of Schools for the Taylor Co School District. She has also served as an adjunct instructor at Campbellsville University, teaching a range of courses, including English education, Freshmen Writing, Dual Credit English, and co-teaching masters courses for CU's Grow Your Own Leaders Principal Program.

Currently, Laura serves in various roles at GRREC with her main focus being with the Elevate Academy Rank Change Program. With Elevate Academy, Laura serves as the Content Advisor for all candidates in the program. She leads the Deeper Learning and Educational Leadership cadres and is a facilitator for specialized cohorts. Laura is also a certified MHFA instructor and has led numerous mental health first aid trainings around the state.

In her free time, you can usually find Laura playing with her dog Mojo, fiddling with her houseplants, crafting, or listening to a podcast or the latest album from her favorite artist. If it’s warm, Laura is probably outside floating in the pool or messing in her flowers. Laura resides in Campbellville, Kentucky, with her husband Ron and her dog Mojo, and they are blessed with two adult daughters, Jilly and Chloe.

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