# Joe Craft

> Joe Craft is chairman, president and CEO of Alliance Resource Partners, the Tulsa-based energy partnership he helped establish through a 1996 management buyout and 1999 public listing. A Hazard, Kentucky, native with University of Kentucky accounting and law degrees, he supports educational and athletic institutions in his home state, including the Craft Academy at Morehead State. His public life also includes Republican fundraising and a Giving Pledge commitment.

- **Role:** Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.
- **Organizations:** Alliance Resource Partners, L.P., MAPCO Inc. (former executive), MAPCO Coal Inc. (former president), Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics (benefactor and co-founder), Joseph W. Craft III Foundation, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (former chair), BOK Financial Corporation (director reported in company filings), National Mining Association (director reported in company filings), Republican National Committee Presidential Trust (2024 co-chair)
- **From:** Hazard, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Accounting, University of Kentucky, Juris Doctor, University of Kentucky College of Law, Senior Executive Program (executive education), MIT Sloan School of Management
- **Known for:** Led the 1996 management buyout that established Alliance’s independent coal business., Helped take Alliance Resource Partners public in 1999 as the coal industry’s first publicly traded master limited partnership., Made a $6 million gift toward the Joe Craft Center, which opened in 2007.

## Career timeline

- **1972** — Graduated from the University of Kentucky with an accounting degree.
- **1976** — Earned a law degree at the University of Kentucky.
- **1980** — Recruited to MAPCO’s coal subsidiary in Tulsa as general counsel, according to his first-person interview.
- **1986** — Became president of MAPCO Coal Inc.
- **1996** — Led the management buyout of MAPCO’s coal business, backed by the Beacon Group.
- **1999** — Alliance Resource Partners went public; began serving as president, CEO and director in August.
- **2007** — Inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame; the Joe Craft Center opened at the University of Kentucky.
- **2012** — Signed a Giving Pledge letter dated October 25.
- **2015** — Craft Academy opened at Morehead State University with its first 60 students.
- **2018** — Served as chair for the Kentucky Chamber’s 2018 year.
- **2019** — Became Alliance’s chairman effective January 1.
- **2024** — Named co-chair of the RNC Presidential Trust alongside Kelly Craft.

## Achievements

- Led the 1996 management buyout that established Alliance’s independent coal business.
- Helped take Alliance Resource Partners public in 1999 as the coal industry’s first publicly traded master limited partnership.
- Made a $6 million gift toward the Joe Craft Center, which opened in 2007.
- Pledged $4 million toward the launch of the Craft Academy.
- Contributed $4.79 million toward the University of Kentucky football training facility, named for him in 2016.
- His foundation’s $3 million gift for the Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise was accepted by the University of Kentucky in June 2019.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Alliance’s investor-relations site posted an October 12 announcement scheduling its third-quarter 2026 earnings conference call.
- **2026-08** — Kentucky Power Foundation announced a $25,000 grant supporting the Craft Academy Scholarship Fund established by Joe and Kelly Craft.
- **2026-07** — Alliance completed a $206.2 million acquisition of interests in AllDale Minerals III and IV on July 1. Craft said cumulative oil and gas royalty investment exceeded $1 billion.

## Links

- Website: https://arlp.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-craft-bb538b163

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joe-craft
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23