Executive Director
Green River Area Development District (GRADD)
Jiten S. Shah has
been the Executive Director of the Green River Area Development
District (GRADD) since 1987. His responsibility as Executive
Director includes guiding professional planners and administrators
in providing technical assistance to the 27 cities and seven counties
in GRADD.
Jiten collaborates and coordinates with local, state, and national
officials to carry out mission of GRADD “to afford local governments
and citizens a regional forum to identify issues and opportunities;
and to provide leadership in planning and implementing programs
to improve the quality of life in our district.”
Jiten earned a
Bachelors and Masters Degree from the University of Baroda, India,
in Civil Engineering. He went on to earn a Masters Degree in Environmental
Engineering from West Virginia University.
Jiten has served on numerous state and national committee and boards
in the areas of planning, leadership, and regionalism.
He has served as Chairman of the National Association of Regional
Councils (NARC), NARC Executive Directors Committee, and Chairman,
Kentucky Association of Development District Directors.
In addition
to his national involvement, he also maintains to stay committed
on the local level serving as past president for the Owensboro
Sister Cities - International Board, Daviess County Rotary Club,
the Owensboro Human Relations Commission, and RiverPark Center Diversity
Board.
Under his leadership, Owensboro Sister Cities established
a Sister City relationship with the City of Olomoucky Region
in the Czech Republic. GRADD recently entered into a Proclamation
establishing the first Sister Region relationship with Olmoucky
Region. In addition, at present, Sister Cities is looking into creating
another relationship with Nisshin-shi in Japan. Jiten also led a
group of public and private leaders including the Lt. Governor of
Kentucky on a Trade Mission to India to help promote business opportunities
and culture awareness between Kentucky and India.
Jiten has received
numerous prestigious awards including the National Association
of Development Districts (NADO) J. Roy Fogle Award in 1992, which
is given to an Executive Director of a multi-county planning
and development organization. In 2002, he was awarded by NARC with
the Walter Scheiber Award for promoting and implementing regional
approaches and in 2005 he received the Elizabeth Munday Recognition
Award for his continuing efforts to better the lives of senior citizens
in our region.
GRADD has been known on the state and national levels
as having the best “family friendly” environment to aid
its employees to be the most knowledgeable and creative.
It is with tenacity of motivating and guiding the staff
as well as local governments that GRADD continues to win
national awards for its programs as well as its innovative
ideas to improve the lives of the citizens of our communities.
Jiten also takes every opportunity given to speak at school systems,
colleges, professional organizations and agencies with
regards to promoting cultural diversity and creating cultural
diversity events.
Some of the most recent cultural diversity events
celebrated in our region under Jiten’s leadership include: “Gift
of Sight” an international dinner hosted by the Daviess Rotary
Club; Cinco de Mayo Festival, “Afternoon of Tea, Biscuits,
and Sari’s,” and “Hurricane Katrina Relief Dinner” all
of which involved a diverse group of citizens and organizations.
He
resides in Owensboro, Kentucky, with is wife Kathy. They
have three children, Chris, Monika, and Nina, and two grandchildren.
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