Lt. Gov. Coleman Appoints Two to National Lieutenant Governors Association Aerospace Committee
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2025) - The bipartisan National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) recently launched the NLGA State Strategies Committee on Aerospace, a national body to advance aerospace, aviation and defense policy in the states and territories. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman has appointed Rocky Adkins and state Rep. Rachel Roarx to serve on the committee as her proxies.
Adkins, of Sandy Hook, serves as senior advisor to the Beshear-Coleman administration. Roarx, of Louisville, represents the 38th District in the Kentucky House of Representatives.
“Kentucky ranks third in the country in total aerospace exports, and Kentucky is the only state in the country with two cargo freight airports that rank in the top ten – Louisville International and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman, NLGA 2025-2026 Chair-Elect. “The projected growth in Kentucky’s aerospace and aviation industries presents unique challenges and opportunities in growing a skilled workforce, and I look forward to the NLGA Aerospace Committee dialogue on education and career training opportunities to support an aerospace workforce.”
According to the Aerospace Industries Association, the aerospace and defense industry supports communities in all 50 states, employing more than 2.2 million people across the country and bringing in almost $19 billion in state and local tax receipts. In Kentucky, the industry accounts for 17,000 jobs with approximately $85 million in state and local tax receipts.
Aerospace, aviation and defense are rapidly evolving industries that present dynamic challenges and opportunities that can benefit from strong state-to-state collaboration. States and territories are instrumental in advancing aerospace by shaping policy, enacting legislation and fostering partnerships across key areas such as workforce development, economic growth, supply chain resilience, manufacturing and production, defense communities, research and innovation, regulatory frameworks and more.
NLGA is the nonpartisan, nonprofit, professional association for lieutenant governors and those officials second-in-line to governors in the 55 U.S. states and territories. More information on the NLGA State Strategies Committee on Aerospace is available here.
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Gov. Beshear Announces RISING, a Documentary From Team Kentucky on Rebuilding Eastern Kentucky Following 2022 Floods
Film to premiere Sept. 18 at the Mountain Arts Center, with governor, developers, nonprofit partners and survivors set to attend
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2025) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced RISING, a documentary from Team Kentucky that tells the story of the strength and resilience of Eastern Kentuckians as they undertake the most ambitious rebuilding effort in the nation following the historic 2022 floods. The documentary will premiere on Sept. 18 at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, with a roundtable discussion to follow the screening.
“RISING is a story that shows what’s possible when you put your people first, work together and demand a solution that will bring meaningful change,” said Gov. Beshear. “The people of Eastern Kentucky are some of the strongest, most resilient people I’ve ever met, and they deserve a future where their homes and loved ones are safe from floods – and that is what we’re creating together. The floods brought devastation, but, as this film shows, Eastern Kentucky is now full of hope.”
The 60-minute film chronicles the joint commitment of Gov. Beshear, state and local leaders to rebuild homes for survivors on abandoned coal mine sites out of the floodplains. Now, eight high-ground communities are either completed or in progress, with new homes on higher ground, protected from future flooding.
“Whitesburg saw historic flooding in 2022 that left so many without homes, and forced us to think about long-term rebuilding plans,” said Whitesburg Mayor Tiffany Craft. “The new high-ground sites in Letcher County, and across Eastern Kentucky, are providing our people with safe housing options. People from Whitesburg are proud to be from here, and these new neighborhoods are making sure our people can stay home, in their new, high-ground homes.”
RISING features stories and voices from state, federal and local leaders, as well as flood survivors, first responders and nonprofit partners. The film seeks to show the world what is possible and proves that, by working together, we can rise above any challenge.
The film was reviewed by Silas House, New York Times bestselling author and former Poet Laureate of Kentucky, who shared: “This deeply moving documentary combines archival footage and retrospective interviews to illuminate the heroic efforts of rescue and recovery performed by grassroots efforts and the phenomenal response of the team headed by beloved Gov. Andy Beshear during a devastating Kentucky flood. A film that leaves the viewer feeling hopeful and inspired by what people and government can do when they work together, and when elected officials truly care about – and serve – their constituents.”
On Thursday, Sept. 18, the Governor and Team Kentucky will host the premiere of RISING at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg. Doors open at 5 p.m. EDT for a red-carpet walk and reception, followed by the 6 p.m. premiere. Following the screening of the film, the Governor and other leaders will take part in a 30-minute roundtable discussion at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the event are limited, and guests are encouraged to RSVP here.
