Business Journal July/August 2015

Business Kentucky

July/August 2015 Volume 34 Number 6

Northern

Journal

Skyward A Vision for NKY

LNK/RYL 2016 Classes Announced

Providing Innovative Solutions and Healthier Outcomes for Kentucky Businesses.

Dan Cahill, PhD,

Vice President Kentucky Market Leader

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AROUND THE CHAMBER

In this issue Business Journal May/June 2015 4 From the President 5 Regional Economic Outlook Report 7 From the Chair, Steve Harper 9 What Sectors Drive Our Local Economy?

10 Skyward: Elevating Northern Kentucky 11 myNKY: Community Visioning

18 Leadership Class 2015 Makes Impact with Makerspace 18 Meet the Leadership Northern Kentucky 2016 Chairs 19 Announcing the LNK Class of 2016 20

Emerging 30

22 Women’s Initiative Spotlight: Getting to Know Candace McGraw

12 Four Goals, One Future 14 Facing Challenges Head On 15 A Look Back at Vision 2015 16 IMPACT Leadership Programs Encourage Personal Growth 17 Welcome Regional Youth Leadership Class of 2016

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Chamber Snapshots

26

Member Milestones

33

Upcoming Events

34

Ribbon Cuttings

On the cover:

MEMBER MILESTONES

Vision 2015 is now Skyward, “Envisioning the Future for Northern Kentucky.” As shown on the cover, this re-branding, reflecting their commitment and longevity far beyond a finite plan, includes a new website. Visit Skyward at www.skywardnky.org to learn more about Skyward, planning of the myNKY public engagement campaign, and how to get involved.

Share Your Good News by Submitting Member Milestones to the Business Journal Promotions, awards, appointments, and new positions are major milestones. All member organizations and their employees are invited to share announcements of their personal achievements in the Milestones column. Send Milestones to rgibeau@nkychamber.com

CEO/Publisher Trey Grayson

Periodicals Postage Paid at Covington, KY ISSN (0274-757X)

Creative Director/Editorial Director Rena Gibeau rgibeau@nkychamber.com

Northern Kentucky Business Journal is published bi-monthly by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Inc., 300 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 330, P.O. Box 17416, Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017.

Phone: 859-578-8800. Website: www.nkychamber.com.

Graphic Design Artboy Animation Director, Sponsor Investments Diana McGlade dmcglade@nkychamber.com

The Business Journal is a benefit of membership and included in membership fees. Annual subscription rate for nonmembers is $24.

Director, Member Investments Laura-Aurora (L-A) Stopa lastopa@nkychamber.com

Periodicals Postage Paid USPS-548630 at Covington, KY.

Chamber Communications Committee Chair: Shelly Whitehead, Emily Gresham-Wherle, Bill Powell, David Rhoad, Kelly Rose, Rachel Folz, Katie Scoville, Meredith Fossett, Shayna Crowley VP Public Affairs & Communications Adam Caswell July/August 2015

Postmaster: Please send address changes to the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, 300 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 330, P.O. Box 17416 , Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017-0416.

Subscribers: Please send address changes by e-mail to info@nkychamber.com. © 2015, The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and by the individual authors. All rights reserved.

NKY Chamber Business Journal

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Photo courtesy of Lead Magazine/ Wes Battoclette, photographer

PERSPECTIVE

Let’s Get To Work Trey Grayson, President & CEO, NKY Chamber of Commerce In this issue of the Business Journal, we take a look at myNKY, the latest vision for our region. Going back to the early 1980’s, Northern Kentuckians have developed a series of visions of what Northern Kentucky should look like in the future and then worked to make each vision a reality. It’s hard to imagine what Northern Kentucky would look like today without some of the institutions and initiatives envisioned in prior reports, such as Tri-ED, RiverCenter, the Catalytic Fund, service learning, the Northern Kentucky Education Council, UpTech, and the Urban Learning Center, just to name a few. myNKY has a shorter time horizon – five years – than its predecessor visions, and with only four goals, is much more strategically focused to achieve greater economic prosperity and civic progress across the region. The Chamber expects to be an active partner in achieving all of the goals, which encompass Jobs, Health, Education and Vibrancy.

To begin, though, I’d like to focus on the Jobs goal – myNKY has the talent and tools to retain, expand, start and attract businesses – because the Chamber is at the center of two of the tactics to achieve this goal.

You have heard in the past few months about the Chamber’s efforts to address the shortage of skilled workers in our advanced manufacturing sector. Grow-

Northern Kentucky was one of only seven areas in the country to receive funding from the US Chamber of Commerce in a national grant program designed to close the advanced manufacturing skills gap.

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ing out of discussions at Impact NKY, the Chamber’s non-profit foundation, the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Coalition, whose members include industry, service providers, nonprofits, educators and government, has been making some early progress with a collective impact approach that is focused on meeting employer demand.

Recently, the Coalition hired veteran economic development professional Ed Ratterman to lead this effort. We are focused on both short- and long-term solutions, meeting two of the transformational tactics identified in the myNKY report. Already we are being recognized for these efforts, as Northern Kentucky was one of only seven areas in the country to receive funding from the US Chamber of Commerce in a national grant program designed to close the advanced manufacturing skills gap.

For Northern Kentucky to thrive, we need to be known as a place where innovation and risk-taking are rewarded and celebrated. The Chamber is now at the center of helping to make that happen.

Another transformational tactic identified in myNKY is to cultivate a more entrepreneurial environment. To be candid, the Chamber is a relative newcomer to this space, but since my arrival at the Chamber, we have begun working much more closely with UpTech, the region’s informatics business accelerator, and TriED’s eZone, as well as with other actors in this entrepreneurial eco-system.

When Naashom Marx joined our team as Vice President of Business Growth a NKYChamber.com

few months ago, this work has accelerated even more. The Chamber is now regularly convening meetings to identify opportunities to work together to address common problems and to further the growth in this space. Naashom has some great ideas of even more that we do in the future. For Northern Kentucky to thrive, we need to be known as a place where innovation and risk-taking are rewarded and celebrated. The Chamber is now at the center of helping to make that happen.

Our advocacy committees are already at work identifying priorities for this upcoming session.

Achieving the other three goals – increasing kindergarten readiness, improving population health and ensuring a more vibrant community – will likely require some legislative action in Frankfort.

We plan to be there advocating for those changes, just as we worked in the past few sessions for improved governance at CVG, more tools to fight the heroin epidemic, funding for the NKU Center of Health Innovation and the Gateway Urban campus, and the angel tax credit. Our advocacy committees are already at work identifying priorities for this upcoming session. We are also working on hosting all of the statewide candidates in a series of Government Forums starting in the late summer and continuing up until the November election.

We have a lot of work to do in the next five years to help make the myNKY vision a reality. Let’s get to work!

July/August 2015

ECONOMIC DATA ECONOMIC INDICATORSECONOMIC REPORT INDICATORS REPORT

Establishment Survey (Count of Jobs) Cincinnati MSA (000’s) Goods Producing Industries (000’s) Service Providing Industries (000’s) Cincinnati MSA Manuf. Employment (000’s) Durable Goods Nondurable Goods

Mar 2015

Feb 2014

1,043.2 150.1 893.1 110.5 64.1 46.4

1,032.7 149.0 883.7 109.5 64.0 45.5

Mar 2014

Mar ‘14-‘15 % Change

1,027.6 146.5 881.1 108.5 65.3 43.2

1.5% 2.5% 1.4% 1.8% -1.8% 7.4%

Household Survey (Count of People) Mar 2015

Civilian Labor Force

Feb 2014

The household survey is a count of people.

Mar 2014

Mar ‘14-‘15 % Change

Boone County Campbell County Kenton County Northern Kentucky Total Cincinnati MSA (000’s) Kentucky (000’s) Ohio (000’s) US (000’s)1

63,442 46,932 81,680 192,054 1,070 1,984 5,693 156,318

62,871 46,458 80,948 190,277 1,060 1,965 5,679 156,213

64,981 48,044 83,809 196,834 1,074 2,031 5,678 155,627

Employed Residents

Mar 2015

Feb 2014

Mar 2014

Mar ‘14-‘15 % Change

Mar 2014

Mar ‘14-‘15 % Change

Boone County Campbell County Kenton County Northern Kentucky Total Cincinnati MSA (000’s) Kentucky (000’s) Ohio (000’s) US (000’s)1

60,728 44,846 77,879 183,453 1,019 1,876 5,386 147,635

60,124 44,358 77,111 181,593 1,008 1,856 5,359 147,118

60,885 44,987 78,096 183,968 1,009 1,872 5,311 145,090

4.3 4.4 4.7 4.5 4.8 5.4 5.4 5.6

4.4 4.5 4.7 4.6 4.9 5.5 5.6 5.8

6.3 6.4 6.8 6.5 6.1 7.8 6.5 6.8

Mar 2015

Unemployment Rates (%) Boone County Campbell County Kenton County Northern Kentucky Total Cincinnati MSA (000’s) Kentucky (000’s) Ohio (000’s) US (000’s)1

Feb 2014

Prices and Inflation Consumer Price Indices (1982-84 = 100) US “All Urban Consumers” (CPI-U)(SA) “Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers” (CPI-W)(SA)

Consumer Price Indices (1982-84 = 100) Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky CMSA “All Urban Consumers” (CPI-U)(SA)

Mar 2015

235.2 230.0

235.8 231.6

2nd Half 2014

1st Half 2014

2nd Half 2013

224.5

US Finished Goods (SA) (p)

Mar 2014

235.7 230.7

Mar 2015

Producer Price index (1982 = 100)

Feb 2014

193.5

223.7

Feb 2014 192.5

221.3

-2.4% -2.3% -2.5% -2.4% -0.3% -2.3% 0.3% 0.4%

-0.3% -0.3% -0.3% -0.3% 1.0% 0.2% 1.4% 1.8%

(Billions of chained 2005 dollars; quarterly data at seasonally adjusted annual rates ) (r)

16,264

US Personal Income (Billions of dollars)

Q1 2015 Q4 2014

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(Seasonally adjusted annual rates ) (r)

US

15,129

Q4 2014 16,295

Q3 2014 14,979

US Federal Reserve Board Index of Industrial Production (2007 = 100) Composite Index of Leading Indicators4 (2004=100)

Feb 2014

Employed Residents include those who work for pay or profit, completed at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a familyoperated business, and persons temporarily absent from a regular job. Unemployment Rate is the percentage of the Civilian Labor Force that do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. Persons waiting to return to the same job after a temporary layoff are also considered unemployed.

