Cowgill was the State Budget Director for former governor Ernie Fletcher who was picked to fill in while the Council searched for a full time President. Cowgill applied for the job and got it today, much to the dismay of Governor Beshear. Last week, in a letter to Council members, Beshear urged them to conduct a nationwide search for someone with distinguised education credentials, intimating that Cowgill doesn't have those qualities. Cowgill is a lawyer by trade.

Today, after the CPE voted Cowgill into the full time post, Beshear told reporters the Council appeared "more interested in bulldozing through the search process" instead of finding the most qualified candidate. Beshear said he was "very disappointed" with the CPE's decision. When asked if he thought Cowgill was a good choice, Beshear responded that "Brad Cowgill is a good person."

Here's the release from the CPE:

COUNCIL NAMES BRAD COWGILL PERMANENT PRESIDENT

(FRANKFORT, Ky.)--The Council on Postsecondary Education appointed Brad Cowgill as its permanent president in a meeting today in Frankfort. Cowgill assumes the duties May 1.
Cowgill became interim president Sept. 1, 2007, replacing former president Tom Layzell. Cowgill's current contract expires April 30, 2008.
Council Chairman John Turner said, "We are extremely pleased to offer this position to Brad. He has proven himself to be a very capable leader and has served with distinction during the past eight months."

Among Cowgill's accomplishments cited by Turner include leading a vigorous recommitment to the goals of postsecondary and adult education reforms by advancing a system-wide plan, issued in October, 2007, to "Double the Numbers" of college graduates in the state by 2020. The goals and objectives of the plan were the focus of a "performance based" budget request for postsecondary and adult education, drafted within 65 days following Cowgill's arrival to the Council.

Also under Cowgill's leadership, the Council convened the Kentucky Adult Learner Initiative, funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education. The initiative will create a comprehensive framework for adult learner policies and increase the responsiveness of postsecondary institutions to the needs of adult learners. A related initiative, Project Graduate, launched last fall and is a system-wide effort to re-enroll students with 90 or more credit hours.
Cowgill said that he is looking forward to serving the commonwealth as president of the Council. "I am very grateful for this opportunity. I pledge to work hard to maintain the momentum toward meeting the goals of postsecondary and adult education reforms," he said.

Prior to coming to the Council as interim president, Cowgill served as the state budget director. Earlier, Cowgill practiced law with Stites and Harbison, PLLC, where his practice was concentrated in corporate matters and commercial litigation, with emphasis on construction-related claims and clients.

Cowgill received a bachelor's degree in political science and economics from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
In recent years, Cowgill chaired the boards of the Lexington Community College, Saint Joseph Hospital, the United Way of the Bluegrass and the Continuing Legal Education Commission. For many years, he provided legal services and advice to the Fayette County Board of Education and its superintendents.