Erin Blanton

Erin Blanton is an administrative assistant for the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) Digital Economy Team. Blanton works closely with TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY), Teleworks USA and other emerging digital economy initiatives aimed toward enhancing and advancing the region’s digital economy workforce. 

Before joining EKCEP, Blanton served a year-long AmeriCorps VISTA term through EKU’s Office of Regional Stewardship at its Corbin Campus. Her VISTA duties included regional stewardship and public relations support for several non-profit organizations, specifically with Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), East Kentucky Leadership Foundation (EKLF), Kentucky Promise Zone, Berea Partners for Education, and Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. 

Blanton is a public relations graduate of Eastern Kentucky University’s Department of Communication. During her study, she was selected as one of EKU’s first SOAR interns and has followed the organization’s evolvement since the summer listening sessions in which she served the Education and Retraining Working Group and the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Working Group. 

She was also a member of the EKU Public Relations Team that provided media coverage for the EKLF Conference in 2014 and then took a leadership role within the team for the 2015 and 2016 conferences. 

Blanton has found her vocation in the non-profit sector and attributes her dedication for the region to her mentors and network of folks who are just as passionate as her about seeing the success of the region's people.