Alliance Resource Partners, L.P announced that Joseph W. Craft III, President and Chief Executive Officer of ARLP's general partner, has assumed the additional role of Chairman of the general partner's Board of Directors. Mr. Craft replaces John P. Neafsey, who retired effective January 1, 2019 after serving as Board Chairman since 1999. Mr. Craft was instrumental in the acquisition of the Alliance coal business in 1996 by the Beacon Group from MAPCO Coal Inc., and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of ARLP's general partner since its formation and led ARLP's IPO in 1999. Mr. Craft also served as Chairman, President and CEO of the general partner of Alliance Holdings GP, L.P. ("AHGP") since its inception (AHGP was a publicly traded master limited partnership from 2006 until completion of ARLP's simplification transactions in 2018). Alliance also announced that, concurrent with Mr. Neafsey’s retirement, Robert J. Druten has been elected to the general partner’s board of directors and will serve as Chairman of its Conflict Committee and as a member of its Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Druten served as a director of AHGP's former general partner from January 2007 through December 2018. Mr. Druten currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kansas City Southern Industries Inc. He is also a Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Entertainment Properties Trust and a member of its Audit, Compensation, Finance and Governance Committees. Mr. Druten previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hallmark Cards Inc. from September 1994 until his retirement in August 2006.