He’s a wealthy developer and film producer. Meet Adam Edelen’s running mate.

Gill Holland has produced more than 100 feature films, founded an independent record label, wrote two books for children and is a leader in the green movement in Kentucky with his development of The Green Building in downtown Louisville.

Now he wants to start a new career: lieutenant governor of Kentucky.

Former state auditor and Lexington businessman Adam Edelen officially announced Monday that Holland will be his running mate in his bid to be Kentucky’s next governor.

Holland, 54, brings to the ticket energy as a successful businessman and a resource vital for any gubernatorial campaign — money.

Asked to describe himself, Holland said he is “a community builder, a social entrepreneur with lots of experience in Louisville in economic development, a kind of out-of-the box person who never thought I would be involved in a governor’s race.”

Holland said Edelen and he have been friends for years and “we both share a commitment to moving Kentucky forward.” He said they are the only team in the race to have a vision for Kentucky and that he believes Edelen is the only Democrat who can win the November general election.

Will Holland finance the campaign?

“With Adam’s popularity and support across the state, I don’t think I will need to do that,” he said. “We will have the money we need.”

This is not Holland’s first dive into politics. He ran unsuccessfully for Louisville Metro Council in 2016 against Scott W. Reed, an executive with his family’s printing business, V.G. Reed & Sons, Inc., in a northeastern Louisville district that is heavily Republican.

In that race, Republicans claimed Holland was tool liberal for the district. They ran ads describing him as a “liberal tree-hugger” and noted his campaign contributions to Democrats across the country, including $40,000 to the Obama Victory Fund 2012.

“My impression of Gill Holland is that he is a very capable businessman,” said Reed. “Of course, I’m a Republican but I acknowledge some of the very good things he has done in developing Louisville neighborhoods.

“He’s a fine addition to any ticket.”

Over the years, Holland has contributed to several Democratic candidates in Kentucky. In July 2015, he gave $1,000 to Edelen’s unsuccessful re-election campaign for state auditor. Edelen lost to Republican Mike Harmon.

On the national level, Holland is well-known in community revitalization programs, ranging from a single building to entire neighborhoods. He has been dubbed “Mayor of NuLu,” a large section in downtown Louisville now known for its small businesses, arts, dining, tourism and residential areas. He served two terms as president of the NuLU Business Association. His Green Building is the greenest commercial building in Kentucky.

Holland also is working now on developments in the historic Portland neighborhood in west Louisville.

Democratic state Sen. Gerald Neal, whose district includes much of west Louisville, has not yet endorsed in this year’s governor’s race but he says Holland “joins a group of individuals who have the credentials to run for governor.

“The people who are running for lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket speaks well for the party.”

Two other Democrats have announced their candidacies for governor and their running mates. Attorney General Andy Beshear of Louisville is running with educator Jacqueline Coleman of Mercer County and House Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins of Sandy Hook is running with Stephanie Horne, a former member of the Jefferson County school board.

Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican has said he will seek re-election but has not yet filed. The filing deadline is Jan. 29.

Holland grew up in Davidson, N.C. His father was born in Harlan County, Ky., in the town of Lynch. His mother was a librarian from Oslo, Norway.

Holland worked his way through law school at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and passed the North Carolina state bar.

He is married to Augusta Brown Holland, who’s on Brown-Forman Corp.’ board. Since moving to Kentucky with his wife, an eighth-generation Kentuckian, Holland has been active in various organizations, in addition to working on development projects.

His leadership roles includes current and past board membership on the Fund for the Arts, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Louisville Public Media, the Kentucky Film Commission, the Muhammad Ali Center, the Americana Community Center, the Louisville Mayor’s Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods Advisory Committee and the Louisville Film Society.

Holland also served on the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts Advisory Committee and on the board of the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro. He has founded a record label and music and book publishing house and wrote two children’s books. He is part owner of Louisville City FC, a professional soccer team and the Forecastle Festival, a summer music festival in Louisville.

A career earlier in life focused on film production. His movies range from a documentary on Kentucky author Wendell Berry to feature films, such as the 1997 film “Hurricane Streets,” which made him the producer of the first film ever to win three prizes at Sundance Film Festival.

Holland and his wife live with their three children in Louisville.

This story was originally published January 7, 2019 at 12:15 PM.