Meet Max

An Eastern Kentuckian by birth and a proud Louisvillian by choice, Max Morley is ready to step up and be a new voice of leadership in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Working to protect public education, support our Kynect healthcare choices, and lead with civility and respect, Max knows our community deserves a place at the table to make sure Frankfort doesn’t turn back the clock on our families.

Max is the son of two public high school teachers in Pikeville and owes everything to the public education Kentucky has provided him. A graduate of the University of Louisville and former Mr. Cardinal, Max was a member of the prestigious McConnell Scholars program, which recruits and retains some of Kentucky’s most promising young people to stay in the Commonwealth and help move it forward.

After graduating from U of L with degrees in Political Science and Strategic Communications, Max moved to Memphis to begin his career in public education with Teach for America. In Memphis, Max taught English and Social Studies at Southern Avenue Middle School, a low-income, high-need school in the heart of the city. This first experience in the classroom inspired a dedication to and passion for public education and brought to light the need for leaders to stand up to protect students and teachers from those dead set on dismantling it.

In 2016, Max continued his career in the Jefferson County Public Schools system, teaching middle school English and Social Studies at several schools, including his lengthiest stint at Ramsey Middle School. Teaching students with the same care and respect he was shown as a student, Max increased student achievement by 55% in his second year at JCPS.

An advocate for better funding and programming for students and teachers alike, Max was elected to the Board of Directors of both the Jefferson County Teachers Association and the Kentucky Education Association. Continuing his education and advocacy work, Max earned a Master’s in Public Affairs from the Truman School at the University of Missouri.

Between his time in the classroom, Max has worked on several high-profile political races, both as a professional and volunteer, and has worked for the Kentucky Democratic Party as a Precinct Captain and Statewide Volunteer Coordinator. In this role he put his organizing skills to use to help advance candidates committed to education, labor, and fairness.

Max and his wife Emalee are also members of a “Global Family,” and hosted a foreign exchange student named Joy from Frankfurt, Germany who attended Eastern High School. Emalee works at the Leadership Louisville Center and serves on the Board of the Jefferson County Democratic Party Executive Committee, the Advisory Board of Kappa Alpha Theta International Sorority, the University of Louisville MBA Advisory Council, and the Metro United Way Community Impact Cabinet. Together, they live in the Klondike neighborhood.