Reid Haire, who spearheaded exponential growth and economic development in Daviess County while serving as Judge-Executive from 1998-2010, has filed to run for the position again. He said experience is key for the position, and he wants to bring new solutions to old problems.
Haire was first elected Daviess County judge-executive in 1998 and re-elected as judge-executive in 2002 and 2006 by wide margins.
“We did so many marvelous things, the community and I, working together during those 12 years,” Haire said. “And I realize that today more than ever, experience really matters and leadership really matters. So, despite this gray hair, I still want to re-energize this county, to bring fresh ideas, young ideas, and new solutions to old problems.”
Though much of the growth is evidenced by projects outside the City of Owensboro limits, Haire’s administration played a pivotal role in the transformation of the riverfront.
“We partnered with the city to completely revamp our downtown area,” Haire said. “The investment we made has resulted in hundreds of millions of private investment dollars to make Owensboro the envy of the region.”
Haire’s interest in healthcare access resulted in a $9 million Community Health Center and a half-billion-dollar expansion of the local hospital into a regional leader meeting the needs of the region — adding 500 new jobs to its existing workforce of 2,500 by the year 2011.
Haire has also championed greater access to higher education. He led the purchase of land and allocated county dollars to build Kentucky’s first locally financed four-year public university (Western Kentucky University-Owensboro).
Haire said he has “worked to redefine local economic development strategies to emphasize entrepreneurship, research and innovation.”
During his tenure as Judge-Executive, Haire’s focus on public safety resulted in a new jail, two new fire stations, more deputies patrolling county roads, and state-of-the-art emergency service equipment.
He also led the project to transform flooded, unused land into a regional soccer complex, along with using reclaimed land to establish the Daviess County Gun Club.
His involvement even extended to the nonprofits, as he helped dramatically increase support for the local museums, symphony and performing arts center.
“All of this was done with the same property tax rate as it was in 1999 when I took office,” Haire said. “Whether we talk of infrastructure or economic development or healthcare or recreation or education, we can find new ways of overcoming challenges without costing the citizens more. I want to make Daviess County a real leader in this region and in this state. The time is now. We can improve the quality of life for so many in this community.”
Haire was born in Louisville and is the oldest of nine children. His father Jimmy was a World War II veteran who worked at International Harvester and his mother Mary Beverly Thompson Haire worked at home.
The first in his family to attend college, Haire graduated from Bellarmine University with a degree in political science, working full-time through college at a local factory.
Upon graduation, Haire was hired by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and was appointed to a post with the IRS. After 27 years of service, he retired as Western Kentucky Regional Manager. During that career, Reid lived in Louisville, Owensboro, Hopkinsville, Paducah, Lexington and Washington, D.C.
Reid is happily married to the former Brenda Nesmith of Nashville. They reside in the central part of Daviess County, south of Masonville.
Haire has three daughters and sons-in-law, Christy and Matt Gross, Shannon and Derek Janquart, and Lori and Jason Counts; along with granddaughters Carly, Ashton, Aidren, Sophia Reid and Scarlett and grandsons, Max and Sam.
