Elections for the KAED Board of Directors will open September 15, when ballots will be available to all regular KAED members. Voting will remain open until October 15, and the newly elected board members will officially take their positions during the KAED Economic Forum & Annual Meeting, November 5–7 in Covington.
Meet this year’s candidates:
2026 Chair Elect
Amanda Clark
Amanda is an External Affairs Manager at Kentucky Power. Before joining Kentucky Power, she was the Vice President of Operations for Ashland Alliance. Amanda serves on the executive board for TENCO Workforce Development. She is the vice-chair for Visit Ashland; is an executive board member for CMH 23; and serves on the advisory committee for the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center. She is an Appalachian Regional Commission Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellow and Leadership Kentucky Alumnus.
2026 Secretary Treasurer
Elizabeth Griffith Mudd
Elizabeth, a native of Owensboro, was hired as President of Kentucky Lake Economic Development in Marshall County in 2023. She is a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College where she obtained her degree in communications, and Western Kentucky University where she completed her master’s in public administration. Elizabeth is a 2022 graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OUEDI), which is the premier organization dedicated to training economic development professionals and is fully accredited by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Prior to her time at KLED, she served as the Director of Existing Industry and Workforce Development at the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation. She has served on the board of directors of the Kentucky Arts Council, KET Friends and was named a Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce 40 Under 40 honoree in 2017.
Board of Directors
Niki Goldey
Niki joined the Commerce Lexington Inc. team in the fall of 2022 as Director of New Business Development and works alongside her team to demonstrate Lexington’s best attributes for companies considering locating or expanding to Lexington. Niki’s primary focus is on new business attraction, with a focus on the region’s identified Strategic Target Industries. She regularly attends trade shows, conferences, and economic development events to establish and maintain relationships with site selection consultants, business leaders, state and local government officials, utility, and transportation representatives.
Carter Hendricks – Chair, KAED Membership Committee
Carter is a lifelong Kentuckian and a 1995 graduate of Western Kentucky University. Since returning to Hopkinsville in 2004, he has dedicated two decades to community and economic development as a college instructor, Chamber of Commerce executive, elected official, and now Executive Director of the South Western KY Economic Development Council. Under his leadership, the region has secured nearly $2 billion in capital investment and 2,000 new jobs since 2020. Carter also serves as Co-Chair of You Decide KY!, on the Hopkinsville YMCA board, and as head coach for University Heights Academy’s cross country and track teams.
Tom West – KAED Board of Directors
Tom West, AICP, is Director of Economic Development for the City of Covington, where he oversees business attraction and retention, real estate development, and the City’s zoning and historic preservation programs. His leadership has produced a citywide economic development strategy, a full zoning code rewrite, and innovative incentive policies. In 2024, his team earned five International Economic Development Council Awards of Excellence, including top honors for Covington’s $500 million redevelopment of a 23-acre former IRS site.
You won’t want to miss the 2025 Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED) Economic Forum and Annual Meeting.
Register early and get the discounted rate: https://cca.kaedonline.org/EvtListing.aspx
Reserve your room now to assure you get the discounted rate.
Cincinnati Marriott RiverCenter: https://book.passkey.com/go/KYAED2025
Hotel Covington: https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=14389&nights=1&checkin=11/5/2025&group=11KAED&lang=en-us
Sponsoring this event will present your company as a supporter of growth, development and job creation in the Commonwealth and provide increased visibility and numerous networking opportunities. If you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity, contact Terri Bradshaw at terri@kaedonline.org