The women leading Northern Kentucky

BY KENTON HORNBECK | LINK nky REPORTER

It’s difficult to look around Northern Kentucky without noticing how many women are at the helm in businesses and nonprofits.

Whether it’s advocating for economic development, dedicating time to helping disadvantaged communities or helping the region get recognized on a national stage, these are some of the women who wake up everyday to continue improving the region.

Nancy Grayson

Nancy Grayson is the President and CEO of Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky, a community foundation designed to manage multiple funds specifically dedicated to the benefit of Northern Kentucky. Grayson’s responsibility is to work collaboratively with the various community leaders of Northern Kentucky to find solutions that best serve the needs of the region.

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Julie Kirkpatrick, Nancy Grayson and Alecia Webb-Edgington pose

contributor

As a community leader, Grayson serves on countless boards dedicated to improving education, promoting healthy family relationships, and preserving the natural resources and history of Kentucky. Currently, she serves on the Endow Kentucky Commission, LINK Media Managing Board and the Metropolitan Club Board of Governors.

Grayson was the recipient of the Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year Award in 2022, and NKY Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Award in 2021, among others.

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

“Being a female professional, a mother, a wife, a friend, and a volunteer can be challenging in that there are so many demands on our time as women. As my friend Jeanne Schroer of the Catalytic Fund once wisely said on a panel, “You can have it all as a female leader, but perhaps not all at one time.” That really resonated with me. The idea also affords us all some grace with trying to be the ideal image of a woman.”

Do you have a message you would like to share with young women who aspire to be in a similar position?

“Don’t be afraid to try something that might scare you or feel different than the path you believe you should be taking professionally. You might be surprised to find out what you learn about yourself and what new opportunities might unfold.”

What woman leader inspired you early in your career?

“It’s difficult to choose just one, but I would like to share the name of someone who currently inspires me: Candace McGraw. She has truly helped to strengthen our region and to move our community forward through her leadership at the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport.”

Allyson Cook is the President and CEO of Erigo Employer Solutions, an administrative employment services firm which offers clients services in human resources solutions, payroll, benefits administration and recruiting.

Cook was previously an attorney where she accumulated over 30 years of business experience and legal expertise. Before Erigo, served as legal counsel for Stites & Harbison, PLLC in Covington where the firm dealt in commercial finance, employment, healthcare, general business services and litigation.

In her role, Cook advised and counseled many women-owned and minority-owned businesses on how to obtain business and governmental certifications, as well as structuring joint ventures and teaming arrangements to maximize business opportunities for her clients.

What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?

“I think one of the biggest factors for me is that early on in my career I had the opportunity to work in many different areas of the law and for clients in all different industries. I enjoyed every client, case and project that I worked on. I also had great mentors along the way, and the knowledge that I gained from my colleagues and clients has definitely helped me with the successes that I have enjoyed in my career.”

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

“I think that starting out as a young, female attorney in a new area for me was challenging. While I had the knowledge and skill to be an attorney, law school did not really prepare me for day-to-day practice as an attorney. I spent a lot of time worrying about "what I didn't know" in the early days, and I feel that was a barrier for me early on in my career. As time progressed, I worrIed less about "what I didn't know,” and I really just focused on performing my work to the best of my ability. get the best answer and the best service to all your clients. I think as it evolves, those barriers become less and less.”

What woman leader inspired you early in your career?

“I really can't name just one woman leader who inspired me early in my career. I was very fortunate early on to be around a lot of successful women who allowed me to see them in their professional roles as leaders on a daily basis. I learned alot from all of them. In fact, I have taken a little something from each of them along the way that has helped me advance in my career.”

Julie Kirkpatrick

Julie Kirkpatrick is the President and CEO of meetNKY, Northern Kentucky’s official tourism and convention services bureau. The goal of meetNKY is to improve the region’s quality of life by driving economic growth through tourism marketing and destination development.

Kirkpatrick joined meetNKY in 2014 where she served as the organization’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. She was instrumental in the development and launch of Northern Kentucky’s signature bourbon tourism brand, the B-Line. Under her leadership, meetNKY had several record-breaking years in hotel occupancy and overall economic impact from tourism.

Prior to meetNKY, Kirkpatrick had a successful 20-year career in the hospitality industry, working for several hotel brands.

What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?

“I know that I do not accept the status quo and the idea that things always have to be a certain way. I had some people rolling their eyes when we started marketing Northern Kentucky as a bourbon place. I was curious about the history as well as the potential and I would say that after five years of dedicated marketing, Northern Kentucky is thought of as a gateway to Kentucky bourbon.”

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

“One of the most significant barriers that a lot of women face is the need to do it all –super leader, super mom, super friend, super partner. Sometimes in my career I have been a good leader, okay mom, and awful friend. Other times an awful leader, good mom, and super friend. As women, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be super at everything. I realize at this point in my career that even a role I adore and that gives me so much satisfaction will not hold my hand if I am in the hospital. Maybe COVID helped put a lot more of that in perspective. As you grow in your career, balance becomes key.”

Do you have a message you would like to share with young women who aspire to be in a similar position?

“I would tell young women that aspire to leadership to always be authentic and genuine. If you have a great sense of humor, let that show. Develop the ability to laugh at yourself when you mess up and always hold yourself accountable when you fail, because it will happen. Learn from things that don’t quite work out as you planned and fail forward.”

