​The Purchase, Pennyrile, Green River, Lincoln Trail, and Lake Cumberland Area Development Districts received Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Awards at this year’s National Association of Development Organization’s 2024 Annual Training Conference, held Oct. 21-24, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

 

The Purchase Area Development District (PADD) received its award for its partnership with the Fulton County Fiscal Court, facilitators of the Fulton County Rural Partners Network (RPN). 

 

The RPN promotes collaboration among small rural communities, helping them access larger funding sources, develop innovative solutions, and improve infrastructure by pooling resources and expertise. It provides hands-on technical assistance to RPN Community Networks facing significant resource gaps. These networks consist of local leaders and stakeholders who work together to identify and address high-priority community needs, supported by additional technical and financial resources.

 

Funded through the USDA Rural Partners Network program, the RPN Community Liaison role is key to connecting these communities with support. The project’s success in Fulton County has led the USDA to replicate its efforts, expanding the Fulton County RPN to include neighboring Hickman, Carlisle, and Ballard counties. 

 

Project partners include Fulton County, the City of Fulton, the City of Hickman, the City of South Fulton, Tennessee, Hickman County, Carlisle County, Ballard County, and the USDA Kentucky Rural Development state office. 

 

The Pennyrile Area Development District (PeADD) received its award for the Muhlenberg County Opportunity Center Expansion Project. 
The project, in partnership with the Muhlenberg County Fiscal Court, focuses on renovating the opportunity center to establish a new workforce development facility, creating jobs, and providing training for individuals transitioning into the workforce. Special focus is given to job creation for those with special needs in an area impacted by job losses.

 

PeADD’s leadership in regional planning was instrumental in bringing the project to life and supporting economic growth and inclusivity in the Pennyrile region. 

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The Green River Area Development District (GRADD) received its award for its role in three regional projects—the Skills to Succeed Program, the Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative, and the Green River Wellness Mission Innovative Readiness Training. 

 

The Skills to Succeed (S2S) program was utilized beginning in July 2022 to address the economic hardship caused by layoffs at Century Aluminum. The Green River Workforce Development Board utilized funding from a National Dislocated Worker Employment Recovery Grant to provide employment and workforce training services for dislocated workers in Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McClean, Ohio, Union, and Webster counties. 

 

GRADD joined the Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative (ADVC), led by USAging, to remove financial barriers prohibiting older adults and people with disabilities from getting vaccinated by offering vaccination clinics at no cost to people aged 55+ or with a disability. GRADD partnered with local pharmacies and organizations serving seniors and disabled populations to host 14 vaccine clinics, during which 239 vaccines were administered.

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The Green River Wellness Mission Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) was a joint-service training mission for 168 Armed Services personnel. 

The mission provided medical troops and support personnel with hands-on readiness training to prepare for future deployments while providing medical and veterinary care for the people of Henderson County and surrounding counties.​​

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The Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD) received its award for its Local Government Revolving Loan Fund, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Kentucky that provides significant cost savings to local governments through low-interest loans.

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The program’s innovative approach and substantial impact recently earned it a 2024 Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), which recognizes outstanding efforts in regional economic and community development across the nation.

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aunched in 2023, LTADD created the Local Government Revolving Loan Fund using $400,000 from the net sale of its former office on Elizabethtown’s College Street Road and $350,000 from savings. The program provides loans at 4% below the prime rate to local governments and their affiliates in emergency situations or when grant funding is unavailable.

 

In its first eight months, the program disbursed $358,596.23, saving recipients over $56,000 compared to traditional borrowing options. The fund’s flexibility allows for quick approvals by senior staff, making it particularly valuable in emergencies or catastrophic events.

 

Since its inception, two of the eight counties in LTADD’s service area (Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson and Washington) have benefited from the program. LaRue County purchased $287,700 in road repair equipment, which would have otherwise exhausted its county road equipment budget. Additionally, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received $70,896 through the program to purchase a new sheriff’s cruiser and necessary emergency equipment.

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The Lake Cumberland Area Development District received its NADO Impact Award from the Older Adults Home Modification Program (OAHMP).

 

The Lake Cumberland OAHMP supports low-income older adults across LCADD’s 10-county region. Backed by a $740,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the program offers up to $5,000 per home for safety and accessibility upgrades, helping seniors stay in their homes and avoid early placement in long-term care.

 

The program includes initial screenings, occupational therapy assessments and contractor visits to identify the most effective modifications. Common updates include grab bars, comfort-height toilet seats, ramps and safety additions like smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.

 

The program has completed modifications for dozens of individuals, with more in progress and 24 approved for future work. OAHMP addresses a crucial need in a region with a higher-than-average elderly population and poverty rate among seniors.