CPI measures changes in prices for all goods and services consumed by Urban households.

CPI-U includes expenditures by all urban wage earners and clerical workers, 0.0% professional, managerial, and technical -0.4% workers, the self-employed, short-term 2nd Half ‘13-’14 unemployed, and retirees (87% of total population).

Change CPI-W includes only expenditures by hourly wge earners or clerical jobs.

1.5%

Mar 2014 200.0

Mar ‘14-‘15 % Change

Mar ‘14-‘15 % Change -3.3%

Q1 2014 15,832

Q4 2013 14,485

Q1 ‘14-‘15 % Change 2.7%

Q4 ‘13-‘14 % Change

Mar 2014

Mar ‘14-‘15 % Change

105.5

105.8

103.1

2.3%

121.4

121.4

100.9

20.3%

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) or Workforce Kentucky Labor Statistics 2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Survey / 3. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) 4. The Conference Board, US Business Cycle Indicators / 5. Bureau of Labor Statistics / (p) preliminary

Personal income is a measure of all sources of income. This includes wages, dividends, and government transfers. Mandatory contributions to social programs are deducted from this measure.

4.4%

Other Mar 2015

Civilian Labor Force includes all employed and unemployed persons looknig for work.

CLF does not include retirees, students, stay-at-home parents, or those otherwise not seeking employment.

-2.0 -2.0 -2.1 -2.1 -1.3 -2.4 -1.1 -1.2

NIPA (Output, Production, and Income) Real GDP3

The establishment survey is a count of jobs, not people. Striking workers, selfemployed, proprietors, domestic, and farm workers are not included. Part-time and full-time jobs are each counted as one job.

Index of Industrial Production is the output of manufacturing, mining, electric, and gas utilities as a percent relative to 2007.

Composite Index of Leading Indicators includes 10 components and can be found at www.conference-board.org/data/ bcicountry.cfm?cid=1

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NKYChamber.com

July/August 2015

CHAIR COLUMN

Shouting From the Rooftop Steve Harper, President, Harper Oil Products Chair, Northern Kentucky Chamber Woe is me!

I can’t believe all the seemingly insurmountable challenges that we face in this community. Our infrastructure is crumbling. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the sewer overflows downtown or the concrete falling off the Brent Spence Bridge. City budgets are strained by pension liabilities and the limited ways they have to generate revenue. Our health care system is being flooded by drug overdose cases without adequate funding to address it. Economic development is constrained in areas of our region due to the inability to handle the wastewater.

What are we ever going to do about all these problems?

Well I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to the rooftops and shout out for all to hear. But I won’t be shouting Albert Finney’s infamous line from the 70’s movie, Network (“I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!”) No, my response is quite the opposite. I’m going to make sure all who can hear know that I’m so excited to live in Northern Kentucky that I’m barely able to contain myself.

Where else can you live in a community where three counties come together to solve the region’s problems, acting as one through the Tri-County Economic Development Corporation (Tri-ED)? And the mayors of the area’s 36 cities regularly collaborate to achieve bigger goals then they could on their own. The business community comes together under the auspices of your Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to help achieve big things like the passage of the heroin bill in the last session of the General Assembly. The entrepreneurial community is alive and well with UpTech and NKU’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. We have wholly or partially consolidated entities with our 911 Dispatch System in Kenton County, the Sanitation July/August 2015

District No. 1 and the Northern Kentucky Water District. In Boone County the Police and Sheriff’s departments are merged. Vision 2015, recently re-named Skyward, is blessed with an abundance of leaders from throughout our region dreaming of what we can be tomorrow and working to make it so. Some of the best primary and secondary schools in the state are here in Northern Kentucky.

Sure there are challenges coordinating

I’m going to make sure all who can hear know that I’m so excited to live in Northern Kentucky that I’m barely able to contain myself. all this and not everyone agrees. But we kind of get the best of both worlds having a small, neighborhood community feel while at the same time enjoying larger city economies of scale where it makes sense. Important things take commitment and hard work and Northern Kentucky is overflowing with committed community servants down in the trenches with their sleeves rolled up.

And we shouldn’t forget the luxury we have being just across the river from a major metropolitan area. From sports (Reds & Bengals) to the performing arts (Symphony & Pops orchestras, Ballet, Opera, NKY Chamber Business Journal

Playhouse in the Park, Broadway Series at the Aronoff) and visual arts (Art Museum, Taft Museum, Contemporary Arts Center) and other entertainment venues (The Banks, Over the Rhine, Smale Park, Kings Island), we’ve got so much. And let us not forget the additions Northern Kentucky adds to our city (Newport Aquarium, Newport on the Levee, Florence Freedom, Kentucky Speedway, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More College and Gateway College). Northern Kentucky has all the amenities of a city with the warmth and neighborliness of a small town. And we lead the state with our low unemployment rate.

We are so fortunate to live in this area of abundance. But in the words of the late Arthur Ashe, “Success is a journey, not a destination.” We have so much more we can do. We can further consolidate our 911 Dispatch. We can work with Skyward’s effort to bring preschool offerings to more of our population so that all of our youth are able read at grade level by grade three and have a better chance for success in life. We can assist the leadership at CVG as they work to continue adding airlines, flights and more economical seats. Other police departments are looking at the possibility of consolidating.

Some are asking if that could work for fire districts? I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Our opportunities are only limited by our imagination. So, when I’m shouting from the rooftop, I’m calling out to you.

Pull up a chair and let’s figure out what’s next!

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WORKFORCE

What Sectors Drive Our Local Economy?

By Barbara Stewart, Associate Director, Workforce Development, Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board To answer this question, the Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board (NKWIB) conducted a careful analysis of current Labor Market Information (LMI) of high-demand occupations in the 8-county Northern Kentucky region. The NKWIB’s Business Services committee, under the leadership of Andrew Aiello, TANK General Manager, began by reviewing a number of data elements per industry sector. Those elements were: average wages in each county, employment in each county, training vendor information, number of jobs in the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Area, number of local job openings posted through the Kentucky Career Center system, and data related to the fastest growing jobs.

The results of the analysis were then vetted through community partners such as the NKY Chamber of Commerce and TriED to ensure alignment with other workforce development efforts. The results of this analysis were then approved by the full NKWIB. All agreed on the High Demand Employment Sectors for Northern Kentucky shown in the chart to the right.

These sectors will guide the collective impact efforts that the NKWIB, the July/August 2015

Northern Kentucky Career Center system, the NKY Education Council, Gateway Community and Technical College, Brighton Center, the Chamber, Tri-ED, Vision 2015 and Partners for a Competitive Workforce are undertaking. The sector

focus allows us to coordinate our policies, programs and resources to hit the “bullseye” on the workforce development “target” of improving the talent pipeline to meet the needs of Northern Kentucky employers.

High Demand Employment Sectors for NKY • Advanced Manufacturing * • Healthcare * • Transportation/Logistics * *These three sectors rank in the top 5 in our region for projected growth through 2020.

• IT/Business/Finance This sector combines five categories: IT, office/administration, sales/marketing, management occupations and business-financial. LMI data available indicates that IT overlaps with business operations. This sector would support some of NK’s largest employers in the banking, finance and investment industries. The occupations under this category represent 67,000 jobs in the NKADD area and over 221,672 jobs regionally. The growth projection through 2020 for the 8-county area is 7% and regionally, 11.5%.

• Installation/Maintenance/Repair This sector encompasses a majority of the trade jobs available in the area that include short term training with higher paying wages. The growth projection in this sector for the NKY area is 16% and for the region, 8%.

NKY Chamber Business Journal

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FEATURE

Before revealing the grand design of Northern Kentucky’s next strategic plan for the region, we are pleased to introduce the group that is powering this plan. You have known them as Vision 2015, but they’re now setting their sights even higher.

How Skyward Serves Northern Kentucky • Align community energy – By building consensus among convening powers, Skyward helps focus resources on solving complex community challenges.

• Empower stakeholders – A quick and pragmatic problem solving approach helps organizations in our community overcome great challenges.

• Drive finance – We mobilize funding and channel it toward the highest priorities to yield the biggest impact.

• Measure progress – Monitoring of metrics helps us report outcomes and further serve and inspire the people of Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky is a region on the rise. To accelerate this trajectory, the people of Skyward are focused on fundamentals. To create an even more vibrant community that excels in wellness, education, business, and culture, we generate ideas, build capacity, and connect the dots between opportunity and reality. Our approach is to balance an ambitious vision with pragmatic implementation, finding solutions to the core challenges to propel us further.

What is Skyward?

Skyward is a group of big thinkers set on realizing Northern Kentucky’s infinite potential.

We are the same collective who led Vision 2015 for ten years, and managed the strategic action plan for the region, which has helped to nurture and accelerate progress in Northern Kentucky. We have recently re-branded our organization as Skyward to demonstrate our commitment and our longevity far beyond a finite plan.

What do we do?

Skyward is both the engineer and the engine behind Northern Kentucky’s strategic plans. We collaborate with the people who make the region go - from CEOs to volunteers, from students to donors—to make our shared vision a reality.

This means engaging you, the Northern Kentucky community, to determine what will make our region even stronger. In our most recent myNKY public engagement campaign, we asked, “What is your vision for Northern Kentucky? What is working today?

What needs to work harder? Where should resources be channeled?” With these priorities, we then convened a leadership team to create a practical work plan, set ambitious but realistic goals, implement programs and partnerships to accomplish them, and then measure our success over time.

What does success look like?

Healthy, active people. Educated and empowered youth. Thriving businesses and career opportunities. A vibrant culture that energizes our community and brings us all together. These are the elements that exemplify our success. You will read the specifics about the goals, tactics, and indicators for the myNKY 5-year plan. But as we implement the plan before us, the people of Skyward will keep an eye on the horizon to fuel progress over the long haul.

Where are we headed?

It’s in the name: We’re going up. The myNKY plan is the first step in this journey. It will be the foundation for an even healthier, smarter, savvier, prosperous, and vibrant future for all of us.

