The Lake Barkley Partnership serves to invest resources in a manner that creates a strong, resilient, and diverse economic region in Crittenden, Caldwell, and Livingston, Lyon Counties.
AREAS OF FOCUS
- Business Retention and Expansion. Develop a program to meet regularly with existing business and economic partners to help facilitate business retention, expansion, and job creation.
- Workforce Development. Fill existing job openings in the region by collaborating with employers, educators, and service providers to build a local workforce that can fill current and future workforce.
- Marketing and Promotion. Design and implement website and communication strategy to increase awareness about the Lake Barkley Partnership’s assets and activities.
- Niche Sector Development. Work with existing industries to develop niche sectors that will help strengthen and diversify the regional economy. These sectors will also be used in industrial recruitment projects. Recruitment will be very targeted and will identify firms that complement the existing economy, strengthen industry synergy, and utilize existing workforce.
- Build Regional Alliances. Continually network with service providers, governmental agencies, utilities, education institutions, and industry organizations to remain informed about resources available in the region.
- Investor Engagement. Bring in investors to review and analyze the benefits of investment, target new investors, and ensure satisfactory engagement with current investors.
From the beginning |
Where we are now |
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The Lake Barkley Partnership was originally formed as the Caldwell-Lyon Partnership for Economic Development more than 10 years ago as a joint effort to consolidate resources for economic development in Western Kentucky. Since that time, the partnership has worked on several successful projects such as the expansion at Hydro-Gear, certification as a Work Ready Community, certification of a Build Ready site, and renovations at the Eddyville Riverport.
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The Lake Barkley Partnership for Economic Development is currently a three county organization with members from Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, and Lyon counties. The partnership has recently reorganized to create a regional partnership for economic development. The organization has hired a full-time director to oversee economic activity in all four counties. The regionalism approach will allow the area to share resources and be more competitive in state.
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Leaders of Industry
Our Board of Directors is comprised of representatives with expertise in manufacturing, education, health care, finance and government. The Board of Directors are committed to building a resilient and prosperous region in Western Kentucky.
Board Members
PRESIDENT TIM CAPPS, PAR 4 PLASTICS
VICE PRESIDENT JEFF MCDANIELS, FARMERS BANK AND TRUST, PRINCETON
TREASURER BOB HAYES
BILLY RAY COURSEY, EDDYVILLE RIVERPORT
CHRIS COOK, FARMERS BANK AND TRUST, MARION
CHRIS BURTON, PRINCETON ELECTRIC PLANT BOARD
JAIME SMITH, LYON COUNTY
PERRY NEWCOM, CRITTENDEN COUNTY
TODD WETZEL, WETZEL LAW FIRM
AMANDA DOSSETT, LAFARGE HOLCIM
ANDREW RHYNER, HYDRO-GEAR
BROCK THOMAS, CITY OF PRINCETON
CAMERON WILLIAMS, COLLIERS ASSOCIATES ENGINEERING
CHARLIE DAY, FIRST UNITED BANK
DAN ODEGAARD, CALDWELL MEDICAL CENTER
DANN HUGHES, TRICE HUGHES CHEVROLET
MICHAEL WILLIAMS, LIVINGSTON COUNTY
JAKE PEPPER, PLANTERS BANK
DAKOTA YOUNG, CALDWELL COUNTY
SHANE WHITTINGTON, LIVINGSTON HOSPITAL
VICE PRESIDENT JEFF MCDANIELS, FARMERS BANK AND TRUST, PRINCETON
TREASURER BOB HAYES
BILLY RAY COURSEY, EDDYVILLE RIVERPORT
CHRIS COOK, FARMERS BANK AND TRUST, MARION
CHRIS BURTON, PRINCETON ELECTRIC PLANT BOARD
JAIME SMITH, LYON COUNTY
PERRY NEWCOM, CRITTENDEN COUNTY
TODD WETZEL, WETZEL LAW FIRM
AMANDA DOSSETT, LAFARGE HOLCIM
ANDREW RHYNER, HYDRO-GEAR
BROCK THOMAS, CITY OF PRINCETON
CAMERON WILLIAMS, COLLIERS ASSOCIATES ENGINEERING
CHARLIE DAY, FIRST UNITED BANK
DAN ODEGAARD, CALDWELL MEDICAL CENTER
DANN HUGHES, TRICE HUGHES CHEVROLET
MICHAEL WILLIAMS, LIVINGSTON COUNTY
JAKE PEPPER, PLANTERS BANK
DAKOTA YOUNG, CALDWELL COUNTY
SHANE WHITTINGTON, LIVINGSTON HOSPITAL
Executive Director
Garrett Clark was born and raised in Benton, Kentucky. He has a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in economics and a Masters of Science in Economic Development from Murray State University. After college, Garrett joined the Graves County Economic Development team and worked there for a year and a half, working on their social media marketing, request for information response, hosting a plant managers' roundtable for existing industry, and working on a program to get students more engaged with industry. He became the Executive Director of the Lake Barkley Partnership in January 2025, he will now work on business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts for the Lake Barkley Partnership counties to help facilitate job opportunities and new investment that help to promote the quality of life for the residents of our region.
Contact Garrett at [email protected] or 270.963.0121
Garrett Clark was born and raised in Benton, Kentucky. He has a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in economics and a Masters of Science in Economic Development from Murray State University. After college, Garrett joined the Graves County Economic Development team and worked there for a year and a half, working on their social media marketing, request for information response, hosting a plant managers' roundtable for existing industry, and working on a program to get students more engaged with industry. He became the Executive Director of the Lake Barkley Partnership in January 2025, he will now work on business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts for the Lake Barkley Partnership counties to help facilitate job opportunities and new investment that help to promote the quality of life for the residents of our region.
Contact Garrett at [email protected] or 270.963.0121
