About Us
The Louisville Metro Department of Economic Development works in concert with the city’s real estate development and land use planning staff to offer concierge service to companies looking to grow their business or locate new operations, while convening regional partnerships to attract new talent to our city.
The Department of Economic Development has been named a Top Ten Economic Development Organization nine times by Site Selection Magazine, the leading trade publication for economic development, and a Top 5 U.S. Metro for Economic Development in 2022.
Leadership & Administration
Benjamin Moore, Director
Benjamin oversees all economic development for the city. In his role as director, he works daily to attract new companies to Louisville, help businesses already located in our city expand, and support entrepreneurs.
Call him at (502) 574-1379.
Joshua McKee, Ph.D., Deputy Director
Joshua oversees the Target Industries and workforce solutions functions while leading the cluster strategy. He also is the point person for foreign direct investment and international economic development, in addition to serving as the strategic connector for university town-gown partnerships and relationships.
Call him at (502) 574-1526.
Keisha Allen, West Louisville Senior Economic Development Manager
Keisha focuses on the nine neighborhoods of West Louisville, and she works collaboratively with community organizations and businesses both small and large to retain, attract, and grow their operations throughout the communities of West Louisville.
Call her at (502) 574-6950.
Keshia Swan, Assistant Director
Keshia manages daily office operations, handles invoices, coordinates site visits, develops Salesforce reports, and works with the Director on special initiatives.
Call her at (502) 574-3901.
Key Industries
Ron Burse, Health & Aging Innovation Economic Development Manager
Ron specializes in Louisville’s Health & Aging Innovation sector and supports the economic development of companies that specialize in health technology, innovations that improve quality of life for the world’s aging population, and companies interested in joining the world’s largest concentration of company HQs dedicated to health and aging care.
Call him at (502) 574-2974.
Jacob Medley, Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Economic Development Manager
Jacob specializes in the Advanced Manufacturing sector, building upon the city's rich history in manufacturing as it moves into a new era. He also supports economic development of businesses in the Logistics and eCommerce sector as the city is home to one of the busiest cargo airports in the world.
Call him at (502) 574-4596.
Beth Sarkar, Food & Beverage Economic Development Manager
Beth specializes in the Food & Beverage sector and works to advance Louisville's reputation as the bourbon and culinary capital of the world. She works with global and local companies that can help brands take their products from concept to consumer.
Call her at (502) 574-1343.
Research & Data Analytics
Melissa Ryan, Senior Research Analyst
Melissa primarily analyzes national and regional labor force data, researching current economic and business trends, and assisting with local policy initiatives and grants.
Gabriella Ratliff, Policy Analyst
Gabriella conducts policy research on economic development issues and best practices, analyzing economic data and trends, and assessing the impact of various policies and initiatives at the local, state and national level.
Small Business
Ashby Eggers, Small Business Economic Development Manager
Ashby specializes in providing resources and information to aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced business owners throughout Louisville, with a special focus on the Dixie Highway corridor.
Call her at (502) 574-1140.
GiGi Talbott, Small Business Economic Development Manager
GiGi specializes in providing resources and information to aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced business owners throughout Louisville.
Call her at (502) 574-1375
Theresa Hathaway, Small Business Development/METCO Manager
Terri manages the Metropolitan Business Development Corporation (METCO) small business loan program. The METCO Board approves and provides a variety of loan options to support the growth of small businesses. Terri also manages the underwriting, servicing and collection of loan requests and closing.
Call her at (502) 574-1346.
Brenda Hyatt, Small Business Development/METCO Loan Specialist
Brenda works with Terri to administer the Metropolitan Business Development Corporation (METCO) small business loan program.
Call her at (502) 574-1521.
