Kentucky's Strategic Economic Development Plan
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Kentucky’s Strategic Economic Development Plan for the Delta Regional Authority Matt Bevin, Governor of Kentucky Sandra Dunahoo, Designee and Alternate February 2016 Kentucky’s Delta Region Since 1978, the Hickman-Fulton County Riverport serves as Kentucky’s only public port located on the Mississippi River. This port is located on the lower Mississippi at mile 922 in the Elvis J. Stahr Harbor. Having no locks south of St. Louis, Missouri creates a distinct advantage with regard to waterborne shipping costs. It is one of the transportation assets of the Kentucky Delta. The Commonwealth of Kentucky’s State Strategic Plan embraces the vision of the Delta Region- al Authority (DRA) in supporting new, creative, and innovative approaches to both community and economic development. The ultimate goal of this plan is enhanced well-being and quality of place for Kentucky Delta region residents, and increased investment and growth for both new and existing businesses throughout the region. A successful strategic plan also includes meshing Kentucky’s state-wide economic development strategies with those found in the Delta Regional Authority’s new Regional Development Plan III (RDP III) to provide Kentucky with a holistic guide for development. This guide is designed to address the strengths and weaknesses of the state’s economic ecosystem in order to maximize future success. 2 Table of Contents Plan Development Overview .................................................................4 Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement ..............................................5 Challenges and Opportunities: The State of the State............................9 Alignment of State Priorities with DRA Priorities ..............................14 Implementation Plan ............................................................................15 Investment in Kentucky’s Delta ...........................................................26 Delta State Resources Toolkit ..............................................................28 Kentucky’s DRA County Profiles Ballard County ......................................................................................30 Caldwell County ...................................................................................32 Calloway County ..................................................................................34 Carlisle County .....................................................................................36 Christian County ...................................................................................38 Crittenden County .................................................................................40 Fulton County .......................................................................................42 Graves County ......................................................................................44 Henderson County ................................................................................46 Hickman County ...................................................................................48 Hopkins County ....................................................................................50 Livingston County ................................................................................52 Lyon County .........................................................................................54 Marshall County ...................................................................................56 McCracken County ...............................................................................57 McLean County ....................................................................................58 Muhlenberg County ..............................................................................60 Todd County..........................................................................................62 Trigg County .........................................................................................64 Union County ........................................................................................66 Webster County .....................................................................................76 3 Plan Development Overview The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development has established the following priorities to set the state on the path for future prosperity. These priorities will guide the Commonwealth in reaching the goals and objectives of the RDP III. As the Cabinet’s plan, Kentucky’s Unbridled Future, points out: “Each goal contributes to the overall strategy’s aim of balancing recruitment of new industry with supporting existing industry and nurturing new industry; balancing urban needs and opportunities with rural ones; bal- ancing historically important industries with emerging ones; balancing the traditional image of Kentucky with the contemporary realities; and, balancing the needs for a business-friendly business climate with the needs of future generations of Kentuckians.” • Continue to create a more competitive business climate • Attract, develop, and retain business • Create and market a powerful Kentucky brand • Work toward sustainability • Foster innovation and technology support • Create an entrepreneurial culture Each Area Development District (ADD) in the Kentucky Delta is in many ways a local extension of the Ken- tucky Cabinet for Economic Development. The economic goals of each ADD and those of the Commonwealth of Kentucky are crucial in determining a successful economic course for Kentucky citizens. The Kentucky Delta plan strives to develop unique goals that are representative of the counties it serves and endeavors to construct these goals in the larger context of state initiatives. The Kentucky State Strategic Plan would not be of the greatest value to regional planning and resiliency if it did not properly match the actions of the DRA. For these reasons, the Kentucky State Strategic Plan mirrors the three goals of the DRA’s Regional Development Plan III: • Advance the productivity and economic competitiveness of the Delta Workforce. • Strengthen the Delta’s physical, digital and capital connections to the global economy. • Facilitate local capacity building within Delta communities, organizations, businesses, and individuals. 4 Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement Leadership development has long been a priority of the Commonwealth. In 1984 the Leadership Kentucky program was created to nurture emerging leaders throughout the state and build a generation who thought about Kentucky as a whole. Many of the communities in the DRA region of Kentucky have long-established leader- ship development programs including the following: Paducah, Murray, Mayfield, Hopkinsville-Christian Coun- ty, Princeton, Cadiz, Madisonville-Hopkins County, Henderson, as well as others. The creation of the Delta Leadership Institute was a welcome addition to the leadership framework in Kentucky. Creating awareness about the Delta region and providing a cadre of young leaders focused on the region is es- sential for creating quality of place for the Delta region of Kentucky. Delta Leadership Institute - Kentucky Participants Class of 2016 Brandi Harless Mayor Carolyn Townsend Chief Executive Office City of Dixon Personal Medicine Plus Dixon Paducah Mark Lee Chris Wooldridge President District Director Paragon Development Consultants Small Business Development Center Madisonville Murray State University Murray 5 Delta Leadership Institute - Kentucky Alumni Scott Audas Lisa Hurst-Pfingston Chief Deposit Officer Parks & Programs Director/Solid Waste Coordinator Independence Bank Henderson County Fiscal Court Henderson Henderson 2008-2009 2011-2012 Wendy Baxter Mayor David Jackson Marshall County Economic Development City of Madisonville Benton Madisonville 2014-2015 2014-2015 Rebecca Carroll Phyllis Maclin Treasurer Vice President Henderson County Fiscal Court Paducah Housing Services, Inc. Henderson Paducah 2013-2014 2011-2012 William Cox, Jr. John Mahre Attorney Special Assistant Law Office of William M. Cox, Jr. PLLC Christian County Madisonville Hopkinsville 2009-2010 2011-2012 Brad Davis Mark Manning Associate Director President Purchase Area Development District Murray/Calloway Co Economic Development Corporation Mayfield Murray 2012-2013 2005-2006 Mike Farris David Mast Retired School Superintendent President Four Star Industrial Park Authority Mast Solutions Dixon Paducah 2007-2008 2010-2011 Amy Frogue Rachel McCubbin Associate Director Deputy State Director Pennyrile Area Development District US Senator Rand Paul Hopkinsville Bowling Green 2010-2011 2012-2013 Steven Gold Shawn Miller Henderson County Attorney Marketing Sales Coordinator Henderson County Fiscal Court DLZ Henderson Benton 2008-2009 2009-2010 6 Delta Leadership Institute - Kentucky Alumni Paul Monsour Joanna Shake Director of Tourism & Assistant Tax Administrator Associate Director Union County Green River Area Development District Morganfield Owensboro 2007-2008 2014-2015 Christian Peterson Elaine Spalding Western Kentucky Field Representative President US Senator Rand Paul Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Hopkinsville Paducah 2013-2014 2005-2006 Duncan Pitchford Alan Taylor Attorney President Whitlow/Roberts Personal Safety Equipment Company Paducah Henderson 2009-2010 2005-2006 Greg Pruitt Judge/Executive Greg Terry Director Carlisle County Fiscal Court Hickman County Economic Development Authority Bardwell Clinton 2008-2009 2014-2015 Norma Pruitt Josh Tubbs Executive Director Director Kentucky Great River