Hometown: Cartersville, KY
Affiliation: Republican

Travis Brenda is a life-long conservative, an advocate of the 2nd Amendment, pro-life and believes in common sense solutions.

  • Protect Public Education
  • Enhance Our Communities through Economic Development
  • Address the Opioid Epidemic and Strengthen Families

Biography

I grew up in Lincoln County, graduating in 1992, and continued my education at Berea College. I graduated from Berea after completing student teaching during the Fall of 1996 with a bachelors degree in mathematics education. After college, I worked for 1.5 years at Dawahare’s in Richmond Mall, serving as a department supervisor and member of management. I continued working at Dawahare’s part-time as needed after I began my teaching career on February 1, 1999.

I am currently in my 19th year teaching at Rockcastle County High School. During that time, I was the advisor for the Student YMCA for 7 years. This included taking students to Kentucky Youth Assembly (KYA) and Kentucky United Nations Assembly(KUNA). I am currently in my 3rd year as advisor for the VEX Robotics team. I have also been a teacher member of the SBDM Council for over 14 years. While teaching, I have completed 2 degree programs at EKU; a Masters degree in Instructional Leadership (2003) and a Masters degree in Mathematics Education (2009).

In 2000, I married Judy Ellenburg, an Alabama girl that had found her way to Berea College. Judy graduated from Berea College with a bachelors degree in Economics, and later completed an accounting certificate at EKU. She works for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Berea. Because of her accounting knowledge and experience with campaign finance reports, she is serving as the Treasurer for my campaign.

Judy and I have 2 kids, Ashley and Benjamin. Ashley is currently in 8th grade at RCMS, and is an active member of the academic team, and played recreational soccer for 11 seasons. Benjamin is currently in 5th grade at Paint Lick Elementary, played soccer for GCMS during the Fall 2017 season after playing rec soccer for 10 seasons, is currently playing basketball with the Garrard County Youth Basketball league, and is looking forward to another spring baseball season with the Berea Youth League.

We live in the Cartersville section of Garrard County. In 2001, we were able to build our home on a lot from the farm that was the homeplace of my great-grandparents, Willie “Poppy” and Martha “Maw” Day. Throughout high school and college, I mowed and raked hay where our house now sits. Ashley and Benjamin are now the 5th generation to live on this farm.

I have attended Church on the Rock in Berea, formerly Dixie Park Full Gospel Baptist, for over 21 years. Judy and I actively serve in various roles throughout the church. For the last 4 years, I have served on the Financial Board, overseeing the budget and expenditures of COTR.

My parents are Raymond and Georgia Day Brenda from Cartersville. My grandparents are George and Joetta Day from Crab Orchard, and Doris Irvine from Stanford. Grandpa Otto Brenda passed away in 1969. I have one sister, Amy Brenda Sadler, who is a teacher at Rockcastle County Middle School. She lives in Berea with her husband, Rob Sadler, and 3 kids, Mikaela, Zack, and Karrigan.