2010 Hall of Fame Inductee Joseph W. Craft III Class of 1976

Joe Craft is president, chief executive officer and a director of Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. ( “ARLP”), the fifth largest coal producer in the eastern United States, and also president, chief executive officer and Chairman of the Board of ARLP’s General Partner, Alliance Holdings GP,L.P. (“AHGP”), both of which are publicly traded Master Limited Partnerships trading on the NASDAQ. 

Under Craft’s leadership, ARLP earned a Standard & Poors ranking of No. 39 out of 10,000 companies for total return to investors during the last 10 years. On a similar performance track, Alliance Holdings GP, L.P. (AHGP) has also increased unitholder distributions. 

Craft has served in various industry leadership positions and is currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for The University of Tulsa, a director for Bank of Oklahoma, and Tulsa Community Foundation. He was inducted into the City of Tulsa Hall of Fame in 2007 in June 2008, Ernst & Young recognized Craft as Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southwest Region in the Energy, Chemical and Mining category and, in 2009 he was inducted into The University of Tulsa’s Business Hall of Fame as an Outstanding Business Leader. In 2010, Mr. Craft was inducted into the Gatton College of Business and Economics Alumni Hall of Fame and the University of Kentucky’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni, the highest recognition bestowed by the university on graduates for their professional accomplishments.