Published: June 25, 2008 07:28 am      

SKED installs new Executive Committee for ’08-09

Community News

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.