Tisa Monique Conway-Cunningham, daughter of Clara M. Cunningham and stepdaughter of James Samuel, was born on September 24, 1981, in Frankfort, Kentucky. She graduated from Franklin County High School in May 2000. Upon graduation, she attended Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky to pursue a degree in culinary arts. Due to unfortunate events, Mrs. Conway-Cunningham left Sullivan University a semester prior to graduating and went into the work field. In August 2009, she returned to school at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a concentration in print journalism in May 2015.

Her education focus began at Indian Trail Daycare as lead teacher for the three and four-year-old classrooms. She went on to work five more years in different capacities at two other daycares. Some of her positions included a two-year-old lead teacher, morning assistant manager, lead chef, and assistant night manager. Mrs. Conway-Cunningham also worked as a Supplemental Instructor for Kentucky State University’s Academics With Attitude(AWA) Bridge program for four years. This program admitted students who typically would not have been accepted into a college or university due to low GPAs or low ACT scores. The program provided these students with a structured setting that involved building relationships with other students in the program, going to their core classes, supplemental classes, and attending study tables in the evening. As a Supplemental Instructor, Mrs. Conway-Cunningham accompanied students to their core classes and their supplemental classes. This was first to be an example of model behavior in the classroom, and second, as a liaison between lead and supplemental teachers. This ensured that students were receiving cohesive instructions between their main classes and supplemental classes. Study tables in the evenings were also run by supplemental instructors for the students.

Mrs. Conway-Cunningham married Krystal Conway-Cunningham, on December 10, 2014. She recently earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies. In graduate school, she was a Graduate Research Assistant in the College of Agriculture, Food Science, and Sustainable Systems at Kentucky State University. For the past four years, she worked as an Instructional Assistant at Frankfort High School, where she taught students soft skills, study skills, test-taking skills, and how to navigate college entrance procedures. She is currently pursuing freelance work, writing the food column for Frank Magazine, and performing cooking demonstrations for the South Frankfort Farmer’s Market Food Share Initiative.