David Gibson

David Gibson is a retired educator with nearly 3 decades of experience in Kentucky public schools, including nine years as a superintendent. Known for his leadership in rural school transformation, he previously led Paintsville Independent Schools to national recognition with a National Blue-Ribbon Award and raised over $5 million for a K–12 Economic Development and Entrepreneurial Center through bipartisan collaboration. As the first superintendent to lead Breathitt County Schools during state management, he successfully began the process of turning around the county, earning the district’s high school a “Distinguished” rating and restoring financial and public trust. Throughout his career, David has championed student-centered innovation, career readiness pathways, and scalable solutions for educational equity and economic development across Appalachia. He’s passionate about using his experience in education to help his community discover all that Berea has to offer.

Fun Fact: David has never used an alarm clock (that includes cell phone alarms).

Counties Served: Bell (KY), Breathitt (KY), Clay (KY), Elliott (KY), Floyd (KY), Harlan (KY), Johnson (KY), Knott (KY), Knox (KY), Laurel (KY), Lawrence (KY), Leslie (KY), Letcher (KY), Magoffin (KY), Martin (KY), Morgan (KY), Owsley (KY), Perry (KY), Pike (KY), Wolfe (KY)