We have lift off!

Skyward Announces Promotions With the launch of Skyward, the organization is excited to announce the promotion of Kristine Frech to Vice President and Nancy Costello to Director. Frech joined the organization’s predecessor, Vision 2015, in 2012 and Costello joined in 2010. Frech and Costello are responsible for aligning community energy, empowering stakeholders, and driving finance in order to deliver measureable progress in the areas of education and wellness respectively.

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NKYChamber.com

July/August 2015

FEATURE

Elevating Our Community: Fueling Northern Kentucky’s Future As part of the effort to develop Northern Kentucky’s next strategic plan, community members contributed more than 15,000 ideas to the myNKY community engagement initiative.

Over the last year, myNKY has gathered inspiration from brilliant minds here at home and best practices from communities across the country to create the myNKY community vision—a roadmap to advance our region’s progress and vibrancy. We are excited to unveil that vision to you here. While we realize the myNKY vision is just the beginning and that the real work lies ahead, we’re convinced that with the passion, energy, and time given to the project so far, even greater things lie in store for Northern Kentucky.

Community Visioning: Our Past… And Our Future myNKY began as an in-depth public engagement process involving residents and businesses, as well as education, government, and civic leaders in order to develop a shared vision for our community over the next five years and beyond.

Built upon a foundation of more than 15,000 community-generated ideas, the vision and five-year work plan are designed to serve businesses, non-profits, and local governments as a guide for strategic decision-making. Our hope is that the plan will be discussed by neighbors and adopted by boards at all levels, providing them with a foundation for new actions and long-term change.

Northern Kentuckians pride ourselves on our ability to envision the future, but what really sets us apart is our commitment to buckling down, working hard, and making our vision a reality.

That’s why the myNKY vision is the latest in a series of powerful community plans for Northern Kentucky. In 1981, our re-

The Vision: myNKY thrives — Northern Kentucky is acclaimed for connecting education, jobs, health, and creativity in innovative, inclusive, productive ways.

July/August 2015

gion’s first plan, “Northern Kentucky’s Future: Plans, Projects, Potential,” built the Covington skyline we know and love today.

The most recent plan, “Vision 2015: Shaping Our Future,” drove innovative projects and initiatives such as the Northern Kentucky Education Council, The Catalytic Fund, UpTech business accelerator, and the Licking River Greenway and Trails. In 2008, Agenda 360, Vision 2015’s counterpart in Southwest Ohio, was launched. From that day forth, Vision 2015 and Agenda 360 have united our region in new, more intimate ways than ever before.

Now, we introduce “myNKY,” a five-year work plan containing four bold and inspiring goals that will lay the groundwork for long-term community prosperity. With these goals, the vision is poised to bring greater success to our residents, families, and businesses, fostering a community that is vibrant, inclusive, and connected, with residents that are healthy, educated, and rewardingly employed.

Northern Kentucky’s vision for the future is that all children are prepared for kindergarten, all residents lead healthy lives, all businesses have the talent and tools they need to succeed, and all neighborhoods are vibrant, inclusive, creative, and connected. In order to reach our vision for “all,” we must develop a shared work plan to serve as our strategic guide.

This work plan is not only about short-term progress, it is the five-year foundation for long-term change.

NKY Chamber Business Journal

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FEATURE

Four Goals, One Future Five Year Work Plan The myNKY work plan highlights four equally important goals designed to work together for economic prosperity and civic progress across Northern Kentucky. Each goal has been paired with specific strategies and measures for success.

five year work plan

myNKY has children entering kindergarten ready to succeed Early childhood development is essential because experiences early in life can have a lasting impact on later learning, behavior, and health. Providing children with a high-quality environment helps them learn, grow, and develop, while also leading to proven economic returns of $4-$9 for every public dollar invested in a child’s education before the age of five. Therefore, supporting and investing in programs that increase kindergarten readiness rates in Northern Kentucky will not only positively impact that child’s life, it will also have a ripple effect on our future workforce and regional economy. Currently, 53% (or 2,840) of children are prepared for kindergarten in Northern Kentucky. Our goal is to prepare 1,000 more.

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Transformational tactics to realize this goal include: • Implement “Pre-K Works,” a program ensuring high-quality preschool for all 3 and 4-year-olds • Expand the number of high-quality childcare providers in order to meet new-found demand • Increase capacity for best practice home visitation programs • Support legislation and funding mechanisms to expand early childhood education

NKYChamber.com

July/August 2015

FEATURE

myNKY has a culture of good health in which residents lead healthy lives Health is the foundation for Northern Kentucky’s future growth and vitality. Currently ranked 47th out of 50 states in overall health, it is critical for Kentucky to promote healthy behaviors such as active lifestyles, proper nutrition, and smoking cessation. Our dedicated efforts will increase awareness, collaboration, and access to generate a culture of good health everywhere we live, work, and play. With the help of the myNKY vision, we’re determined to make the healthiest choice the easiest choice for everyone in Northern Kentucky. Our goal is to have 20,000 more adults rating their health status as very good or excellent. This represents an approximate 9% shift of adults who previously rated their health status as good, fair or poor.

Transformational tactics to realize this goal include: • Implement LiveWell NKY, a program designating local residents, organizations, and communities as “LiveWell” ambassadors by achieving health goals in exercise, nutrition, and smoking cessation • Implement SmokeFree NKY, a program dedicated to reducing the number of smokers in Northern Kentucky, as well as eliminating second-hand smoke exposure in public places • Invest in and support education, training, and applied research programs designed to improve population health • Increase regional access to mental health and substance abuse services

myNKY has the talent and tools to retain, expand, start, and attract businesses To kickstart our ability to compete more effectively against peer regions, myNKY will push our community further with a talented workforce and an environment designed to give businesses the tools they need to succeed. Nationally, new firms create an annual average of three million jobs. With this compelling figure in mind, myNKY aims to help entrepreneurs turn good ideas into great businesses, and give them the talented employees to make it happen. Our goal is to increase the Northern Kentucky Labor Market Index by five percentage points.

The Northern Kentucky Labor Market Index includes the number of jobs, the unemployment rate, the average annual wage per job, and the size of the civilian labor force. Realizing the myNKY goal means that the Northern Kentucky labor market’s performance is better by five percentage points in 2020 than in 2015, relative to the United States labor market.

Transformational tactics to realize this goal include: • Cultivate an environment that facilitates innovation, entrepreneurial success, and business expansion • Develop a long-term comprehensive pipeline approach to employment in key industry sectors and connect people with their purpose through training and education • Implement short-term strategies to fill deficits in the labor market • Construct and support predictable, frequent, identifiable, and efficient public transit corridors

myNKY is vibrant: intentionally fostering an inclusive, creative, and connected community Northern Kentucky is a region where people from all backgrounds feel included, connected, and welcome. By being intentional about the story we tell through public art and the use of space, myNKY can write a fresh chapter about the people who call Northern Kentucky home — now and in the future.

Utilizing creative place-making will not only ensure a vibrant, ever-evolving region, but will also contribute to a more robust economy, as many jobs are supported by the arts. Our goal is to assemble $5 million dollars for vibrancy in the Northern Kentucky Community.

July/August 2015

Transformational tactics to help realize this goal include: • Develop a public space that brings Northern Kentucky community members together to interact and connect in a sustainable, healthy, and inclusive setting • Utilize public art and projects as a distinctive feature of our region • Leverage pre-development funding opportunities to accelerate redevelopment in the urban core

NKY Chamber Business Journal

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FEATURE

Facing Challenges Head On Narrowing the 15,000-plus ideas, opinions, and priorities collected during the public engagement phase of the myNKY campaign was no easy task.

The four goals articulated in the myNKY vision represent areas of greatest need, desire, and opportunity as identified by the community, local leadership, and national best practices and research. However, these four goals are not the only issues facing our region. Challenges such as solutions for the Brent Spence Bridge, expanding air travel, investing in aging infra-

structure, adding parks and greenspace, combating the heroin epidemic, and facilitating jurisdictional collaboration must be tackled. While myNKY is not focusing on these challenges, we stand ready to support organizations and individuals who lead the charge.

Measuring Our Future Diversity and inclusion are imperative to a thriving community. To that end, instead of creating an overall goal addressing diversity and inclusion within the vision, these values are intentionally woven into our objectives of education, health, jobs, and vibrancy. Each myNKY goal has a specific outcome-based measurement that will help the region dive deeply into race, gender,

and income gaps as the vision progresses. Knowing about disparities within the data allows us to create specific initiatives to narrow gaps and ensure that the entire community, regardless of age, color, disability, familial status, national origin, race, religion or sexual orientation, is growing and prosperous.

The Future Is Now The year 2020 may seem far away, but it’s a fact that our community, region, and world will change over the next 5 years in ways we cannot imagine today.

As we implement the myNKY 5-year work plan, we move toward our ultimate goal of realizing the longer-term vision. In order to achieve this vision, the myNKY plan will be flexible and

responsive—being revisited, renewed, or even rewritten when needed to reflect the reality of the changing times. This plan is our charge for Northern Kentucky residents today and in the future. We invite you to embrace it. We encourage you to support it. We place our trust in you to work together to make the myNKY work plan and vision a reality.

myNKY Is Our Vision Every one of us has the responsibility and social imperative to not only know where our community is headed, but to also take concrete steps to make a difference. myNKY heard the voice of the community and has built goals accordingly. Now the planning is complete, the time has come for Northern Kentuckians to take action, “roll up our sleeves,” and get started on the task ahead.

The vision requires community champions for each goal: education, health, jobs, and vibrancy. Choose the area you’re pas-

sionate about and get involved — challenge yourself to become more educated, lead a healthier lifestyle, support local businesses, and embrace what makes Northern Kentucky unique and special. Take action on small parts of the big picture. Discover your purpose and prepare yourself for the future, knowing you are part of a vibrant, inclusive, and creative community, proudly sharing in the “only one of its kind” region that is Northern Kentucky.

Join our effort to roll out the myNKY strategic plan We aim to accelerate change in the community we love.

Are you ready to join us?

To learn more about the myNKY plan and how you can get involved, visit www.SkywardNKY.org.

