FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2017
Joe Craft Elected Chairman of The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Paul Thompson chosen as Chair-Elect
Frankfort, Ky. – Joe Craft, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Resource Partners LP, has been elected Chairman of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for 2018. Alliance is the largest coal producer in Kentucky and the second largest coal producer in the eastern United States. Craft succeeds Bill Lear, Chairman Emeritus at Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC, in Lexington, whose term expired September 30.
Craft, a native of Hazard, Kentucky, graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Juris Doctorate. Craft is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Program of the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Craft is married to Kelly Craft, who was recently appointed by President Donald J. Trump as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. The Crafts are major supporters of the University of Kentucky and its athletic programs.
Throughout his career, Craft has dedicated his time to civic and industry leadership. Craft currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for the BOK Financial Corporation, as a Director and Executive Committee member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and is immediate past Chairman of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. He previously served as CEO of MAPCO Coal, Inc before joining Alliance in 1999.
The Crafts engage in numerous other charitable endeavors, including founding and funding the Craft Academy at Morehead State University and the recent establishment of a scholarship program for graduates of the academy.
“It is an honor to lead Kentucky’s most important pro-business organization,” Craft said. “The Chamber has a long and proud history of advocating for its members, and for pro-growth policies that allow for job creation and greater opportunity for all Kentuckians. We will continue this legacy on my watch, and I look forward to using the Chamber’s influence to help make Kentucky the best version of itself.”
Paul Thompson, President, and COO of LG&E and KU Energy in Louisville will serve as Chairman-elect for 2018. Serving with Craft and Thompson on the Chamber’s Executive Committee will be:
- Immediate Past Chair, Bill Lear, Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC, Lexington
- Treasurer, Winston Griffin, Laurel Grocery Company, London
- Vice Chair, Administration, Nick Rowe, Kentucky American Water, Lexington
- Vice Chair, Business Education, Hood Harris, AT&T Kentucky, Louisville
- Vice Chair, Membership and Marketing, Rusty Cheuvront, Brown-Forman, Louisville
- Vice Chair, Public Affairs, Nick D’Andrea, UPS, Louisville
- Small Business Representative, Don Bloomer, Citizens National Bank, Somerset
- Chair, Kentucky Chamber Foundation, Janet Jakubowicz, Bingham Greenebaum Doll, LLP Lexington
- At-Large Member, Mike Castle, Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville
- At-Large Member, Candace McGraw, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Hebron
- At-Large Member, Helen Sims, Superior Care Home, Inc., Paducah
- At-Large Member, Kevin Smith, Beam Suntory, Clermont
Newly-elected directors:
- Matt Adams, Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc., Bowling Green
- Linda Danna, WHAS, Louisville
- Susan Elkington, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Inc., Georgetown
- Mark Gooch, Community Trust Bank, Inc., Pikeville
- Mark Guilfoyle, Dressman Benzinger LaVelle PSC, Ft. Mitchell
- J. Adam Hancock, Riney Hancock CPAs PSC, Owensboro
- Cindy May Johnson, East Kentucky Broadcasting, Pikeville
- Mark Loik, Bilstein Cold Rolled Steel LP, Bowling Green
- Mark Martin, Atmos Energy Corporation, Owensboro
- Dr. Mark Newman, UK HealthCare, Lexington
- Chris Perry, Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, Louisville
- Scott Powell, U.S. Bank, Paducah
- Ed Quinn, RJ Corman Railroad Group LLC, Nicholasville
- Sam Scales, Ford Motor Company, Louisville
A full board listing, including members continuing their terms, can be found online at kychamber.com.
“We have assembled a brilliant and dedicated leadership team to guide the Chamber through the next year. We are grateful for the time and energy all of these business leaders bring to our organization, and we look forward to a terrific year together,” said David Adkisson, President and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber. “You won’t find better Chamber leaders than Joe and Paul anywhere in the country.”
About the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
From its beginnings in 1946 as a bipartisan voice for business at the state Capitol, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has evolved into the premier business association in the state. Today, the Kentucky Chamber represents over 3,800 businesses as members– from family-owned shops to Fortune 500 companies – that employ over half of the Commonwealth’s workforce. Kentucky Chamber members benefit from a broad range of services: year-round lobbying, timely communications on business issues, publications and seminars on evolving regulations and policies and a variety of other member benefits.
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