Mark Gooch

State chartered commercial bank

Operates as a non-profit corporation

Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame, Inc. is the only state-level professional football hall of fame dedicated to honoring Kentucky’s football legends, including players, coaches, officials, executives, and media personalities with ties to the state. The private company is based in Lexington. The organization celebrates individuals who have contributed to or brought recognition to Kentucky through their professional football achievements, featuring biographies and honoring inductees such as Ermal Allen, Mark Pike, Jerry Blanton, Bilal Powell, and Chad Pennington. It emphasizes values like integrity, sportsmanship, discipline, teamwork, and perseverance, and presents the annual Blanton Collier Award for integrity on and off the field. The Hall of Fame also recognizes outstanding student-athletes through the Collegiate All-Commonwealth Team and supports youth charities, currently partnering with the Foster Care Council of Kentucky. It hosts annual events including the Purple Jacket Dinner Party, induction ceremony, and golf scramble, and plans to create a living history house to preserve football memorabilia and legacy.

One East Kentucky is a 501(c)(3) regional economic development organization serving a nine-county area in eastern Kentucky, including Floyd, Knott, Johnson, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Perry, and Pike counties. The private company is based in Paintsville, KY. The organization recruits industry, investment, and jobs to the region through coordinated economic development strategies and partnerships with private businesses, communities, chambers of commerce, and state agencies. It promotes a skilled workforce, supports workforce development through training programs, and provides businesses with information and assistance on financial incentives and programs for capital investment, workforce training, and expansion projects. The region features industrial parks with certified build-ready sites, utilities, and transportation infrastructure, and is within a one-day drive of major industrial corridors. One East Kentucky also supports existing businesses through a business retention and expansion program and fosters growth in technology and call center industries, supported by high-speed internet, reliable power, and educational institutions.

Engages in economic development activities

The Big Sandy Area Development District is a multi-county regional organization serving Floyd, Johnson, Martin, and Pike counties in eastern Kentucky. The private company is based in Prestonsburg, KY. It promotes and coordinates economic and social development through partnerships with local governments, state and federal agencies, and community leaders. The organization administers programs including community and economic development projects, infrastructure improvements, hazard mitigation, and mapping services. It supports local governments in managing industrial parks and fosters job creation and business growth. Key initiatives include the regional Kentucky Works program, which assists low-income individuals transitioning from welfare to employment by providing training, job placement, and employer incentives. The Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living offers services to seniors and disabled residents, such as home care, Medicaid waivers, caregiver support, and legal and Medicare counseling. The organization manages several industrial parks to attract manufacturing and business tenants. The FIRE (Fueling Innovation, Revitalization, and Entrepreneurship) program leverages advanced technology and artificial intelligence to revitalize downtown areas, support small businesses, and stimulate economic diversification in coal-impacted communities.

Business association