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A Look Back at Vision 2015:

FEATURE

Culminating Successes and Continuing Opportunities

By Andrew J. (A.J.) Schaeffer, Chairman, Vision 2015 and Managing Director, Diatom Venture In Northern Kentucky, we honor a decades long, pioneering tradition of creating bold regional agendas and aligning our resources in support of the community’s most compelling, shared ambitions. For the last 10 years, the legacy of this work to strengthen our position in a global competition for talent and economic opportunity has been manifest in the strategies and examples of progress of Vision 2015.

To many in our community, the implementation and impacts of Vision 2015, and the ambitious regional plans that have preceded it, has not often been highly visible or easily recognizable.

In part, that is because transformative initiatives often require a coalition of independent institutions, businesses and individuals, and the process of forging coalition alignment behind common goals and catalyzing action among unrelated stakeholders, can be complex and painstaking. Success in these endeavors requires a unique and critical mass of trust, convening, bridgebuilding, challenging, and inspiring others to act in partnership.

To become real, community ambitions must enjoy not merely the curious interest and observation of business and community leaders, but their passion and genuine partnership in driving an agenda in which they firmly believe and are prepared to invest themselves. Thankfully, we live in a community where our culture and our identity is driven by a spirit of contribution, and as a result, our progress has been steady, and in some cases, extraordinarily impactful. It is clear that “but for” our region’s sustained commitment to collaborative, catalytic, strategic-dreaming-anddoing, the outcomes of Vision 2015 would likely not exist today.

We can also be proud that our community is credited with innovating a highly effective platform for solving complex, multidimensional economic and social challenges; innovation that has come to be nationally recognized in a model known as “collective impact.” In our collective impact model, the credit for successes belongs not to any one organization, but instead, to the businesses, non-profits, education institutions, individual leaders who believe in and work on behalf of purposes greater than their own — and to the funders whose philanthropy unleashes gifted change-makers to focus their professional lives on making real the dreams we share.

As we pause to reflect on Northern Kentucky’s progress, it must be said that the world is today a more competitive place July/August 2015

than it was ten years ago when we set upon the work of Vision 2015. The prospects for this community to stimulate greater economic opportunity, achieve a higher quality of life, significantly improve health and wellness and create an authentic, distinctly inclusive cultural vibrancy, now demand even greater collaboration, focus, effort and ambition. That has proven to be a winning strategy for Northern Kentucky and our entire region.

I look forward to the next ten years and to what we can accomplish together.

Vision 2015’s Collaborative Successes • A Taste of Learning • Access to Care Index • Center for Economic Analysis & Development at Northern Kentucky University • Center for Educator Excellence • Child Health & Needs Assessment • Confluence • Expansion of Success by 6 • Green Umbrella • Licking River Greenway and Trails • nkyHelps.org • Regional Service Learning Network • The Catalytic Fund • The Northern Kentucky Education Council • The Northern Kentucky Forum • The Regional Indicators Report • The Story Project • UpTech • Urban Scorecard • Vision 2015 Northern Kentucky CEO Roundtable

NKY Chamber Business Journal

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LEADERSHIP

IMPACT Leadership Programs­ Encourage Personal Growth Regional Youth Leadership

Leadership Northern Kentucky

Since 1994, Regional Youth Leadership (RYL) has provided an opportunity for Northern Kentucky & Greater Cincinnati area high school juniors to develop their leadership skills and learn more about our region. During the eight-month program, students interact with community leaders from businesses, government agencies, and civic organizations.

RYL class members represent public, private, and home schools from the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region. The RYL Steering Committee always strives to achieve a diverse class, representing as broad a cross-section of the community as possible. Students are given the unique opportunity to learn and work with a diverse group of young leaders from both sides of the river as they explore such topics as diversity, law, local government, economic development, arts & culture, and more. Program sessions, led by business professionals and organization leaders, are held monthly during the school day from August through March. Regional Youth Leadership students are presented with new challenges and opportunities for intellectual, creative, social and personal growth. Regional Youth Leadership believes in investing in our community’s most important resource… our future leaders.

This year Leadership Northern Kentucky (LNK) annnounces its 37th Class. Using the community as a classroom, LNK’s mission is to develop leaders who will effectively serve the region.

Accordingly, its programs are designed to help a diverse group of potential, emerging and existing community leaders acquire an understanding of the strengths and challenges of the region, and the skills necessary to motivate and engage others in collaborative efforts to address them.

LNK holds program sessions during the work day once a month from September to May. During the sessions, participants practice their leadership skills, public speaking, decision making, problem solving, negotiating, listening, team building and networking skills.

In the words of Dan Groneck, President – Northern Kentucky Market, U.S. Bank, LNK Class of 2005, “At U.S. Bank, we send our team members through Leadership Northern Kentucky not to make them better bankers, but to make them better people.”

Both RYL and LNK are non-profit 501c3 programs. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Leisa Mulcahy at lmulcahy@nkychamber.com or 859-578-6388 for more information.

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July/August 2015

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT LEADERSHIP

Welcome Regional Youth Leadership Class of 2016

Madison Baehner Conner HS

Molly Bilz Holy Cross HS

Brad Blanchet Newport Catholic HS

Molly Bonino Mount Notre Dame HS

Natalie Boucher Villa Madonna Academy

Thomas Brockhoff Holmes HS

Noelle Brooks Dayton HS

Callie Bross Amelia HS

Rachel Crawford Lloyd Memorial High School

Benjamin Derge Wyoming HS

Lily Fennell Highlands HS

Katherine Fields Dixie Heights HS

Logan Franxman Covington Catholic HS

Braden Frondorf LaSalle HS

Jacob Grabowski Sycamore HS

Colton Graham Campbell County HS

Julia Harrison Covington Latin School

Noah Holtman Scott HS

Kamryn Huff Boone County HS

Julia James Notre Dame Academy

Sydney Johnson Ryle HS

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Caroline Karwisch St. Ursula Academy

Lauren Mulcahy Walton-Verona HS

Esther Kim Matthew LaMacchia Seven Hills School Summit Country Day School

Isabelle Murray Taylor High School

Drew Ousley Calvary Christian HS

Griffin Lamb Covington Catholic HS

Scott Overbey Mariemont HS

Scott McQueen Villa Madonna Academy

Matt Miller Sycamore HS

Procter & Gamble St. Elizabeth Healthcare Transfreight Doctors’ Urgent Care Peter Paul Vishnu Paranandi Cincinnati Children’s Hospital College of Mount Madeira HS Wyoming HS St. Joseph Northern Kentucky University

Thanks to our sponsors:

Hailey Mueller Newport HS

Leadercast NKY

Thomas More College Pope & Associates Toyota Mansion Hill Photography Cincinnati State Technical and Office Depot Hannah Pilon Community College Kentucky Land Title Agency Summit Country & Associates Covington Police Department Day Tom Sexton

Doctor’s Urgent Care Student Scholarship Sponsors Frost Brown Todd LLC Burch Erectors, Inc. Gustin Construction, Inc. Chick-fil-A Gustin Construction J.F. Brake Interiors KW Mechanical, Inc. Just the Basics Just the Basics, Inc. J F Brake Interiors KLH Engineers

Kaitlyn Powell Cooper HS

Adam Redfield Beechwood HS

Spencer Shatto Homeschool

Mrinal Singh Indian Hill HS

Madison Webb Beechwood HS

Grant Webster St. Henry District HS

Madison Wells Taylor HS

Meg Whelan Notre Dame Academy

July/August 2015

CheyAnn Strasinger Walton-Verona HS

Hailey Wiggins Pendleton HS

Mansion Hill Photography Studio

in sponsoring Katlyn Warndorfa student?

Lexi Twehues Interested NorthernforKentucky University Contact Ann Marie Whelan, amwhelan@nkychamber.com details!

Bishop Brossart HS

Max Wills Seven Hills School

NKY Chamber Business Journal

Ludlow HS

Britton Smith Chair, RYL

Office Depot Pope & Associates Regal Beloit Sam’s Club Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli Walmart Interested in sponsoring a student?

Contact Ann Marie Whelan, amwhelan@nkychamber.com

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LEADERSHIP

Leadership Class 2015 Makes Impact With Makerspace

By Amanda (Van Benschoten) Nageleisen, Director of Public Relations, Northern Kentucky University and LNK Class of 2015 Leaders make an impact in their communities.

This year’s Leadership Northern Kentucky class made a big impact, raising more than $100,000 to open and equip the region’s first Makerspace in collaboration with the Boone County Education Foundation.

A Makerspace is a place where people—in this case, schoolchildren from across Northern Kentucky—can come to experiment, learn and play using everything from 3D printers to a hammer and nails.

Activities focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education. The facility will help train students to think beyond a test or a grade: to think for themselves and create new things.

LNK Class of 2015 took this project on at the request of Boone County Schools’ Brainy Bots and Junior Brainy Bots robotics teams, who had a vision but needed help to make it a reality.

The Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati business community responded generously to our call to action, contributing funds and materials to help make this unique space a reality.

LNK Class of 2015 thanks each business, foundation and individual who helped, especially Perfetti, Toyota and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

“This class project was a true group effort, bringing together not only our class but the entire region’s education and business communities to help create something that will inspire the students of our region to become the next generation of innovators,” said project chairman Larry Luebbers of Central Bank.

The NKY Makerspace opened April 17 with a ceremony that drew state legislators and business and education leaders from across the region.

Located on Barneys Road in Burlington, the facility will be operated and staffed by Boone County Schools. LNK Class of 2015 would also like to thank Superintendent Randy Poe and Deputy Superintendent Karen Cheser for their leadership.

We hope we have created a model that will be replicated throughout the region.

For more information, visit nkymakerspace.wordpress.com.

Meet the Leadership Northern Kentucky 2016 Chairs Chair of LNK 2016, Amy Quinn of Commonwealth Bank and Trust and Vice Chair, Jason Reed of the Kenton County Attorney's Office bring imaginative and intentional leadership to LNK 2016.

My LNK experience reassured me that to whom much is given, much is expected. I learned that it is my responsibility to do what I can to make NKY the best place that it can be. It taught me to Amy Quinn follow my passion, lean in if you will. It LNK 2016 Chair really allowed me to see a side of things that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to be exposed to.

