SOMERSET, KY – One East Kentucky President & CEO Colby Kirk is now a representative on the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation’s (SKED) General Membership board.
The Eastern Kentucky native was nominated to fill the position and elected by the SKED Board of Directors at its May 2024 meeting.
“I’m honored to have this opportunity to serve alongside other Eastern Kentucky leaders and to be more involved with SKED, an organization supporting economic development across our region,” Kirk said.
The 25-member General Membership comprises some of the region’s best and brightest leaders from the banking, education, business, utility and economic development industries. Members serve as At-Large liaisons for the Somerset, Ky.-based nonprofit economic development organization at home in their respective communities.
Kirk has led and developed the economic development strategy at One East Kentucky since 2022. His role includes heading up marketing activities for industrial sites and buildings across a nine-county region in Eastern Kentucky, developing and implementing strategic plans with partner communities focused on infrastructure development and downtown revitalization, assisting private companies with site selection, incentive opportunities, logistics planning and connecting them with workforce development and educational training programs to create new regional job opportunities.
Before his position at One East Kentucky, Kirk served as both Martin County Judge-Executive and Deputy County Judge-Executive. He also served as executive director at One Harlan County and served in various other economic development positions in prior years.
Kirk is a University of Kentucky graduate with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He also studied international business at Korea University and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.
SKED Executive Director Brett Traver says Kirk fills a key role on SKED’s General Membership.
“Colby is a great person. He works daily to bring opportunities to the people of the nine-county, One East Kentucky region. The missions of our two organizations fit together. It makes sense that we more formalize our partnership.”
Brett Traver, SKED executive director
Kirk joins an experienced group of individuals as part of SKED’s General Membership including SKED’s 12-member Board of Directors: Carol Wright, president and CEO of Jackson Energy Cooperative, as president; Hometown Bank President and CEO Tim Barnes as vice president; 4 Arrows Consulting, LLC owner David Blakeman as secretary; Southern Kentucky Economic Development Agency Executive Director Bruce Carpenter as treasurer; and Corey Craig, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Mount Vernon, as at-large director.
Other directors currently serving on the SKED board include Charlene Harris, president and CEO of First National Bank of Russell Springs; Virginia Flanagan, special assistant to the President of Campbellsville University; Daryl Smith, ombudsman, advanced metering infrastructure at LG&E and KU Energy LLC; Dr. Jennifer Lindon, president and CEO of Hazard Community and Technical College; Darryl McGaha, retired executive director of the Lake Cumberland Area Development District; Steve Allen, director of human resources at the University of the Cumberlands and newest director Amanda Clark, Kentucky Power External Affairs Manager.
Other members of the General Membership include Rodney Hitch, East Kentucky Power Cooperative economic development manager; Josh Branscum, Branscum Construction executive vice president; Mack Johnson, a financial advisor at Private Wealth Management; David Ledford, Executive Vice President for Boneal, Inc.; Terry Spears, SBA Banking Officer at Community Trust Bank in Pikeville; Ben Caudill, senior vice president at Stock Yards Bank & Trust; Tim Dalton, Monticello Banking Company commercial lender; Bob Helton of Morehead; Ron McMahan, executive director for Team Taylor County Economic Development Authority, Mike Trosper, London-Laurel County Industrial Development Authority member; Denise Thomas, University of Pikeville grant writer and Shawn Daugherty, president and CEO of Citizens National Bank.
In its 38th year of serving a 45-county service region in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, the SKED Board of Directors has added four new members to its General Membership: Kirk, Daugherty, Caudill, and Clark.
Traver says the corporation is honored to be represented by a distinguished and experienced general membership.
“The time our volunteer directors and general membership give to guide our organization’s programs and growth is immeasurable,” Traver said. “Without their leadership, SKED’s future successes would not be as bright.”
To learn how SKED helps small business owners do business better, visit www.skedcorp.com or call (606) 677-6100.
