When I was in high school over twenty years ago Martha Layne Collins was elected the first, and to date the only, woman Governor of my home state Kentucky. I remember what an exciting time that was and one of my good friend’s mother jumped for joy when she heard Collins had defeated baseball legend Jim Bunning by over 100,000 votes (10%).
One of Collins’ accomplishments as Governor was securing state incentives, reverse investments which at the time were rather controversial, to lure Toyota Motors to locate a manufacturing plant in Georgetown, KY. Today thanks in large part to Collins and Toyota Kentucky enjoys a $1 billion trade surplus with Canada. The largest export for Kentucky to Canada is transportation. Toyota is in the headlines these days for more disappointing reasons but they remain an important employer and source of numerous other businesses and jobs created in Kentucky since then.
These were just a few of the topics in a discussion with Consuls from the Consulate of Mexico and Canada hosted by the Kentucky World Trade Center (www.kwtc.org), an organization that Collins is now the chairwoman. KWTC is an affiliate the World Trade Centers Association global network and does great work to facilitate international business and stimulate economic development in Kentucky. I was delighted to see former Governor Collins who is still getting it done and someone who would get my vote today now that I’m old enough to do so.
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