Contact:
Mara Powell
mpowell@kyyouth.org
502-895-8167 X122

Kentucky Youth Advocates Announces Executive Director Transition; Dr. Shannon Moody to Succeed Dr. Terry Brooks After 21 Years of Leadership

Dr. Moody named as incoming leader, bringing nearly 15 years of experience at KYA

LOUISVILLE, KY — May 27, 2026 – As Kentucky Youth Advocates approaches its 50th anniversary, the Board of Directors announced today that Dr. Shannon Moody, currently KYA’s Chief Policy & Strategy Officer, will succeed Dr. Terry Brooks as Executive Director, effective July 1, 2026.

Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) is the leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to making Kentucky the best place in America to be a kid. As KYA enters this new chapter of leadership and approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027, the Board and staff remain steadfast in the organization’s mission to be the independent voice for kids.

Tom Emberton, chair of the KYA Board, observes, “I believe in the mission, the motivations, and the methods of KYA. That mission has been advanced aggressively and creatively by Terry for over two decades. I know that Shannon will continue our unrelenting focus on making Kentucky the best place to grow up.”

During his 21-year tenure, Dr. Brooks transformed KYA into the leading voice on kids in Frankfort and beyond, growing the operating budget and expanding the organization’s reach into communities and constituencies across the Commonwealth. This has led to significant reforms across systems that impact kids, including over 75 notable state policy wins and budget investments in education and school safety, health outcomes, juvenile justice, and child welfare and abuse prevention, including the creation of an independent office of the ombudsman. Since 2005, KYA has deepened its connection and collaboration with child-serving organizations, elected officials, and other stakeholders through the development of coalitions like the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children and the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement. The public presence of KYA has also significantly grown through annual events like Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol and enhancement of the Kentucky KIDS COUNT project.

“My tenure at KYA has been the call of my life. It has been the richest of adventures and has animated my brain, emboldened my heart, and inspired my very soul,” Brooks reflects. “When looking at the KYA landscape and this pending transition, we truly face a blizzard of opportunities and obligations when it comes to Kentucky’s kids.”

Dr. Moody brings extensive experience within the child policy sphere, working closely with advocates, individuals with lived experience, and lawmakers and other decisionmakers. During her tenure at KYA, Moody has been instrumental in engaging kinship caregivers, youth in the foster care system, parents, and professionals in identifying state-level policy and program solutions to address barriers to ensuring all children have the opportunity to thrive.

“I’m honored to step into this role and continue advancing the mission of an organization that has profoundly shaped me both professionally and personally. Having worked alongside this dedicated team and seen firsthand the power of data-driven advocacy, I’m deeply committed to building on the foundation of effective education and mobilization around issues impacting Kentucky kids. Together with our partners and the communities we serve, I look forward to expanding KYA’s impact, deepening relationships, and advancing meaningful, lasting change,” shared Moody.

The Board, Brooks, and Moody share the goal to leverage this transition into an accelerator for KYA’s diverse child advocacy portfolio. Efforts are well underway to develop the 2027 Blueprint for Kentucky Children policy agenda and annual Kentucky KIDS COUNT data report on child well-being. Additionally, there’s a deepened commitment to the success of the initiatives KYA backbones, including Bloom Kentucky, the Bounce Coalition, the Kosair for Kids Face It Movement, the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition, the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky, and True Up.

Learn more about Kentucky Youth Advocates and its statewide child advocacy work at kyyouth.org. 

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Kentucky Youth Advocates believes all children deserve to be safe, healthy, and secure. As THE independent voice for Kentucky’s children, we work to ensure policymakers create investments and policies that are good for children. Learn more at kyyouth.org.