Justice Hired as Executive Director
The Letcher County Fiscal Court and the cities of Whitesburg, Jenkins and Fleming-Neon have formed a public-private partnership with EKY Heritage Foundation, Inc. and a group of businesses to hire an economic development director for Letcher County and surrounding areas.
The newly formed Pine Mountain Partnership has hired Jeffery Justice, a Pike County native now residing in Whitesburg, as the executive director of the public-private partnership. Justice is a former business retention and expansion manager for the City of Pikeville and an entrepreneur consultant for Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR).
“I am incredibly excited to go to work on behalf of the people of Letcher County,” said Justice. “There is a great group of entrepreneurs in the area and the potential for a lot of new growth. It is an honor that the judge/executive, local mayors and EKY Heritage Foundation, Inc. put their trust in me to move this effort forward.”
Justice will help existing businesses expand as well as promote new businesses to this area. Justice’s office will be located in the old Ermine School, formerly used as Ermine Senior Citizens’ Center. The fiscal court allocated $110,000 in federal economic stimulus funding to renovate the building.
“If we want to keep this area moving forward, we have to work together,” said Whitesburg Mayor Tiffany Craft. “It’s an effort that has to be made in unison from leadership all over the county. An economic development director will provide a bridge for us to connect our ideas and future endeavors.”
Letcher Judge/Executive Terry Adams also praised the hiring, saying, “It is crucial for the county, cities and local folks working together for the economic growth of Letcher County. It’s great that everyone is pulling together for a common cause for Letcher County. It’s refreshing to see that.”
Letcher County as well as the cities of Whitesburg, Jenkins and Fleming-Neon are also collaborating on a community development plan to identify revitalization and beautification projects for each area. Necessary infrastructure is needed for businesses to thrive, and economic development is a component of that.
“Our best way forward is with concentrated economic development and everyone supporting and getting behind this position in Letcher County,” said Jenkins Mayor Todd DePriest.
Fleming-Neon Mayor Susie Polis said she supports Fleming-Neon being part of Pine Mountain Partnership and is excited for the city council to meet Justice at its next city council meeting.
“Anything and everything that can be done for economic development in our county is wonderful,” said Polis. “I’m all for it. It takes all of us willing to work together.”
Based in Whitesburg, EKY Heritage Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to help create, improve and expand tourism and economic development opportunities in eastern Kentucky.