The
following is the text of Steve Davidson’s announcement
to the Board of Directors of the Crittenden County Economic
Development Corporation (CCEDC) of his retirement as
President/CEO of the CCEDC.
This
is to announce my retirement as EDC President effective
August 15, 2005.
It
has been a pleasure and honor to serve as President
of the CCEDC. When I started in October 1998, it was
to be temporary until the Board could hire a “real”
economic developer. Well, after 7+ years of being a
“temp,” it’s time for the Board to hire
that “real” economic developer.
That
person will have a lot to work with including a very
strong Board, an all-time investor high totaling 54,
a very positive working relationship between city and
county governments, the EdTech Training Center to call
home, and a wonderful community in which to recruit
industry.
Yes,
we’ve come a long way since I started. We were
located in an upstairs office of The Peoples Bank, and
only those with strong hearts would dare climb those
many steps to see us. Our furniture was “hand-me-downs”
and our one computer actually worked sometimes. And,
as far as economic projects were concerned, there were
essentially none.
But,
as people began braving that long climb up the stairs,
it was at then that economic initiatives began to take
shape. Along with the Board’s creation of its “Roadmap
To Our Economic Future,” the wheels of Crittenden
County’s economic development began to steadily
turn and with a focused direction.
With
the Board always modeling the attitude of “together
we can do it,” it was not long before we began
to see the fruits of our labors. And, today, the results
are very evident. Here are some examples:
Assistance with Incentives for Construction of the
New Par 4 Plastics Plant
Incentives
for Recent Expansion of Par 4 Plastics
Construction
of the EdTech Training Center
Lobbying
for Funding for the Four-Laning of Hwy 641
Over
$23 Million in Incentives & Grants
Assistance
in Obtaining Funding for the “New” Airport
Recent
Purchase of Property for a New Industrial Park
Incentives
for Recruitment of Crittenden Coal Company
Incentives
for Recruitment of Par 4 Assemblies
Incentives
for Turner & Conyer Lumber Co. Expansion
Incentives
for Henry & Henry Monuments Expansion
Incentives
for Marion Mining Bolts Expansion
Incentives
for Operation of the Cave-In-Rock Ferry
Trail
of Tears Project
Leadership
Crittenden County Program
Assistance
in Development of the Five-County Pennyrile Industrial
Mega Park
$500,000
Grant for Technology Upgrade of EdTech Center
The
EdTech Center as Off-Campus Site for Madisonville
Community College
And,
these are to name just a few of our economic successes
- all of which lay a solid foundation for the organization’s
future and for my successor to take the EDC to the next
level. In the meantime, again please accept my thanks
for these 7+ years.
Steve
Davidson
Lee
Conrad Named New CCEDC Head
The Crittenden County Economic Development Corporation
(CCEDC) Board of Directors announces the pending employment
of Lee Conrad, 25, as its new President/CEO.
Mr. Conrad, who has a Masters Degree in Public Administration
from Eastern Kentucky University, replaces Steve Davidson
who recently announced his retirement. Davidson, before
leading the CCEDC for seven years, spent 34 years in
education, including the positions of assistant superintendent
of schools in Crittenden County and McCracken County.
Conrad, who is a Crittenden County native, will take
the reigns of the CCEDC on August 15, 2005. "We're
pleased to have someone with Lee's qualifications as
our new President," says Gareth Hardin, CCEDC Chairman
and President/CEO of The Farmers Bank & Trust Co.
in Marion. "Because of the significant strides
in moving our economy forward during Mr. Davidson's
tenure, we have a solid economic foundation that should
enable Lee to hit the ground running."
Mr. Conrad has served as a Planning and Economic Development
Assistant for the Pennyrile Area Development District.
He has also served as a Legislative Assistant for Kentucky
Senate President David Williams and held a similar position
for U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield.
"This
Is For The Record"
For June 13 -
24, 2005 - WMJL-FM
Good morning. I'm Steve Davidson, President & CEO
of the Crittenden County Economic Development Corp.,
and "This Is For The Record".
In our last report we talked about the EdTech Training
Center and its role in tying together economic development
and adult post-secondary education. Recognizing that
it's a 100 mile round trip from Marion to the nearest
college, our Board of Directors in a very visionary
move decided to establish the EdTech Center as an off-campus
site for Madisonville Community College and Murray State
University.
Although the Center, which was built in 2003, has already
hosted over 500 adults taking post secondary classes,
there are still people who ask - "What's education
got to do with economic development?"
The answer - in a word - "Everything!"