Commonwealth Bank has been extremely supportive of my involvement as they believe in development of leaders and are proud that I have been selected to take on this role.

You won’t find a finer program that will give you the perspective that LNK does. It is a quality program that allows you to work together with people with all different experiences that have the same common goal—to make our region the best it can be. If you fully immerse yourself in the experience, it will cause you to be intentional in how you contribute to your community on a whole different level.

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As Amy and I first started discussing possible themes, she centered her thoughts on “Intentional,” which really spoke to me, too. I value the notion of creativity in thinking, planning, Jason Reed and execution of a plan, and that led me LNK 2016 Vice Chair to suggest “Imagination” as a possible companion to “Intentional.” Putting our two thoughts together led to the development of the theme for LNK 2016 The development of the individual Class member is critical to the experience, in expanding their regional view or improving their network of professional colleagues. When the individual develops and grows, it benefits the employer and the region. At the Kenton County Attorney’s Office several of my colleagues have completed LNK, and we benefit from a breadth of vision that exceeds the day-to-day bias we may develop by being in our tight professional circle.

Armed with the information and experience gained from LNK sessions and projects, LNK Alumni are genuinely prepared to tackle the current and future problems in our region.

NKYChamber.com

July/August 2015

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

LEADERSHIP

Announcing the LNK Class of 2016

Stephanie Allgeyer VonLehman & Company, Inc.

Gary Auffart City of Newport

Josh Batchelor Linnemann Funeral Homes

Laurie Conkright St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Jason Crawford Sanitation District No. 1

Keith Dershem Fifth Third Bank

Jack Gatlin Freund Freeze & Arnold

Michael Hall Citi

Jonathan Marshall DG Advisors

Sylvanus Masih Grace Fellowship Church

Casey Ruschman Duke Energy

Jonathan Salisbury Nexigen

Amy Hatfield Gateway Community and Technical College

Deborah Beil Southern Air Inc.

Justin Brown Novolex/Duro Bag

Patricia Burgess Frost Brown Todd

Edward Butler Kenton County Fiscal Court

Rhonda Chisenhall American Cancer Society

James Dickerson Kevin Donnelly NKY Tri-County Taft Stettinius & Economic Development Hollister LLP Corporation

Greta Elenbaas Citi

Katherine Enzweiler Christian Gamm BB&T Northern Kentucky University

Tyler Gastright Jedson Engineering

Merle Heckman Regal Beloit

Daniel Hunt Ziegler & Schneider, PSC

Watson Jones C.K. Ash & Associates

Mary Jindra Koch St. Elizabeth Physicians

Kara Kramer City of Crestview Hills

Tina LeGris St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Karen Pawsat Messer Construction Company

Michelle Proud PNC Bank

Elizabeth Reeder Adams, Stepner, Woltermann & Dusing

Joseph Reusch DHL Express

Kathleen Roberts Northern Kentucky University

Kim Serra Christopher Schutte Lakeside Park Campbell County Crestview Hills PD Fiscal Court

Michael Stafford Owen Electric Cooperative

Joy Tarleton Chick-fil-A Houston Road

Diana McGlade Christopher Nordloh Kenton County Northern Kentucky Attorney’s Office Chamber

Stephen Saunders Kenton County Airport Board

Nichole Braun Newport/Adult Learning Center

Dana Schilling General Cable

Pamela Schmitt RiverPoint Capital Management

LNK 2016 - Powered By

Torika Thompson NKY Community Action Commission / YouthBuild NKY

Drew Tilow Northern Kentucky Area Development District

July/August 2015

Erin Tuemler Interior Design Consulting Inc.

Robert Whelan USI Insurance Services

Emily Wherle Northern Kentucky Health Department

Julie Witten 4C for Children

NKY Chamber Business Journal

2016 Presenting Sponsor

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BUSINESS

RECOGNIZING 2014 DESIGNEES Emerging 30 is comprised of local businesses making a significant economic impact on the community based on annual revenue growth. Winners receive public acknowledgement of their achievements and are encouraged to offer their guidance and advice to help other small businesses grow during special networking and training opportunities tailored specifically to Emerging 30 designees.

has also become a fairly large business on its own through the winter months.

Submitted by Chris Allen, The Business Spotlight, Inc.

Cru Cutters, headquartered in Boone County, KY, is owned and operated by Chris Cook. The company, founded in August 2005, focuses on keeping their customers happy.

Cru Cutters is a multi-year Emerging 30 Award winner. When asked about the key to their continued success & rapid growth, Chris said, “Happy customers!

We always go out of our way to build relationships with our customers and treat them like friends. My employees attempt to do the right thing and even when there is a mistake, our customers know we will make it right. As a result, we have a 97% retention rate!”

When asked how he’s been able to keep a rapid pace of growth, Chris said, “As we’ve added and grown more services, I’ve put them in separate divisions [Landscape Construction, Maintenance and Turf & Plant Care] to provide better focus on each service and allow each to thrive.

Getting employees cross-trained to build diverse skills has also helped with flexibility to deliver against the projects. Additionally, an expansion site added last year allows better deployment of their crews and equipment plus offers more storage for nursery and equipment storage.”

Chris feels one of their biggest opportunities going forward is in plant and turf care because there are fewer competitors due to the expertise required to meet state regulations. Snow removal service

What a fantastic story of sustained growth! Emerge has been recognized 5 consecutive years as an Emerging 30 designee. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Erlanger, Emerge is focused on best in class technical knowledge and innovative IT solutions for businesses.

Managing partners Richard Brown and Jesse Kegley shared thoughts on what has led to the success of Emerge.

Jesse and Richard both commented several times that the biggest key to success has been the employees and management team at Emerge. Richard stated, “Part of our culture is to grow your knowledge. We have been very fortunate to have a great team of driven individuals that thrive on learning.” Jesse added, “Our mission is delivered by our employees every day. Our people are our brand.”

When asked about the challenges of ongoing growth, Richard spoke about the constant evolution that occurs in the technology industry. He said it has been critical identifying where to focus Emerge around new opportunities to solve technology problems and help customers be efficient.

Jesse commented on a new initiative this year between Emerge and Loth that helps customers by combining workplace solutions and technology into a single conversation. This is a unique solution

that simplifies the buying decision for the client.

Both Jesse and Richard agreed that the Emerging 30 designation has contributed to Emerge’s visibility in the community and has been valuable to the company by enabling connections with other E30 designees and partnering opportunities.

Congratulations to Emerge!

Submitted by Daryl Evans, Morgan Stanley

G2 Local has continued to grow at a rapid pace despite competing in a dynamic industry full of change and competition.

The company, which provides translation and interpreting services, is an Emerging 30 Award winner for the 2nd straight year.

Founder and President Grace Bosworth attributes their ongoing success to the fact that the company is determined to “never be behind the eight ball on a trend”.

Increased diversity and a multi-lingual customer base is a new reality facing many organizations and companies. Changing demographics and an awareness of our region’s diversity provides a wide array of opportunities for G2 Local to take advantage of. G2Local currently provides their services to hospitals, courts, schools, and various corporations across a variety of industries. They provide interpreters by phone, interpreters in person, and written translation services in over 500 languages.

In addition, technology is changing the way G2Local provides their services.

Over the past year, G2 Local has invested

Emerging 30 Award eligibility requirements include being a current NKY Chamber member or a company headquartered in Boone, Campbell or Kenton counties, privately held, in operation for at least four full years, revenues exceeding $250,000 and an average annual revenue growth of 15% or more over the past three years.

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NKYChamber.com

July/August 2015

in video- conferencing equipment to allow them to reach clients more efficiently.

By embracing new technologies, G2Local can provide interpreters to their clients anywhere in the world. Grace believes embracing new technologies has allowed her company to gain an advantage over competitors, and she believes it is a primary reason the company continues to grow.

As such, one of G2Local’s challenges is simply keeping up with the demand, volume, and the number of new languages needing interpreting and translation.

However, Grace is confident that staying true to the company’s values of customer service, time management, and refusing to be out worked will lead to continued success for G2 Local. G2Local’s willingness to adapt and change within a constantly changing industry will position G2 Local ahead of their peers for a long time to come.

and all our employees live these principles every day. As we grow, we remain focused on delivering on these core principles.”

Management believes successful recruitment coupled with strong career development/training is critical to the company’s success and future growth.

Due to industry trends and usual manpower shortages following recessions, recruitment of additional skilled employees continues to be challenging. To meet the challenge the company has been proactive in demonstrating their commitment to employees. Specific examples include opening of the Ion/APEX training center, encouragement of employees to have a career development plan, commencement of mentoring programs, and increased certification opportunities.

Submitted by Keith Carlson, Silverstone Advisors/Blackbird Capital Group

Submitted by Michael Raidt, CFP Assured Neace Lukens Insurance

Ion/Apex Electric, headquartered in Florence, KY, is owned and operated by Jeff Kennedy. The company was founded in September of 2009, after the financial meltdown of 2008, and has grown to one of the region’s largest electrical contractors. Ion/Apex has been recognized by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as one of the top thirty outstanding emerging companies for three consecutive years. Having completed a large number of diverse Commercial, Industrial, Aerial/Cell Tower, and Maintenance related projects nationwide, clients continue to make Ion/Apex Electric their contractor of choice to complete their most challenging projects.

Management believes that historical growth has situated the company to compete with their largest competitors and win larger contracts. With persistent/ accelerated growth usually comes company culture change, yet Jeff Kennedy often reminds company personnel about their Core Principals, which the company doesn’t deviate from: Craftsmanship, Honor, Respect, Integrity, Safety and Trust. Mr. Kennedy states “Our company July/August 2015

We often hear about “The American Dream”—Legion Logistics is proof that the American Dream is still very real. Take a trip to their website at jointhelegion.com and you will learn they mean it when they say “We’re changing the way people think about logistics.” You will see that this repeat winner of the Chamber Emerging 30 designation is a company that keeps it “real” for their employees and customers.

At the core of the growth of Legion Logistics are co-owners Lacy Starling and Tony Coutsoftides. Many know Lacy from her activity in the Chamber, the community and on LinkedIn. Tony mainly stays behind the scenes.

