LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is looking ahead to 2023 as he details plans to build on his accomplishments during his first term. 

"We've been through a whole lot these last couple years," Beshear said during a sit-down interview with WDRB's Monica Harkins. 

The Kentucky Governor has spent the majority of his first years in office dealing with a global pandemic.

"I think we all feel both good to be back together, but I hope we also feel hopeful about what's to come," Beshear said. 

Just as COVID cases began to decrease in the state, two deadly natural disasters shook Kentucky to its core: tornadoes tore through Western Kentucky in December, and months later flooding devastated the eastern part of the state.

Beshear says he believes the best word to describe Kentuckians in 2022 is resilience. 

"I'm just really proud of Kentuckians, for everything that we have been through," Beshear said. "We could have kind of sat on our haunches, but we didn't. We pushed ahead. We accomplished so much this year."

The Governor's office says 2022 was the best on record for economic development, with at least $7.5 billion invested across the state and more than 13,000 full-time jobs created.

"We're breaking every economic development record in the books," Beshear said. 

A major project included breaking ground on the first hospital in west Louisville in more than 100 years.

One of the biggest challenges Beshear said he faced in 2022: teacher shortages. 

"We can't catch a kid up on math if they don't have a math teacher," Beshear said. 

That's why Beshear says he plans to continue to advocate for teacher raises in the new year.

"We have to do better this next legislative session," Beshear said. "We need to do it."

Kentucky's Republican super majority says it passed historic funding for education this year and districts had the choice to give teachers raises.

Beshear says in 2023 he also wants to push for universal Pre-K.

"It saves families about $12,000 a year," Beshear said, adding that it "also makes every child in Kentucky kindergarten ready."

Beshear says he doesn't intend to let politics get in the way of moving the state forward. 

"I believe, as governor, my job isn't to move a state to the right or the left, but to push all of us forward. We're going to do that."

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