LTADD celebrates 58 years of regional progress at 2026 Annual Meeting
In a celebration of growth, leadership and the power of regional partnership, the Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD) hosted its 58th Annual Meeting, bringing together its Board of Directors encompassing leaders, both elected officials and citizen members, from across its eight counties and 26 cities representing more than 280,000 residents in the Lincoln Trail region.
The celebration, held Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Historic State Theater in Elizabethtown, focused on the growth of the ADD through new innovative services and the reorganization of the ADD’s departments to work more efficiently for its members.
“Three years ago, we began a journey to transform this agency,” LTADD Executive Director Daniel London said. “We moved to an entrepreneurial operating system because we knew that to serve this region effectively, we had to build a depot of talent, bringing in leaders and experts who are the best in their fields.”
Because of the new services and the need to better align business strategy and efficiencies by creating ownership of each discipline which will create additional revenue to serve its members, LTADD underwent a reorganization in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Restructuring its areas of local government support, economic development, workforce and aging services and including its two new services of engineering and communications, LTADD is better positioned to meet its members’ needs through the divisions of Community Asset Planning & Engineering (CAPE); Community Aging & Social Engagement (CASE); Community & Regional Economic Development (CRED); Finance, Asset & Compliance (FACT), and LINC Communications.
“The reorganization sets us apart by design,” London said, noting organizing by business divisions is also a first for state ADD agencies. “The results of our reorganization speak for themselves. Three years ago, we had only 34 employees, and today, we are projected to be at a record-breaking team of 52 by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. Our budget has grown from $15.2 million in Fiscal Year 2023 to more than $30 million in Fiscal Year 2026, all of which represents increased investment and service back into our eight-county region.
“This year, we aren’t just celebrating numbers; we are celebrating a team that has truly bought into a culture of excellence,” London added. “That’s what this team has done in providing a return on investment to our team owners. That’s not money that has fallen from the sky or COVID money, it’s money our team has gone out to earn and put to work for our team owners.”
None of what LTADD has accomplished would be possible without support from the board of directors and employees, who have worked hard to build a culture that makes the agency a place where the best of the best want to work, London said.
“We cannot do what we do without a great Board of Directors who believe in our vision,” London said. “They are the owners of this progress, and the culture our employees have built is a direct reflection of the support and leadership they provide.”
The event also featured the installation of new officers and the presentation of the district’s most prestigious service awards.
Hardin Circuit Court Judge Larry Ashlock administered the oath of office to the 2026 LTADD officers: Chair Washington County Judge-Executive Timothy Graves, 1st Vice Chair Hodgenville Mayor Jim Phelps, 2nd Vice Chair Becky Miller, Secretary Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory, and Treasurer LaRue County Judge/Executive Blake Durrett.
As part of the transition of leadership, Graves presented outgoing Chair Marion County Judge/Executive David Daugherty with a commemorative gavel and team jersey, honoring his three years of dedicated leadership.