Tony talked about the plusses and minuses of a growing company. “Our growth has been beneficial to our customers because we are able to take on more work for them. The challenge is finding qualified sales people and dealing with the laws that come with being a company with over 50 employees—OSHA, FMLA, all those acronyms that don’t matter when you’re smaller.”

Lacy shared this advice for growing businesses. “Buckle up and hold on tight!

Seriously, leaders of rapidly growing companies need to be adventurous and flexible. Don’t be afraid to try something new, or admit what you tried was a failure and try something else.”

NKY Chamber Business Journal

From scratch just a few years ago to a company with 50 employees and growing, Legion Logistics is the epitome of an Emerging 30 company.

Submitted by Daryl Evans, Morgan Stanley

Cloud architects, those are the words managing partner Stephen Power at RoundTower Technologies uses to describe the overall service his company provides; and by looking at the weather for Mr. Power and managing partner Stephen West, one would say there is an abundance of cloud accumulation in their forecast.

That’s why once again, RoundTower Technologies was recognized by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as one of the area’s 30 Emerging companies.

RoundTower Technologies got its start in 2007 and quickly morphed from three employees to a multi-million dollar, 146 employee, Cincinnati based juggernaut.

Innovation and ‘good people’ brought this data storage company from $0 to a projected $200 million in revenue this year.

What gives RoundTower Technologies the edge? In the words of Mr. Power, “being highly technical, agile and nimble” in the data storage world. He refers to his company as the “boutique cloud storage designers”. Instead of forcing clients to fit skeleton models built for the masses, RoundTower prides itself on hearing the needs of customers and providing custom cloud based storage solutions and security.

So what fuels the fire?

“Hiring good people,” Power says. “We make sure we reinvest in, and empower our people. Our model is wind them up and let them go. If you hire good people, pay them well and empower them, that’s where the magic happens.”

Hope Cincinnati has an umbrella, because with Fortune 1000 clients like P&G, Kroger, 5/3 Bank and more, these cloud architects are making it rain.

Submitted by Keith Carlson, Silverstone Advisors/Blackbird Capital Group 21

WOMEN’S INITIATIVE SPOTLIGHT

Getting to Know Candace McGraw CEO, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Candace McGraw is CEO of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). She was recently named an Outstanding Woman of Northern Kentucky and YWCA Career Woman of Achievement You have been named the outstanding boss in Northern Kentucky. What makes a good boss and what makes a great boss?

I think the key to being a great boss versus a good boss is understanding and appreciating the culture of your organization and being able to create and harness its energy in a productive, positive direction. I respect and admire my colleagues at CVG and I hope that I can be the type of leader that they need and deserve.

You were recently appointed to the board of your national aviation association. Why are there so few women running airports?

Actually, there are a number of very talented women running airports today: LAX, Denver, Oakland, Salt Lake, Columbus, San Diego, Tucson and St. Louis to name the larger airports. There is great camaraderie among women airport CEOs; we all share a friendship and respect for one another. We have a conference call every other month to compare notes and to stay current on issues and we always get together at industry conferences to discuss issues and trends. These colleagues have been a great resource for me.

Those who follow local news know that you went through a very public bout of adversity. What got you through it?

Everyone experiences a few bumps along the way—mine just happened to unfold in a public forum. I believe the way to deal with challenges is to stay focused on what is important and soldiering on. Focus and fortitude are critical to succeed in any situation.

What is your philosophy on handling difficult work situations?

In any difficult situation, you have to devote energy to figuring out the solution and then roll up your sleeves to act on your plan. Hit the issue head on, handle it and then move on to the next issue.

How do you describe your leadership style?

I try to be collaborative and a good listener. A good leader surrounds themselves with very smart and competent people, empowers them to voice their concerns and make decisions, and then lets them do their jobs.

Everyone seems to want a piece of your time. How do you choose an organization with which to be involved?

I moved to the region about 5 years ago. At the time, I said yes to everything so I could gain an understanding of the community and its issues. My time has become more limited, so I now focus on those organizations that align with and foster the mission of CVG.

very forceful in an indescribable way. She was my greatest champion and advocate, teaching me the value of hard work and independence. She was a life-long learner—and we both graduated from college the same year. My mother-in-law was also a great role model. She embodied grace, spirituality and looked for the good in everyone. Both women were very kind and giving.

The balance of home and work life is so often an issue. How have you successfully struck a balance?

Home/work balance has been my greatest struggle. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have ever been able to strike the right balance. For many years, I would often ask successful women if it is possible to “have it all.” Not too long ago, I finally received an answer that resonated with me. I was told it was possible to have it all—but just not at the same time. Professional, personal, and family successes rarely intersect at the same points.

You suddenly have the chance to have three wishes come true. What would they be?

1) A lifetime of happiness for my children; 2) an overabundance of air service for CVG; and 3) a home in Italy on the Mediterranean for me and my husband.

What woman (or women) have been role models for you and why?

I have been fortunate to grow up with and work with strong, smart and confident women. My mother was quiet, yet

Women’s Initiative profiles are written by Laura Kroeger, Past Chair of the Women’s Initiative and President of Communications Project Partners.

What’s the next move in your career?

I am hopeful that my next career move is retirement after a long tenure at CVG.

I think the key to being a great boss versus a good boss is understanding and appreciating the culture of your organization and being able to create and harness its energy in a productive, positive direction.

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NKYChamber.com

July/August 2015

WE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS. HECK, WE ARE A LOCAL BUSINESS. At Huntington, we make it a point to work with those who move our community forward. As the #1 SBA lender in our region, we’re proud to support local businesses and their efforts to make a difference right here in our neighborhood.

Huntington is the #1 SBA 7(a) lender in the region made up of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Western PA. Source: U.S. SBA from October 1, 2008, September 30, 2014.

The Huntington National Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. ¥® and Huntington® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.

Huntington.® Welcome.™ is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. © 2015 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.

AROUND THE CHAMBER

Women’s Initiative Golf Outing July/August 2015

NKY Chamber Business Journal

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MEMBER MILESTONES

Promotions, Appointments, New Jobs & Awards:

Submit your Milestones by email to rgibeau@ nkychamber.com. Posts are limited to about 250 characters. Photos should be 300 dpi and of good quality. Submissions may be edited.

Century Construction Promotes Nick Figgins to Project Manager Century Construction is pleased to announce that Nick Figgins has been promoted to Project Manager. He has proved himself an invaluable asset successfully working in a support role on major projects as well as running smaller projects independently. Nick has been employed with Century since 2013. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Construction Management from Northern Kentucky University.

Century Construction, founded in 1968, is Northern Kentucky’s largest General Contractor.

Gateway Students Win ADDY Awards Students in Gateway Community and Technical College’s Visual Communication Program won recognition at the Cincinnati ADDY Awards.

Matthew Plummer, of Peachtree, KY, won a Gold and a Silver ADDY for his Coastal FUEL logo and stationery package. Amanda Featherston, of Batavia, OH, won a Gold ADDY for her Anti-abortion Propaganda poster and a Gold ADDY for her Red Lady Illustration. Matthew and Amanda are completing their final semester at Gateway and will be looking for summer internship opportunities in the advertising or graphic design field.

The ADDY awards are a national, threetiered (local, district and national) advertising competition with professional and student categories.

Gateway Students Take Top Awards Gateway Community and Technical College’s Speech Team won top honors at the 2015 Kentucky state forensics tournament on March 28-29, topping off a successful season that reflects the commitment and quality of Gateway students.

This year’s tournament, hosted by the University of Kentucky on the campus of nearby Transylvania University, featured teams from across the Commonwealth participating in speech and debate events.

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Member Milestones Chapter and included members from education and economic development. We wanted to create a better prepared, highly skilled workforce to meet the manufacturing needs of companies in the region, while creating rewarding career opportunities. We are pleased to partner with Gateway to make this happen.”

Gateway & NKY FAME Partnership Gateway Community and Technical College and the Northern Kentucky Chapter of the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (KYFAME) announced a memorandum of agreement establishing an educational partnership, which will produce a workforce of skilled manufacturing technicians in NKY. Mike Hirsch, Chapter President of NKY FAME, and Dr. Ed Hughes, President/CEO of Gateway, signed a memorandum of agreement that establishes the new advanced manufacturing work/study program, known as the Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) Program.

Students will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree while preparing for a career as a skilled manufacturing technician.

“The KY FAME agreement provides yet another opportunity for Gateway students to pursue careers in advanced manufacturing through partnerships with the region’s advanced manufacturing industry,” said Gateway President/CEO Dr. Ed Hughes. “This is a win-win. Students learn in the classroom and on the job, while earning income and graduating debt free.

Manufacturers get educated, high-quality employees with local ties.”

“The Northern Kentucky FAME chapter was started with key stakeholders after an exhaustive search for the best apprentice programs for manufacturing, “said NKY FAME Chapter President Mike Hirsch. “We found KY FAME in our own backyard. The Bluegrass region has a proven track record of success by integrating technical skills, manufacturing core exercise and professional behaviors into a dual apprenticeship model. Once we learned of KY FAME, a collaborative team led by industry formed the NKY NKYChamber.com

Crystal Clear Cleaning Earns “Employer of the Year” Award Crystal Clear Cleaning Inc. has been designated “Employer of the Year” by IKRON Corporation, an organization that partners with the City of Cincinnati to provide employment services and job placement for adults with physical disabilities and social challenges. Crystal Clear Cleaning is a commercial cleaning company based in Northern Kentucky.

Each year, IKRON (Integration of Knowledge and Resources for Occupational Needs) recognizes a company committed to hiring individuals who face employment issues because of physical disabilities and social challenges.

“Crystal Clear Cleaning was chosen for IKRON’s Employer of the Year because of their willingness to offer opportunities to a wide variety of our job candidates. Their commitment to providing a quality interview environment, a safe, healthy and flexible work environment, and a ollaborative approach to working with our agency are a few of the ways they are a top employer in our community!” says Randy Strunk, IKRON’s executive director.

Fives Machining Systems Presents Channel Partner of the Year Award Fives Machining Systems, Inc. presented Hillary Machinery, Inc. with their Channel Partner of the Year award at this year’s Houstex show. Hillary exceeded bookings goals within their territory of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. “The Hillary team consistently reaches the bookings goals but last year they really did an outstanding job. Not only did they hit the goals they found new customers and brought in more new quote opportunities than any other team in the country,” said Jason Melcher, Director of Sales and July/August 2015

Channel Development.

