Clark Welch promoted to lead organization’s strategy for economic growth

Louisville, Ky. (August 30, 2023) – Following a nationwide search, Greater Louisville Inc. named Clark Welch as its vice president of economic development. Welch is a Louisville-native who previously served as director of economic development for GLI and has over a decade of experience in strategic economic growth, real estate, and research.

“Clark has built a positive reputation before and during his time at GLI as a leader who can build bridges, steer strategic growth, and sell our region. His expertise and strong connections with economic development stakeholders make him a great fit for this role,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of GLI. “I am thrilled to see his continued growth within our organization and am confident he will drive tremendous results for our region.”

In his new role, Welch will oversee GLI’s growing economic development team, operations of the Greater Louisville Partnership, and the organization’s strategy to bring more jobs and investment to the 15-county region. He will also oversee the Greater Louisville Partnership’s project pipeline, generating leads, supporting site searches, and assisting county partners in locating transformational projects.

“Greater Louisville is embracing regionalism more than ever and it’s critical the Greater Louisville Partnership has a leader who can build consensus and open new lines of communication. Clark adds tremendous value to the partnership, and I am excited to continue working together to capitalize on the exciting growth our region has seen in recent years,” said Mariah Gratz, CEO of Weyland Ventures and chair of the Greater Louisville Partnership.

Prior to joining GLI in February, Welch worked as a senior associate in commercial real estate for Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL). He spent time working for both the International Economic Development Council and European Commission, giving him a breadth of experience in national and international economic growth strategies. He started his career working in economic development for the Louisville Downtown Partnership.

“A strong partnership between Louisville Metro and GLI is critical to the long-term success of our city. Clark is a collaborative and skilled economic development professional that I believe can help strengthen the competitive advantages of the region and position the city of Louisville for continued growth,” said Pat Mulloy, Louisville Metro Deputy Mayor of Economic Development.

In addition to Welch’s promotion, GLI has also hired Veronica Vaughn as manager of economic development and industry networks. Vaughn will report to Welch and help support existing economic development staff to grow the project pipeline and leverage GLI’s industry networks to support growth in target industries including healthcare and aging innovation, technology, and advanced manufacturing and logistics.

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About Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc. is the Metro Chamber of Commerce and represents 15 counties in Kentucky and Indiana. GLI’s mission is to grow businesses and the regional economy. GLI supports businesses during every stage of development and represents the collective needs of the business community by advocating for pro-growth policies and economic development investment, and deploying programming centered around attracting and developing talent and economic inclusion. GLI is the 2019 National Chamber of the Year and is one of only three percent of chambers nationally certified with 5-star accreditation status by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Learn more on social media @GLIchamber or visit www.greaterlouisville.com.