Sylvia Buxton

Sylvia Buxton is the President and CEO of Perfetti Van Melle USA, the North American branch of the multinational Dutch-Italian confection manufacturer that makes recognizable brands such as Mentos, AirHeads and Fruit-tella.

Buxton is an experienced veteran of the confectionery industry, previously for the Hershey Company for 24-years. While at Hershey, Buxton served as Senior Marketing Director of America’s Chocolate, Senior Marketing Director for Hershey’s seasonal brands and Senior Global Brand Director after Hershey’s $1 billion purchase of Brookside Foods.

Her executive experience makes Buxton a key player in the confectionery industry, and a unique regional leader with both national and international connections.

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

“The challenging thing about career growth for women is that bias and discrimination often flies under the radar, which makes it more difficult to overcome. I would answer that I thought of myself as a leader rather than a woman leader. As I’ve become more experienced, I’ve realized that this is a flawed approach. It is important to face bias head on, so I need to embrace the fact that I am a woman and that brings with it a series of expectations that I need to understand to address. If I don’t recognize them personally, then I can also fall prey to my own biases about women and myself as a woman leader.”

Do you have a message you would like to share with young women who aspire to be in a similar position?

“The most important thing I could suggest is to dare to succeed. A lot of women, me included, can often be their own blockers as we have a tendency to think that our good work will speak for itself, and may not have the courage to step up and ask to be considered for a stretch role. Some of the best things have happened in my career when I pushed myself into an uncomfort- able space”

What woman leader inspired you early in your career?

“For me, it was my mother. Hers is a really amazing story of growing up in Montreal, Canada before World War II. My mother joined the Women’s Army Corp, and she met my father who was a pilot in the British Royal Air Force and was stationed in Montreal briefly. After a whirlwind romance, the two got married right before my dad was shipped back to England for active duty. Throughout our childhood mom single handedly made sure that we all had delicious food on the table (her pies were legendary), the house was always spotless and the laundry was done (it was left folded on our beds). What I learned from my mom were many important life lessons including having a strong work ethic, serving others, learning, and growing, and being open to new opportunities.”

Catrena Bowman

Catrena Bowman is the Executive Director of the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, a nonprofit organization with programs that aim to enable families to achieve healthy social support and financial stability.

Bowman has a lengthy history of nonprofit community involvement, having previously worked for the Community Action Council in Lexington. Bowman was responsible for the agency’s community centers, youth programming and workforce development initiatives.

Besides her nonprofit work, Bowman is a small business owner in Covington. Her boutique, Inspired Fashion, opened in November 2021 and is located at 827 Madison Ave. The boutique allows women to experiment with different styles and colors, helping them step out of their fashion comfort zone.

What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?

“Having a strong network and support system is the biggest factor that has helped me to be successful. When I moved to Northern Kentucky I did not know anyone. My connections in Lexington lead me to women in the Northern Kentucky region that in turn connected me with the Chamber and other valuable networking opportunities. I now have a circle of friends and business colleagues that I can call upon when I face challenges or issues as well as help me celebrate successes.”

Do you have a message you would like to share with young women who aspire to be in a similar position?

“I encourage every young woman to dream BIG! Don’t be afraid to try something that is in your heart even if you’ve never seen it done before. You are the catalyst to your life’s story and everything that you want to accomplish is possible with hard work and determination. Do not be afraid of the answer No – it is not an end, it’s a means to an end – keep going.”

What woman leader inspired you early in your career?

“Elaine Brown was the first female to lead the Black Panther Party. She used her voice in a male-dominated world to impact change and to lead an entire party to cel- ebrate black culture. Her story showed me that even in the most difficult and trying times women will rise to the occasion and make something happen.”

Alecia WebbEdgington

Alecia Webb-Edgington is the President and CEO of the Life Learning Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people learn, secure, and sustain a better way of living through gainful employment.

Through her leadership, the Life Learning Center earned national recognition for their The Foundations for a Better Life Program for individuals facing employment barriers. The 12-week program focuses on addressing five domains of life: physical, financial, spiritual, emotional, and relational.

Prior to her nonprofit career, Webb-Edgington was the 63rd District representative in the Kentucky House of Representatives. She was reelected in both 2008 and 2010, and served on committees such as Transportation, Education and Appropriations and Revenue.

What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?

“Work ethic. Never turning down an opportunity and always in pursuit of the next thing; asking myself 'what are we going to accomplish next?' Not being satisfied with being mediocre and surrounding myself with people who were tenacious and hardworking and way smarter than Alecia

Webb-Edgington.”

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

“Sometimes people make assumptions based on my sex as well; my capabilities, intellect and capacity have all been underestimated. People put capacity on women because they’re mothers, oftentimes limiting their opportunities because of assumptions made on their private lives. I have never let the fact that I am a wife and mother restrict my capabilities; that has only made me that much stronger and it made me a better leader.”

What woman leader inspired you early in your career?

“My grandmothers and my mother. I consider them leaders because they were leaders in their church, community, and in our family. My mother took an active role in her teacher’s association and in politics. These women didn’t sit around and wait for things to happen, they made things happen. They were resourceful with limited resources.

They would rally the troops to help others and come up with solutions; they knew how to get stuff done.”