TIME FOR CHANGE

I sit at my desk watching it snow….waiting on the ice.. and then the rain. I thought it was a good metaphor for the season of spring and the change in our region. This has been the week of getting out there, trying to communicate and listen to as many of you as possible.

Monday started off with a visit to the Ashland Rotary. I was the guest speaker and tried to deliver the word of the day and updates on the progress of projects in the region. I had two central messages for the audience. 1. It takes partnership and collaboration to move the community ahead. I had two guests with me for my presentation; TJ Morrison, Boyd County Economic Development and Don Perry, Chairman of the Tri-State Angel Investment Group. 2. There is work to be done on the job front in the region. We have a large number of job postings going unfilled but, there are issues in matching the talents of the workforce seeking employment to those openings.

On Tuesday, I had the honor to speak to Flatwoods City Council. The Ashland Alliance has agreements with 7 local cities in the area and both Boyd and Greenup Counties. It is vital that we get out there and update our governments and listen to their objectives as well. I spent 35 minutes addressing the council and taking questions on what is going on in the region.

Last of all, the Ashland Alliance and the Winter Wonderland of Lights held their volunteer appreciation dinner this week. It is a massive undertaking to plan, staff and pull off the largest holiday celebration in all of Kentucky year after year. Over 50 people attended this event to highlight the success of the group and looked forward to doing it again this year.

Thank you for being apart of the Ashland Alliance. Collectively we are strong and can help build this community. Please feel free to reach out to us as well. We are here to support and provide value to you and your business. The best way we can do that for each of you is to come to visit, sit down and learn about your business. We welcome the opportunity and look forward to working with each of you.

—Tim Gibbs, Ashland Alliance