The James Baker Hall Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of two distinguished individuals to its Board of Directors: Thomas Gaines and Bill Goodman. Both bring a wealth of experience and a shared passion for supporting Kentucky’s vibrant literary and artistic community. Their diverse backgrounds and commitment to the Foundation’s mission will help guide and strengthen ongoing efforts to cultivate and celebrate great Kentucky writers. The Foundation looks forward to the vision and leadership Thomas Gaines and Bill Goodman will contribute in the years ahead.

Thomas Gaines is a native of Lexington, Kentucky and was a former student of Jim Baker Hall and supports the JBH Foundation’s vision to foster and promote Kentucky writers. Gaines is the CEO of the KBC International KBC horse supplies, which provides support for the Equine Industry and was founded in 1989. Thomas is a graduate of Georgetown University (Ky) and serves on the boards of the Lexington School, the University of Kentucky Gaines Center for Humanities and the Breeder’s Cup organization.

According to Gaines, “One of Jim’s most remarkable contributions to Kentucky (and to the world) involved the time, care, and attention he dedicated to mentoring young writers. Jim never said ‘No’ to anyone who needed advice or his protracted time and attention. I can think of no better way to honor Jim’s legacy than to extend the same support to talented writers from the place Jim lived, wrote, taught, and shared his endless generosity with everyone he encountered.”

Bill Goodman is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Humanities Organization. Kentucky Humanities has been telling Kentucky’s stories for more than 53 years. As executive director, Goodman manages a staff who promotes the history and culture of Kentucky through their many programs — Prime Time Family Reading®, the Kentucky Book Festival, Kentucky Chautauqua®, Think History, Kentucky Humanities magazine, and much more. Goodman is a native of Glasgow and was a host and managing editor at KET for more than 20 years. In 2012, he received an MFA in creative nonfiction from Spalding University. In 2015, his book of essays, Beans, Biscuits, Family and Friends: Life Stories was published. In 2013, he was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, and he received an honorary doctorate from Lindsey Wilson College in 2015.

According to Goodman, “James Baker Hall was an incredible force of nature on the literary growth and cultural foundation of many Kentuckians. I am proud to be a small part of being sure that legacy lives on.”