Fives Machining Systems Regional Manager, Keith Bossenbroek echoed the praise for Hillary’s efforts. “We owe a great deal of our success to Hillary. The team effort, shared commitment and most importantly the dedication to our “customer first” approach is what contributes to our success year after year.”

Gateway and City of Covington Initiate New Partnership Gateway Community and Technical College and the City of Covington announced today the intent to form a unique partnership that will create a new site for the college’s transportation program and the city’s fleet maintenance operations.

The college has agreed to purchase the former Robke Auto Dealer property in Fort Wright. In the fall of 2015, this site will be the new home of Gateway’s Collision Repair Technology, Automotive Technology and Diesel Technology programs now housed at the Amsterdam Road Campus, and Gateway’s new Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program will move to this location from the Boone Campus.

The Gateway Foundation has secured the property via a lease-purchase option,

MEMBER MILESTONES and the college will complete the purchase of this approximately 11 acre site this summer, or early in the fall, for $3.9 million.

“In 2014, the city decided to assess all facilities and develop a long-term replacement plan for aging structural facilities,” said City Manager Larry Klein. “The city is seriously evaluating this site for fleet maintenance and possibly moving other operations to the site in the future.”

Through this unique partnership, the City of Covington’s fleet maintenance operation could provide additional live work for Gateway students. The details of the collaborative will be worked out over the summer months.

The relocation of Gateway’s transportation programs will allow the college to vacate the Amsterdam Road/Park Hills Campus, paving the way for the long-anticipated sale of the property.

“We are very excited our four year search has ended, and we have this unique opportunity for our students and the community,” said Dr. G. Edward Hughes Gateway President/CEO. “The location, just off I-275 in Ft. Wright, Kentucky, is ideal for both parties. Once again, we are part-

nering with our community to offer students real-world work experiences, working on everything from automobiles to fire engines and other large diesel engines.”

“The City is looking forward to working with Gateway to make better use of and share our tax dollars in a manner that supports economic development in our urban core, and accomplishing a city goal to replace outdated and inefficient facilities,” said Klein.

NetGain Technologies Honored with 6th Best Place to Work in KY 2015 NetGain Technologies, Lexington was recently named by KY Chamber as one of the best places to work in Kentucky. The Best Places to Work in Kentucky award “recognizes employers who set an exemplary standard of excellence for both employer engagement and business success”.

As one of twenty-eight small companies receiving the award, NetGain Technologies was selected based on a two-part evaluation of such criteria as workplace benefits, policies, practices and employee comments.

NetGain was founded in 1984 by Don Jacobson, it began as a small business in a

Join us in welcoming

Patricia Kirkwood Burgess back to Northern Kentucky.

“Trish” is returning to Northern Kentucky as a member of Frost Brown Todd, Florence, after practicing in the firm’s Lexington office for the past nine years. Trish is a native Northern Kentuckian and graduated from Notre Dame Academy, Thomas More College and the University of Cincinnati College of Law. As a trusted legal adviser to clients for over 20 years, she helps individuals and businesses navigate financial difficulties and legal issues to reach innovative, cost-effective and efficient solutions. Trish

emphasizes understanding all aspects of her clients’ businesses to focus not only on their legal issues, but also the practical implications of those issues on their businesses and lives. Trish will

Patricia Kirkwood Burgess 859.817.5905 pburgess@fbtlaw.com

be actively involved in Northern Kentucky through local community and professional organizations.

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July/August 2015

NKY Chamber Business Journal

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MEMBER MILESTONES single office. One of his first employees was his son, and current CEO, Mark Jacobson.

This Managed Solutions Provider (MSP) company has grown to an industry leader with seven locations in six states and over 150 employees.

SSNK Names New HR Manager Dave Orewiler has joined Senior Services of Northern Kentucky to lead its human resources department.

Orewiler has an extensive background in human resources with two Fortune 500 corporations. He previously served as Senior Human Resources Manager with The Schwan Food Company and most recently operated an investment property business with holdings in several states. An accomplished fiction writer, he is the author of several books as d. o. allen.

TMC Receives $500,000 Gift TMC President David A. Armstrong, J.D., announced that the College received a $500,000 gift from the R.C. Durr Foundation. This investment will further support the Thomas More College Success Center (TSC) endowment initiative. In May 2014, the College received an anonymous $4 mil-

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lion challenge gift that needs to be matched within four years. Thanks to the generosity of the R.C. Durr Foundation and previous donors, TMC is now more than halfway to its goal with $2 million raised to date in the first year of the initial challenge.

The R.C. Durr Foundation perpetuates the legacy of R. C. Durr, a native of Kenton County, KY, who grew from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected and loved civic and business leaders in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. President Armstrong acknowledged his appreciation for the gift, “We recognize the role that the R.C. Durr Foundation plays in our community and its long-standing support of Thomas More College. This generous gift demonstrates the power of community partners coming together to help transform lives.”

The TSC will be comprised of three institutes, which will support student success in the classroom and beyond graduation. The Dr. Anthony R. and Geraldine Zembrodt Institute for Academic Support provides peer-to-peer tutoring, academic coaching, and retention services for all students. The second will be the Institute for Learning Differences which will provide professional academic support for students with documented learning differences. The Institute for Career Development and Graduate

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School Planning provides resources with career planning, skill development and supports the College’s new experiential learning requirement.

When achieved, the challenge gifts will bring the total endowment initiative to $8 million. The lead matching gift came from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./US Bank Foundation in spring of 2014 and was followed in February, 2015 by a $1 million gift from TMC alumni Dr. Anthony R. Zembrodt ’65 and his wife Geraldine Zembrodt ‘66, propelling the college forward in its fundraising efforts.

Lula’s for Lunch…and More! Awarded Angie’s List Super Service Award 2014 Customers have spoken—rating Lula’s for Lunch…and More! Catering, a Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky catering service run by Chef Lori Pierce, as the top in service for the Greater Cincinnati region.

Lula’s for Lunch…and More! earned a 2014 Angie’s List Super Service Award, the only caterer in this region to receive this award, and was recommended by the local marketplace and consumer-review site for an exemplary year of service reflected by its “A” ratings.

Celebrating a 10-year anniversary in June, Chef Lori has been a local pioneer in the seasonal, farm-to-table food movement and believes in “Scratch, Local, and Sea-

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July/August 2015

sonal” preparation coming from sustainable supplies. Lula’s for Lunch…and More!

Catering specializes in serving exceptional food for distinctive events serving 10 to 100 guests. Chef Lori takes pride in providing menus custom-designed for client preferences. She works with an array of clients from large multi-national corporations to non-profit organizations and individuals, making their events one to remember.

To win an Angie’s List Super Service Award, a business must meet strict eligibility requirements, which include an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade; the company must be in good standing with Angie’s List, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines. Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List.

Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality.

“I want to thank our customers for recognizing Lula’s with this important honor,” remarked Chef Lori Pierce, owner of Lula’s for Lunch.

Hemmer Building Manufacturing Addition for Zotefoams Paul Hemmer Company (Hemmer) has broken ground on a 53,000 s.f. manufacturing addition to Zotefoams Walton facility.

Zotefoams, a world leader in crosslinked block foams, is investing nearly $22 million to expand its manufacturing capabilities at the company’s North American headquarters and create 25 new, local jobs. Zotefoams Inc. is a subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Zotefoams plc.

For more than 30 years, Zotefoams plc imported its finished products to North America. In the late 1990s, the company opened Zotefoams Inc. in Walton. Zotefoams began to import partially processed raw materials from the U.K. and perform the final manufacturing in Northern Kentucky. Hemmer’s expansion project will allow Zotefoams to become a full-process site.

“Kentucky welcomes Zotefoams Inc.’s growth and success in Northern Kentucky,” Gov. Beshear said. “We’re extremely pleased that a company of Zotefoams’ worldwide influence would choose to expand operations in the Commonwealth, which is another testament to Kentucky being the ideal place for companies to do business.”

The move is expected to help the company be more competitive in the U.S., better serve its existing customer base and sigJuly/August 2015

MEMBER MILESTONES nificantly increase its global capacity. Zotefoams’ cross-linked block foams are used in a wide range of markets, including sports and leisure, packaging, transport, health care, toys, building, marine and the military.

This is the second collaboration between Hemmer and Zotefoams.

“The business model of Paul Hemmer Company really resonated with me and our decision-making team at Zotefoams Inc.,” said Dan B. Catalano, president of North America, Zotefoams Inc. The Hemmer team on the project includes Dave Middendorf, who will serve as Project Manager; and Joe Keller, who will be Superintendent. Paul Hemmer, Mike Hemmer, and Jack Levermann have been instrumental in project development. Randy Schultz of KZF Design is coordinating all project design/architecture.

Carnegie Announces Return of Carnegie Community Supported Art (Carnegie CSA) Initiative Coming off a successful launch in 2014, The Carnegie is pleased to announce the return of The Carnegie CSA, a program originally inspired by Community Supported Agriculture initiatives, which will allow individuals to buy “farm boxes” filled with works of art created by local artists.

“The model of the CSA has proven to be a very popular and effective way to support artists and encourage collecting art that is made locally,” said Matt Distel, Carnegie Exhibitions Director. “Collectors meet new artists and artists meet new collectors and, ideally, those relationships will continue beyond the CSA.” The 2015 Carnegie CSA, modeled on Community Supported Art in Minnesota, will feature the work of nine new local artists/artist teams who have been paid to create 50 “shares” for the program.

All proceeds from the selling of “shares” will go towards sustaining the Carnegie CSA and paying participating artists.

Schworer of Frost Brown Todd Among United Way’s 100 Community Heroes Philip J. Schworer, member of Frost Brown Todd in Florence, KY, was represented among United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s 100 Heroes as the organization kicked off a yearNKY Chamber Business Journal

long celebration of its 100th anniversary.

“We’re honoring these volunteers for helping to create the kind of community we all want, with the kind of opportunities we all need,” says Rob Reifsnyder, United Way President. “These current and former volunteers—along with the support of companies like Frost Brown Todd—have helped our community move toward achieving its goals in education, income and health, and building a stronger foundation for collective success. We are grateful for both this individual and corporate leadership gifts of time and talent.”

