Cate Gaddis Received Kentucky Board of Education Award
The award recognizes her leadership in a career program for students receiving special education services.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Special Education
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The Kentucky Board of Education presented the 2026 Kelly Award for Business and Partnership to Cate Gaddis. Gaddis, a vice president at RiverValley Behavioral Health, was honored for her efforts in creating the ASCEND program.
Why it matters
The Kelly Award recognizes effective partnerships between businesses and schools that improve student outcomes. The ASCEND program offers high school students in special education meaningful career exploration and real-world job skills.
The initiative served 14 students during its initial orientation phase and has drawn interest from 9 community businesses. Additional opportunities for the program are scheduled to open this fall.
The players
Cate Gaddis
She serves as the vice president of operations at RiverValley Behavioral Health and was the primary coordinator for the ASCEND program.
Kentucky Board of Education
This is the state agency responsible for overseeing public education and recognizing exemplary partnerships between schools and industry.
RiverValley Behavioral Health
This organization partnered with local schools to provide career exploration and job placements for students with disabilities.
Owensboro Public Schools
This school district initiated the job shadow program that evolved into the ASCEND career partnership.
Joseph W. Kelly
He was a former member of the Kentucky Board of Education who served from 1989 to 1998 and is the namesake of the business and partnership award.
The details
Gaddis collaborated with the Owensboro Public Schools to design the ASCEND program, which offers job shadowing and training opportunities. She managed the creation of in-house mentorships to train RiverValley Behavioral Health employees to support students with disabilities.
Timeline
September 2025: Fourteen students began the initial orientation session for the ASCEND program.
December 2025: All fourteen students graduated from the program orientation.
October 8, 2026: Cate Gaddis was presented with the Kelly Award at a Kentucky Board of Education meeting.
Culture Shift
The ASCEND program follows a pattern set by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act transition planning requirements by integrating professional career exploration directly into the high school experience. This approach marks a shift toward vocational integration rather than separate education tracks for students with disabilities.
The expansion of this partnership creates new, accessible job shadowing pathways for students currently receiving special education services in the Owensboro area. Local families should monitor school communications for upcoming enrollment opportunities for their high school students.
The takeaway
Effective school-to-work pipelines often rely on private entities taking an active role in training staff to support diverse student needs. Parents and community members can support these efforts by encouraging local businesses to learn about the ASCEND model.
What happens next
Additional ASCEND program opportunities are scheduled to open for students this fall.
Further reading
Learn more about local initiatives in the Special Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kentucky Teacher.
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