Colby Kirk's deep roots in Eastern Kentucky run far deeper than most: his family and his wife's family have called the region home for about 170 years. That heritage now fuels his work as president and CEO of One East Kentucky, the nine-county regional economic development organization dedicated to bringing jobs and investment to the coal-dependent region, according to the University of Kentucky News.

Kirk, who earned his finance degree from the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics in 2015, grew up in Inez, a town of about 600 residents in Martin County. Rather than pursue opportunities elsewhere, he chose to return home. "It's where my family has been forever, it seems, and my wife's family as well," Kirk said. "We like the slower pace of life and the tight knit community that a town like Inez can offer."

His leadership journey began with an internship at Inez Deposit Bank during high school, where mentor Mike Duncan encouraged him to think bigger and apply to the Governor's Scholars program. That mentorship proved pivotal, directing Kirk toward finance and eventually toward economic development. After studying abroad in South Korea during his junior year at UK, Kirk returned determined to use his education to strengthen his home region.

Kirk's career trajectory reflects his commitment to Eastern Kentucky. He taught high school mathematics in Inez before founding One Harlan County in 2018, where he worked to expand the county's economic base through small business development and downtown redevelopment. In 2019, at age 29, Kirk made history by becoming one of Martin County's youngest-ever judge executives. During his tenure, he secured a $150,000 Product Development Initiative investment to improve an industrial building and attract new jobs.

Since taking the helm of One East Kentucky in 2022, Kirk has embraced an aggressive regional recruitment strategy. The organization serves nine counties—Floyd, Knott, Johnson, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Perry and Pike—that have lost more than 30,000 jobs during coal industry decline. Under Kirk's leadership, One East Kentucky has recruited nearly 1,500 jobs, according to the UK article.

Kirk emphasizes untapped regional strengths, particularly the transition of coal mining skills to advanced manufacturing. "We focus on industries that fit the region's strengths, especially metalworking," he said. Recent successes include bringing Dajcor Aluminum to Perry County for its first U.S. manufacturing operation and facilitating Logan Corp.'s continued presence in the region, which has created over 100 jobs.

His vision extends beyond immediate recruitment. "I think a lot of people that I grew up with felt like if we were to be successful, we had to move away because opportunity wasn't here for us," Kirk said. "When I leave my role at One East Kentucky, I would love it if young people were proud to grow up in this region and have an opportunity to stay here if they want it."

His work has earned regional recognition. The Kentucky Association for Economic Development named Kirk the 2024 Young Professional of the Year and awarded him the 2024 GIS WebTech/KAED Award for Technology Leadership for leveraging innovative digital marketing tools to attract companies to Eastern Kentucky.