Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks is leaving his elected post at the end of this month to become the community’s chief industrial recruiter.
Monday afternoon, at a special meeting of the South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council’s board of directors, the members voted to name Hendricks the EDC’s executive director.
Hendricks, 46, was re-elected to his second term as mayor in November 2018. He is leaving the job with three years left in his term.
When the EDC job became available, it was hard to pass up the opportunity because he knew he wouldn’t be seeking a third term as mayor and he had to consider the timing of finding his next job, said Hendricks, in an interview at his office shortly after the EDC board voted on his hiring.
“The reason I was willing to step forward now and express interest is because I have a passion for it, I believe I have the skill set for it, I know I have experience in it,” he said. “And it was inevitable that I would be looking for something in the next two to two-and-half years because I cannot afford to wait until the term is up to find the next opportunity. I wish I could, but I am not independently wealthy, so I can’t. It was just a matter of time before I had to raise my head up and start looking. “
As mayor, Hendricks makes about $75,000 a year. His income will double to $150,000 with EDC. The starting salary is $30,000 less than Lindsey earns now, and Hendricks will not have a contract, said EDC board chairman Lee Conrad.
Under Kentucky law, Hopkinsville City Council has the authority to name an interim mayor to serve until a special election, said Christian County Deputy County Clerk Melinda Humphries.
Hendricks will fill the EDC vacancy created by Mark Lindsey’s departure. Lindsey announced several weeks ago that he would be leaving the job. He is going to work for Baird (formerly Hilliard-Lyons) at its Hopkinsville office.
The EDC met in closed session (as the Kentucky Open Meetings Law allows for discussion that could lead to a hiring) at the Pennyrile Electric office on Harrison Street before returning to open session to vote on Hendricks’ appointment. The vote was unanimous. No discussion followed, and the meeting adjourned immediately.
At about the same time, Hendricks was meeting with his staff at the municipal building to tell them the EDC board was voting on his appointment. He didn’t know yet if the vote was confirmed, but he said he couldn’t delay telling the city workers because speculation about him getting the EDC job began circulating on social media Friday afternoon.
The EDC board did not advertise the job, but Conrad said the opening was public knowledge after Lindsey announced his plan to leave. Several people contacted the board about their interest. Hendricks was interviewed on Dec. 10. No other candidates were interviewed.
Hendricks said the EDC position is probably not a job he could retire from, but he said he hopes it’s one he could perform for five to seven years.
Before he ran for mayor, Hendricks was president of the Christian County Chamber of Commerce.
The EDC recruits industry for Christian, Todd and Trigg counties.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
