Meet the staff of Kentucky Teacher
Joe Ragusa grew up in the Chicago suburbs and originally moved to Kentucky in 2019 to continue pursuing his TV news career. Ragusa has spent the last decade working in journalism, most recently as a political reporter for Spectrum News 1 Kentucky. Before that, he spent time in southern Illinois working as a TV and radio reporter. He graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2012 with a degree in Radio/TV journalism and a minor in political science. Outside of work, he loves going to concerts around Louisville and following all his favorite sports teams from Chicago.
Audrie Lamb is a lifelong Kentuckian. Originally from Mayfield where she attended Graves County High School, she now resides in Louisville. She graduated from Bellarmine University in May 2020 with a degree in communications and minors in political science and history. Drawn to community work, Audrie worked in the non-profit sector for a year before joining the Kentucky Department of Education. In her free time, Audrie enjoys reading, playing with her cat, trying new vegetarian dishes and planning her next adventure.
Wallace Caleb Bates grew up in Shoulderblade, a rural community in Breathitt County. He is a Breathitt High School graduate and holds an associate’s degree from Hazard Community & Technical College. Bates is currently studying communications at Eastern Kentucky University. He is a steadfast supporter of public education stakeholders. He also serves as a school communication coordinator with Aspire Appalachia, Inc., and is a former employee of Highland-Turner Elementary (Breathitt County).