SKED installs new Executive Committee for ’08-09

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Pictured are Don Schaefer, who will lead the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development (SKED) Board of Directors for the next two years; Tim Barnes, president/CEO of Hometown Bank, Corbin, vice president; Jim Johnson, Bank of McCreary County, secretary; and Ferguson CPA Shirley Gifford, treasurer.
Daryl Smith, economic development executive for E.ON U.S. in Lexington, Ky., was honored for his service to SKED as its president during 2006-2008 in May. Smith is pictured, above right, with new SKED President Don Schaefer, CEO of Jackson Energy Corp.

June 25, 2008

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Anonymous The Commonwealth Journal Wed Jun 25, 2008, 07:35 AM EDT

The chief executive officer of Jackson Energy Cooperative will lead the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED) Board of Directors for the next two years.

Don Schaefer was installed as the nonprofit economic development organization’s president at its May meeting.

Assisting Schaefer in SKED’s oversight during the next two years are the three remaining members of the SKED Executive Committee: Tim Barnes, president and CEO of Hometown Bank in Corbin, vice president; Jim Johnson, Bank of McCreary County, senior vice president and senior loan officer, secretary; and Ferguson CPA Shirley Gifford, treasurer.

Darryl McGaha, Cumberlands Workforce Development director for the Lake Cumberland Area Development District, has been inducted as the organization’s newest director. He replaces veteran SKED director Reed Hall. Hall retired earlier this year, after serving on the board for 15 years.

Other directors currently serving on the SKED Board are as follows: Paul Dunnington, retired facilities manager for Lifeline Home Health of Somerset; Gerald Baker, district manager for Delta Natural Gas Co. Inc. of Corbin; Charlene Harris, president and CEO of First National Bank of Russell Springs; Ben Sams, account executive for Windstream Communications in London; Michael Hayes, director of the Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone and special projects manager for Kentucky Highlands Investment Corp.; Dr. Jo Marshall, president of Somerset Community College; Virginia Flanagan, director of the Kentucky Agriculture Heritage Center; and Daryl Smith, economic development executive with E. ON U.S. in Lexington.

SKED Executive Director Greg Jones says the corporation is honored to be represented by such distinguished and experience directors.

“Our directors meet monthly bringing with them an array of experience and diversity to unite for the single purpose of making southern and eastern Kentucky a better place to live and work,” Jones said. “Their volunteer efforts are invaluable to SKED’s future success. We look forward to working with this new executive committee during the next two years.”

SKED is a nonprofit economic development organization formed by Congressman Hal Rogers in 1986 to create jobs in a 42-county service area in southern and eastern Kentucky. It accomplishes this mission by recruiting new businesses, making direct loans, offering small business technical assistance and providing community-economic development services to local communities.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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