Educators and business leaders will tell you that higher
paying jobs and the quality of business production relates
directly to employee work skills and their educational
level. The EDC has long recognized this and for that
reason will continue to promote adult, post secondary
education through its EdTech Training Center.
In so doing, we will work diligently with the leadership
of our local school system, Madisonville Community College,
and Murray State to upgrade the skills of our workforce,
to create a strong bond between business and education,
and to expand college course offerings at the EdTech
Center.
Crittenden County needs more higher paying jobs. A part
of the EDC mission is to help make this possible by
attracting the type of businesses that would provide
those jobs and to place heavy emphasis on the retention
and expansion of our already established businesses.
But, as I said at the start of this report, a key ingredient
to making this happen is to securely tie the knot between
education and economic development.
Until we talk again, I invite you to visit our website
www.crittendencountyedc.com . I'm Steve Davidson. Thank
you for listening.
For
May 30 – June 10, WMJL-FM
I’m
Steve Davidson, President & CEO of the Crittenden
County Economic Development Corp., and This Is For
The Record.”
A shinning example of an EDC project
is the Marion-Crittenden County EdTech Training Center.
Using a $1 million grant from the US Dept. of Commerce
for construction and technology installation, the 10,000
square foot Center opened its doors in July 2003. And,
in its brief history, it has already had a significant
impact in our community.
Located in the Crittenden County Industrial
Park, the EdTech Center houses the offices of the EDC.
But, its functions are much more far-reaching. First,
it is providing our community the opportunity to take
a leadership role in this Age of Technology and Information.
Specifically, it provides access to a state and world-wide
technology and telecommunications network that is becoming
second to none.
Specifically, it is already becoming
a centerpiece for the partnership between economic development
and post-secondary education by giving our adult population
in Crittenden County and the surrounding area the opportunity
to upgrade their work skills and education. This is
vitally important when you consider that the nearest
college to Crittenden County is over 50 miles away.
Consequently, a primary function of
the Center is to serve as an off-campus site for Madisonville
Community College and Murray State University. We are
able to offer post secondary direct and on-line distance
learning programs. At the same time, we also provide
a wide array of community based classes. And, to date,
over 500 people have taken advantage of these programs.
I might mention that Dulcie Hardin, our Education Director,
is taking applications for summer classes, even as we
speak.
Another major function of the EdTech
Center is to assist business and industrial clients
in dealing with employee training needs including computer
technology, keyboarding, video teleconferencing, ITV,
forklift training, and medical billing – to name
just a few.
So, thanks to the involvement of our
governmental and community agencies, as well as you
– the people of Crittenden County and the surrounding
area, the EdTech Training Center has quickly become
a symbol of how a rural community can become a telecommunications
leader in this far-reaching Age of Technology and Information
and also to position ourselves to more effectively serve
business and industry in the 21st Century.
For more information about the EDC’s
EdTech Training Center, please visit our website at
crittendencountyedc.com. Also, be sure to check out
our new digital sign at the entrance to the Center.
Not only can you get the date, time, and temperature,
you can stay abreast of happenings at the Center.
Until next time when we’ll talk
more about the relationship between economic development
and education, this is Steve Davidson.
Secretary of State at EdTech
Kentucky
Secretary of State Trey Grayson was the guest speaker
at the March 18 Quarterly Board Meeting of the CCEDC.
Kentucky Sec of State Trey Grayson reflects
on comments
from Circuit Court Judge Renee Williams and
County Attorney Alan Stout
before the March 18 meeting.
Crittenden Shows
Well in State Budget
Crittenden
County has been allocated a total of $10.8 million dollars
in the newly adopted Kentucky State Budget. Read
details in thePresident's
Report. It's Official! CCEDC Purchases Property for
New Industrial Park
We are
proud to announce that the purchase of the Singleton
Farm, (better known locally as the "Chicken Farm"),
was completed on January 31, 2005. The CCEDC is now
the owner of a 105 acre property, complete with easy
access to Hwy. 60 East, fully infrastructured with a
986 sq. ft. office/house, and previously zoned as an
Industrial Park. This property has been designated Industrial
Park North by the CCEDC Board of Directors. A New Web Site for a New Focus
CCEDC
Administrative Assistant Jeanne Hodge and CCEDC Webmaster
Brian Wilkes have been working diligently to completely
revamp the CCEDC website to show
the advanced technology possibilities we have here in
Marion and Crittenden County. While local pictures are
still being added, the site is basically complete. By
checking the site periodically you will be able to keep
up with the happenings here at the EdTech Center as
well as the entire organization.
Check the site often for breaking news from the CCEDC! President's Report
