When he took the job as executive director of the Logan County Economic Alliance for Development in 2008, Tom Harned viewed it as a short-term post-retirement gig.

Thirteen years later, at age 80, Harned has finally stepped down from the role as the county’s chief economic development professional.

“I told them when I took the job that I would promise to stay three to five years,” said Harned, a Simpson County native who retired in 2006 from an economic development job in Martinsville, Va. “It turned out to be a little longer than that. It has worked out well.”

Harned retired June 30 from LEAD, which is now being led by former state Rep. Jim DeCesare, who is contracting with LEAD through his The DeCesare Group firm that specializes in business development, marketing and public relations.

DeCesare, who served in the state legislature from 2005 through 2018 and spent time as chairman of the House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee, is serving as LEAD executive director under a contract that Logan County Judge-Executive Logan Chick calls “temporary.”

“He is working for us on a six-month contract for now,” Chick said. “Everything is working out well. This will give us a chance to see what happens.”

Harned, who was involved in the search for a new executive director, believes contracting with DeCesare was a good choice.

“It’s extremely difficult to hire a qualified economic development professional for a rural community,” Harned said. “You don’t have the ability to pay the kind of salary that’s needed. When Jim offered his services on a contract basis, the search committee accepted. He has extensive knowledge in economic development and has hit the ground running.”

A member of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development Hall of Fame, DeCesare has worked in business development locally for Alliance Corp., Stewart-Richey Construction and Kelley Construction.

He believes the contract with LEAD is a good fit for his fledgling firm.

“This is kinda in my wheelhouse,” said DeCesare, 55. “I was involved in economic development on the state level, and now it will be on a local level. I’m excited to do it.”

DeCesare, who will work in LEAD’s Russellville office “a few days” each week and from home on other days, comes into a county where big employers like Logan Aluminum and Champion Petfoods are well-established and continuing to grow and where two industrial parks have sites available.

“We’re looking to retain what we have and also bring in some new industry,” DeCesare said. “We’ll work with existing industries to help with expansions. That’s why we’re here.”

DeCesare will have a ready-made mentor in Harned, who plans to stay in Logan County.

“Tom has a lot of institutional knowledge,” DeCesare said, “and he has offered to help out when needed.”

Harned’s track record includes luring Champion Petfoods to Auburn, helping Logan Aluminum expand to its current level of nearly 1,500 employees and overseeing the establishment of the Logan County Career and Technical Center that provides vocational training.

“We’ve expanded our industrial parks and procured grant money for infrastructure,” Harned said. “We’re well-positioned for future growth.”

Chick was involved in hiring Harned in 2008 and says it was one of the best decisions of his tenure as judge-executive.

“He was a natural fit for our community,” Chick said of Harned. “Everybody looked up to Tom, and he was a mentor to me.

“We have been blessed as a community to have him doing economic development.”