25 to watch in 2025: Official leads innovative effort to boost jobs in Southern Kentucky
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25 to watch in 2025
The Lexington Herald-Leader is tracking 25 individuals we expect will be making news in 2025.
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Name: Chris Girdler
Why is he someone to watch?
Girdler, 45, has been president and chief executive officer of Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA) since it was formed in 2019. Before taking the position he had worked as an executive at two houseboat manufacturing companies and as district chief of staff for U.S Rep. Hal Rogers, and had served one term in the Kentucky Senate from 2013 through 2016.
The authority pursued efforts to improve quality of life as a way of boosting the economy, rather than focusing solely on the traditional model of industrial recruitment — chasing smokestacks.
In addition to working to attract businesses, it has funded or facilitated the creation of a daycare center and housing at an industrial site; a program aimed at helping people, many in recovery from substance-abuse disorder, get back in the workforce; a program to help jail inmates get vocational training and find jobs; a farmers market; public art projects; downtown events; an air show; tourism promotion; and retail development.
The organization says there has been more than $500 million in new business investment locally and 1,000 new jobs since it was founded, as well as record tourism.
The Kentucky Association for Economic Development named Girdler its Community Professional of the Year for 2024.
What does he expect in 2025?
A number of projects are expected to be completed in 2025, including a daycare center at the Valley Oak Commerce Complex. To get the center developed and address a need for child care that businesses identified, the group agreed to refund the $60,000 purchase price of the land to the day care operator if the center meets certain guidelines.
On another front, the Life Learning Center will start offering programs in Somerset, marking its first expansion outside Northern Kentucky. The center provides workforce and life skills training to help people, many formerly incarcerated or in substance-abuse recovery, “learn, secure, and sustain a better way of living through gainful employment.”
Development also will continue on the county’s first new industrial site since the mid-1990s.
What others say about Girdler:
“Chris’ work starts with passion and love for his community. If you know him at all, you’ve heard him boast of being a seventh generation Pulaski Countian, and that pride and work ethic show up every day,” said Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, an authority board member.
“When we created SPEDA, we knew we wanted to look at economic development differently because we knew creating a place people want to live was key to everything else. Chris continues to lead this effort well and it has become a model across the state.”
What do you hope to achieve in 2025?
“Going forward in 2025, we hope to continue to build on the foundation we’ve laid over the past six years. We will continue to be bold and think outside the box as evidenced by our overall business model and projects like our childcare center, housing and reentry programming, “ Girdler said.
“We also hope to increase regional collaboration, dream big and have several various projects that will take on those themes such as our desire to develop Burnside Island on Lake Cumberland, see the first industrial complex being built since the mid-90’s be completed and become the southern anchor of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with the near completion of Horse Soldier Bourbon’s new facility.
“We want Somerset to be the easiest place in America to do business.”
