(Louisville) – Once again, Greater Louisville Inc. is honoring the legacy of Charles Herd with the Charles F. Herd Scholarship to the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) national conference. Brad Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, will receive this year’s scholarship to the ACCE conference in Nashville. The Hardin County Chamber is an integral part of GLI’s Advantage Greater Louisville regional partnership, which markets the assets of the 15-county, bi-state region for economic development.
Raised in Elizabethtown, Richardson graduated from Georgetown College in 1974 with a degree in business administration and political science. He enjoyed a long and distinguished career in economic development beginning in Frankfort in the State Commerce Cabinet as the Director of the Industrial Development and Marketing Division, where he was part of the team that brought about record growth for the state including Toyota Motor Corporation’s assembly plant in Georgetown. Additionally, he served as the President and CEO of the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership until 1997, and is a graduate of both Leadership Louisville and the Bingham Fellows.
Currently, Richardson is the 2016-17 President of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives, a member of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Lincoln Trail Area Development Board of Directors.
The scholarship is named for Charles F. Herd, who served as president of the Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce from 1966 to 1983. Mr. Herd passed away in 2015. During his tenure, Mr. Herd began the emphasis on regionalism that is still a significant focus for Greater Louisville Inc. He also cared deeply about the chamber profession, as evidence in his past-presidency of the ACCE and two-time past-presidency of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives.
In honor of Mr. Herd’s legacy, Greater Louisville Inc. established the Charles F. Herd Scholarship Fund. This scholarship for professional development is awarded to a chamber leader and covers the registration fee to attend ACCE’s annual conference for the Chamber’s CEO or Director as well as $250 towards hotel accommodations. This year’s conference will be in held in Nashville, TN from July 16- July 19. More details can be found at www.acce.org.
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About Greater Louisville Inc.
Greater Louisville Inc. – the Metro Chamber of Commerce is focused on growing the regional economy. As the region’s largest convener of business leadership, GLI leads economic and global outreach strategies focused on business attraction; nurtures the entrepreneurial eco-system; and champions the development of the community’s talent base. As the voice of Greater Louisville’s business community, GLI advocates for a pro-business environment and facilitates businesses engagement on issues that impact regional competitiveness. For more information, visit www.GreaterLouisville.com.