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The Northern Kentucky Area Development District is made up of 5 distinct internal departments:
Brief History
Kentucky's 15 Area Development Districts grew from a regional leadership network concept originated in Kentucky during the Governor Combs Administration. Those multi-county area development councils' brought community leaders together to deal with common problems and to speak with one voice to state and federal agencies. The economics realized in using a regional partnership approach to public services became increasingly evident/This approach became a Kentucky recommendation to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and has been written into a number of federal acts, including the Appalachian Development Act and the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965-With consistent support, on February 10, 1972, during the administration of Governor Ford, the Kentucky General Assembly established the Area Development Districts as special purpose units of local government with enactment of Kentucky Revised Statute 147A.050-120.
The Northern Kentucky Area Development District was organized and held it's first Board meeting in September, 1971. Gordon Mullins was the first Executive Director, with a staff of six and a budget of $60,000 in the initial year of operations. The District serves Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen, and Pendleton counties. The NKADD serves a number of vital functions including as a neutral, area-wide forum for local, public and private sector leaders to discuss and deal with common problems, the effect of which has been to greatly lessen provincialism/The NKADD is an effective, formal linkage between the community leadership within the region and the many state, federal, and private sector organizations. They provide a professional planning and development services staff for counties, cities, and community-based organizations which individually cannot afford such a staff. The NKADD provides a state-wide system to the Governor's Office, the various Cabinets, and the Legislature for near-instant information dissemination and data collection, community-based strategic development planning, and professional, contract-based service delivery. No other such system exists.
Governance
The Board of Directors of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District is composed of the county judge-executive from each county, mayors from the various classes of cities, including the mayor of the county seat and citizen members from each county representing a wide variety of interests. The Board and the NKADD staff works in partnership with state and federal agencies to achieve development goals and objectives by following agreed upon development strategies. The NKADD has evolved through the years in response to ever changing community needs and demands on governments and remain a flexible partnership of local, state and federal governments. In their history, the Area Development Districts has demonstrated the capacity to provide a full range of planning, administrative, and project implementation functions. All activities arc performed to standards established by contract with and monitored by federal, state and local governments, as well as private sector clients.
The NKADD is fully audited by an independent CPA annually and submits at least semiannual reports of activities and expenditures to the contracting agency, state and federal. More frequent reports are provided for those programs requiring same. Periodic statewide evaluations have found all Area Development Districts to be fully accountable. The NKADD meets in open public meetings. The Board of Directors elects officers annually The NKADD has an array of advisory and ad hoc committees which deal with nearly every facet of community life. They are staffed with qualified, dedicated, fully trained professionals, who are responsible to the communities in the area they serve.
NKADD Mission
Our mission is to assist the Northern Kentucky Community in effectively entering the 21st century through the provision of high quality and technically advanced staff services to local governments, agencies, and citizens.
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