SPEDA President & CEO participates in panel discussion, which will air at 8 p.m. ET Dec. 11

The leader of the Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA) joined economic development experts from across the state on the Kentucky Educational Television (KET) stage last week to discuss the many ways they are working to build competitive and attractive communities for businesses to expand or relocate.

The conversation — Building Up Kentucky: A KET Forum hosted by Renee Shaw — was taped before a live audience Dec. 6 at KET’s studios in Lexington and will air at 8 p.m. ET tonight, Monday, Dec. 11, on KET.

SPEDA President and CEO Chris Girdler participated in the panel discussion with State Sen. Max Wise, chair of the Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee; Haley McCoy, president/CEO of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development; Joe Meyer, mayor of the City of Covington; Brooklyn Hesterberg Leep, executive director of Marion County Economic Development; and Jim Henderson, executive director of the Kentucky Association of Counties.

Panel members will discuss how cities, counties, and regions are working to strengthen economic development growth and attraction and explore contributing factors such as infrastructure (utilities, roads, bridges, broadband, water and sewer, available “shovel ready” land, waterways and rail transportation), workforce, health, quality of life and more.

“It was an honor to sit on KET’s stage with so many economic development leaders I admire and respect for the ways they are helping their communities and Kentucky as a whole achieve record economic growth,” Girdler said. “The invitation to participate in this panel is further proof that Somerset-Pulaski County now has a seat at the table in conversations about economic development across the state, and we at SPEDA are eager to continue having those conversations to help our community, our region and our state thrive.”