The film will be available to watch following the premiere at rising.ky.gov and on the Governor’s YouTube at youtube.com/govandybeshear. It is free to screen the film, but if able, viewers are encouraged to donate an amount of their choice to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund at teamkystormrelieffund.ky.gov, where all proceeds go to rebuilding efforts for storm survivors.
RISING was produced and edited by Team Kentucky with support from the Tourism Arts and Heritage Cabinet and the Cabinet for Economic Development.
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Lt. Gov. Coleman Joins HealthTrackRx To Celebrate Milestone for $45.5 Million Operation in Louisville, Set To Create 230 Full-Time Jobs
New facility is company’s largest and most advanced laboratory
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 10, 2025) – Today, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman joined local officials and leadership from HealthTrackRx, a premier infectious disease laboratory, as the company cut the ribbon on its new operation in Louisville, a $45.5 million project creating 230 full-time jobs.
“Making sure Kentuckians from every corner of the state have access to quality health care services is one of our top priorities and it’s critical to the commonwealth’s continued growth,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Companies like HealthTrackRx are continuing to choose Kentucky to locate and grow, providing quality services and well-paying jobs. I want to thank the company’s leadership for believing in the commonwealth and congratulate them on this major milestone.”
“I am incredibly excited to celebrate this exciting next step for HealthTrackRx and the Louisville community,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “We have the workforce, resources and thriving business economy HealthTrackRx needs to be able to provide innovative solutions to health care issues we face across the state. Today’s event, and the company’s commitment to the commonwealth, is an incredible example of what happens when we work together as Team Kentucky.”
The new operation, located at 2425 Universal Way, is the company’s largest and most advanced laboratory, supporting the rapid growth and demand company leaders anticipate in the molecular diagnostics space. The facility not only houses some of the most sophisticated equipment in the industry, it also allows the company to employ a highly skilled workforce in the expanding biotech sector. The jobs created are offering above-average wages and fostering a skilled labor pool of Kentucky workers that aligns with the growing needs of the biotech and health care industries.
HealthTrackRx is a premier infectious disease laboratory, delivering next-morning results against an industry standard of three to five days. For more than 20 years, the company has provided diagnostic laboratory services to clinicians and served as a trusted partner to health care professionals nationwide. The company’s nationwide next-morning results with clinically actionable treatment recommendations have helped reshape patient care by mobilizing faster clinical decisions, cultivating insight on antibiotic stewardship and providing rapid, actionable results that enable providers to make informed patient treatment.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg welcomed the company to the community: “Louisville is proud to welcome HealthTrackRx and their cutting-edge diagnostics facility to our city. This investment brings over 230 good-paying jobs to our community, strengthens our growing life sciences sector and affirms Louisville’s position as a national hub for healthcare innovation. We’re excited to partner with companies like HealthTrackRx that share our vision for a safer, stronger and healthier Louisville.”
Trevor Pawl, CEO of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance, spoke on the impact the company will have: “HealthTrackRx’s expansion into Louisville, and their decision to locate at UPS Labport, is a powerful testament to Louisville’s unique logistics advantage and growing life sciences sector. This facility will enable faster, more scalable diagnostics delivery while leveraging our skilled workforce and innovation ecosystem. Louisville’s continued momentum in life sciences signals a new era of regional economic growth fueled by technology, innovation, talent and transformative investment.”
HealthTrackRx’s investment and job creation build on the best five-year period for economic growth in state history.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,200 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $43 billion in announced investments, creating more than 63,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and over $18 billion more than the next highest total.
The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. Since 2022, the average incentivized hourly wage has topped $26 in three consecutive years for the first time.
Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States: Ford Motor Co. and SK On’s transformative $5.8 billion, 5,000-job BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County; AESC’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Toyota’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County; Ford Motor Co.’s $2 billion, 2,200-job commitment in Louisville; and Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing’s $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County, among others.
The Governor’s administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.
Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service.
Earlier this year, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky in the top five nationally and second in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2024 Governor’s Cup rankings. Site Selection also placed Kentucky second in the South Central region and No. 6 nationally in its 2025 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects.
Gov. Beshear also announced a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home, to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.
To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in September 2024 preliminarily approved an incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide tax incentives based on the company’s investment and annual job targets.
By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.
In addition, HealthTrackRx can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.
For more information on HealthTrackRx, visit HealthTrackRx.com.
A detailed community profile for Jefferson County can be viewed here.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at NewKentuckyHome.ky.gov. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at facebook.com/CEDkygov, on Twitter @CEDkygov, Instagram @CEDkygov and LinkedIn.
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