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Hardin County Vision Project Underway (Press Release)

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Jul 22nd, 09
Elizabethtown, Kentucky (July 22, 2009) – A unique visioning project is now underway in Hardin County. The project is designed to build upon Hardin County’s strengths and current growth opportunities, identify weaknesses, and chart a course for the future.

Hardin County Vision Project Underway

Project Seeks to Build upon Hardin County’s Strengths and Current Growth Opportunities and Chart Course for the Future

Elizabethtown, Kentucky (July 22, 2009) – A unique visioning project is now underway in Hardin County.  The project is designed to build upon Hardin County’s strengths and current growth opportunities, identify weaknesses, and chart a course for the future.

In announcing the project, Hardin County Judge/Executive Harry Berry stated, “Hardin County is now experiencing a transformation which is unique to Kentucky with the BRAC related changes that are coming to Fort Knox and the proposed NAATBatt plant in Glendale.  These changes will bring unprecedented growth and opportunities.  We want to make sure that the County is well positioned to capitalize on the growth and to begin looking to the future and to maximize efficiencies.”

L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC, a consulting firm based in Louisville, has been selected to conduct the visioning project.

The visioning project will encompass the following activities:

County Strategic Assessment

The strategic assessment will analyze various components related to the community in terms of economic development, population growth, education, job creation, delivery of government services, etc., and the perception of the community on the part of community leaders.  This will be accomplished by conducting key stakeholder interviews of 100 community leaders.

The strategic assessment will also include an examination of ongoing projects and studies that are being supported by various local agencies.

In addition, the strategic assessment will combine an analysis of the current situation in Hardin County with research of seven peer counties in the Midwest and Southeast in order to provide a snapshot of where the County stands from a competitive standpoint.

Leadership Forum

Following the completion of the strategic assessment, the findings will be presented during a one-day leadership forum.  During the forum, participants will be encouraged to validate (or challenge) the findings, followed by an examination of the County’s guiding principles, such as the current Vision Statement.  Finally, strategic goals will be developed along with an implementation plan which will serve as a guide for the County for the next five to 15 years.

Final Report

Following the leadership forum, the consulting firm will compile a final report which will be provided to Hardin County government.

Luke Schmidt, President of L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC, will direct and manage the project.  Schmidt stated, “Hardin County’s vision project will enable the community’s leaders to step back and critically analyze where the County is today and, more importantly, determine the direction that they would like for the County to take tomorrow.”

“The cornerstone for this effort will be the 100 key stakeholder interviews which will include a cross section of the County’s leaders from the areas of agriculture, the business community, education, Fort Knox, government officials from the County and its five communities, plant managers and other groups,” said Schmidt.  “The confidential surveys will cover a wide variety of issues including the arts, cooperation between communities and government jurisdictions/agencies, community competitiveness, economic development, education, health care, public safety, quality of life, transportation, etc.”

The project is now underway and is expected to be completed by the end of October.  The project is being funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment and is being administered locally by the Lincoln Trail Area Development District.  The grant is one of three local grants for projects related to the impact of realignment of Fort Knox and its impact on Hardin County.

Hardin County is the sixth largest county in Kentucky and is governed by the three Commissioners of Hardin County Fiscal Court and Hardin County Judge/Executive Harry Berry (www.hcky.org).

L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC is a Louisville-based consulting firm which specializes in strategic planning, organizational development, public affairs, economic development and marketing/communications projects (www.lbschmidt.com).

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