Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) recently received the 2025 James Bryant Conant Award from the Education Commission of the States. He was honored for “four decades of steadfast commitment to advancing higher education access, supporting increased opportunities for underserved students, and being a national leader of policy reform for student and economic success.”
In 2018, Dr. Thompson became the first African American and first native-born Kentuckian to serve as president of the CPE. Under his leadership, the state of Kentucky has narrowed its opportunity gaps, improved college readiness, and created a more inclusive, affordable, workforce-connected higher education system.
Dr. Thompson’s career in higher education began at his undergraduate alma mater, Eastern Kentucky University. He was a faculty member there for over 20 years and served as the university’s associate vice president for academic affairs. In 2009, he transitioned to the CPE, ultimately serving in roles such as senior vice president for academic affairs and executive vice president. During this time, he had a brief stint as interim president of Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution in Frankfort.
A first-generation high school and college graduate, Dr. Thompson earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from Eastern Kentucky University. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Kentucky.
