Kentucky's counties are grouped into 15 regions known as Area Development Districts, or ADD's (see map). Although they are public bodies under Kentucky law, the ADD's are not State agencies nor are they another level of government. Instead, the ADD's should be thought of as partnerships of local units of government. Locally-elected officials and citizen members comprise the ADD boards of directors. The ADD staffs are made up of professionals with a wide range of backgrounds in such areas as economic development, human services, management, and planning. By sharing the expertise found on the ADD staffs, local governments are collectively able to afford the professional staff that many counties and cities could not afford by themselves