Schworer has been extensively involved in United Way for many years. He has served as Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Division Leader for the annual Northern Kentucky United Way Campaigns, co-chair of the Greater Cincinnati Tocqueville Society Campaign, and member of the foundation board. He has led the Frost Brown Todd employee campaign for the past eight years. In 2014, Frost Brown Todd was recognized in the United Way’s ranking of the Top 25 largest campaigns.

Schworer is an attorney in Frost Brown Todd’s Environmental practice group, where he represents business and industry in all aspects of environmental, health and safety, and toxic tort issues. He has a background in science, engineering, and environmental and occupational health, and is a certified Professional Environmental Auditor.

Furlong Building Celebrates 5th Anniversary Furlong Building Enterprises, LLC, a commercial and industrial construction firm celebrated its fifth anniversary with a customer event in April 2015 at Rhinegeist Brewery in Over-the-Rhine where they have a major expansion and renovation project underway for the company.

Founded by Jude Hehman and Pete Nicolaou in April 2010, Furlong began their design/build construction firm at the height of the economic recession. The company has grown to eleven employees and has gone from less than $2 million in revenue in its first year to just under $9 million in 2014.

The company is continuing to grow and expand; now working in five states.

“It has been an exhilarating five years of growth and diversifying our business,” said Furlong CEO Jude Hehman. “We are grateful for the companies who took a chance on us and gave us the opportunity to prove 29

MEMBER MILESTONES ourselves and build our team of professionals. We are all committed to first class service for our customers and know that our success is based upon the quality of the individuals on our team.”

Furlong has a portfolio of customers that include several Fortune 500 companies.

Furlong was named to the NKYChamber of Commerce Emerging 30 list in 2014, received the Cincy Business Tri-State Success Award in 2012 and 2013 and was just named for the second time to the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Fast 55 list of fastest growing private companies.

Fort Mitchell City Council Approves Hiring of Sharmili Reddy The City Council of Fort Mitchell last night approved the hiring of Sharmili Reddy as their new city administrator. Ms. Reddy was selected from a group of highly qualified candidates. Sharmili Reddy has served for ten years as a planning manager at the Planning & Development Services of Kenton County (PDS).

Sharmili Reddy will become the first woman to hold the position of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the City of Fort Mitchell.

Sharmili Reddy graduated from college in India and came to the U.S. to attend the University of Cincinnati where she received her Masters Degree in Community Planning.

While working at PDS, Sharmili Reddy has gained extensive experience working with elected officials, planning agencies, NKY Chamber of Commerce, Tri-ED, SD1 and OKI on a number of high level planning and zoning issues. Prior to moving to Northern Kentucky, she served as a senior planner for the Center Regional Planning Agency in State College, PA. Sharmili Reddy was honored with the Emerging Leader award at the Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky luncheon. She resides in Fort Mitchell with her husband and son and loves to travel in her spare time. “We have made Fort Mitchell our home and love the sense of community,” said Reddy.

Kathleen S. Jagger Named Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of TMC Thomas More College (TMC) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky has named Kathleen S. Jagger, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the college. Her official start date is June 1, 2015. Jagger comes to Thomas More College from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, where she served for more than seven years in various roles, including interim Vice President and Dean of the college, Associate Vice President and Associate Dean of the college and Professor of biology. Prior to that, she was a professor of microbiology and public

health at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, a visiting professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, OH and an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Wright State University, School of Medicine in Dayton, OH. Jagger earned her Ph.D. in medical microbiology from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine and her bachelor’s degree in zoology from DePauw University. She also holds a master’s in public health with an emphasis in international (global) health from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA. TMC President David A. Armstrong, J.D., commented on the hire, “Dr. Jagger’s many accomplishments in the classroom and administrative roles will be immensely beneficial to the college in her position as vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college. Her skills and background offer us a dynamic addition to our liberal arts academic environment. I look forward to her contribution in propelling the college further into our 2015-20 strategic plan, as well as developing new programs and growth initiatives and launching our upcoming Thomas More Success Center.”

Andrew J. VonLehman is Northern Kentuckian of the Year Honoree Earlier this year, Andrew J. “Andy” VonLehman was named the 2015 Northern Kentuckian of the Year.

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Andrew J. VonLehman (Andy) was born and raised in Northern Kentucky, and his steadfast belief in family and his community is part of everything he does. Both privately, and as part of VonLehman CPA and Advisory Firm, Andy has worked tirelessly to help build a strong and vital NKY community. Since 1946, the VonLehman firm has been an integral part of the regional business community—providing accounting, tax and business advisory services to thousands of individuals and hundreds of family-owned and family-managed companies. Serving the tristate, the firm is one of the largest private accounting and business advisory firms in the region. Through Andy’s influence, the firm is known as a generous corporate citizen, providing scholarships, financial and business support, and vigorous advocacy for our region’s not-for-profit community.

A compassionate leader with an extensive record of community and professional service, he has served as the past President and long term Board member of The Point. He is a Trustee Emeritus of Redwood School, Vice-Chair of the Northern Kentucky Port Authority, has served as a member of the Major Gifts Committee of Thomas More College, and has participated on numerous Capital Campaigns for organizations with which he has been associated. Andy was a recipient of the 2011 Bishop Hughes Award and has chaired the Covington Diocesan Parish Annual Appeal. He is past President of CPAmerica International.

The Northern Kentuckian of the Year Award was established in 1996 to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves as leaders dedicated to the economic and social well-being of the NKY region. The event benefits Covington Catholic High School’s financial assistance program. In 2014-15, 95 students were awarded $413,000 in financial aid.

Voelker Joins Freund, Freeze & Arnold Freund, Freeze & Arnold, a regional law firm with offices in Ft. Mitchell, KY, and Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, OH is pleased to announce the recent hiring of a new attorney in its Ft. Mitchell and Cincinnati offices, Brandon Voelker. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law and University of Kentucky.

Voelker’s practice has always emphasized governmental representation. As an Assistant Kenton County Attorney, he gained invaluable trial experience. Aside from governmental work, he has handled July/August 2015

MEMBER MILESTONES extensive areas of litigation, including environmental claims, workers compensation claims, personal injury, domestic, probate, small business work and bankruptcy.

After leaving the prosecutor’s office, Voelker became a sole practitioner, handling nearly every area of law. ith Voelker’s private practice, he further began representing cities and schools in their day to day operations. Representation of cities and schools involves vast areas of law, including immunity issues, contracts, employment matters, ordinance preparation, civil rights defense and numerous other legal issues confronting government.

Dr. Matthew Connolly named Kentucky Podiatric Medical Association Podiatrist of the Year Commonwealth Orthopaedic Centers is pleased to announce that Dr. Matthew Connolly was named Kentucky Podiatric Medical Association Podiatrist of the Year for 2015. The Kentucky Podiatric Medical Association is a professional association for Doctors of Podiatric Medicine serving the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is an affiliate of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Dr. Connolly graduated from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and completed his podiatric residency at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Huntington, WV. He is board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Orthopaedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Connolly specializes in nonsurgical foot care including heel pain, diabetic care and custom orthotics. He is a past president of the Kentucky Podiatric Medical Association and is a member of the American Board of Podiatric Medicine and the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics and Medicine.

Fives Shares Apprenticeship Program Success at White House Upskill Summit Fives recently participated in the White House Upskill Summit, a national initiative launched by President Obama that calls on businesses to help workers of all ages earn a shot at better, higher-paying jobs, even if they do not have a higher education.

Ed Bisig, Director of Human Resources for Fives Machining Systems, attended NKY Chamber Business Journal

the summit, joining 150 employers, labor leaders, foundations, non-profits, educators and tech innovators from across America who are equipping workers with the skills they need to advance. Bisig participated in the Apprenticeships working group where he shared ideas on ways to accelerate apprenticeship programs across the country, as well as broaden their reach into non-traditional fields such as healthcare.

Since 2005, Fives Machining Systems, Inc. has graduated 13 apprentices and has another 11 currently in the program, seven of which will graduate in 2015. The apprentices receive up to four years of onthe-job training in addition to a rigorous educational requirement. The company’s investment in each apprentice is greater than $200,000. Fives Cincinnati (Hebron, KY) works with Gateway Community and Technical College for the educational component.

Upon graduation, these employees transition to a role at Fives with strong knowledge and experience in high-tech manufacturing, but without the burden of student loans. Participants can also go on to earn four-year college degrees with full tuition assistance. The program has been featured on the NBC Nightly News..

The program at Fives Cincinnati was the first to offer an apprentice program for advanced manufacturing in Northern Kentucky, and this program has since been shared with other regional manufacturers.

Governor Beshear Presented with Site Selection Governor’s Cup by Ryle High School Robot Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear visited Northern Kentucky to celebrate Kentucky’s first place ranking by Site Selection magazine for new and expanded industry activity per capita in 2014.

Northern Kentucky primary industry companies made a significant contribution to Kentucky’s economic development success in 2014.

During the celebration at the Cincin31

MEMBER MILESTONES nati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), the “Brainy Bots” robotics team from Ryle HS presented the Site Selection Governor’s Cup with Robot 8913.

The Brainy Bots is a robotics club that helps kids develop science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.

“It’s an honor to have Governor Beshear in Northern Kentucky to celebrate our contribution to the Governor’s Cup,” said Dan Tobergte, President and CEO of Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation (Tri-ED). “It’s the perfect opportunity to tie-in the region’s effort to develop STEM skills among students who are our future workforce.”

In 2014, 23 primary industry companies announced new locations or expansions in the Boone, Campbell and Kenton County region and 2,087 new direct jobs are projected as a result of these investments in Northern Kentucky.

Gateway’s Student Run Business Logo Unveiled Gateway Community and Technical College unveiled today the logo for Emerge Hair Studio and Spa, a new student run business to open in downtown Covington this fall.

A team of internal representatives and external experts chose the winning logo.

The design of Eugene Heard, a Covington resident and designer, was selected.

“This fall, cosmetology and massage therapy students will learn and work in a new state-of-the-art hair studio and spa in downtown Covington,” said Dr. G. Edward Hughes, President/CEO Gateway Community and Technical College. “Our student run business, Emerge, will be the real world classroom for Gateway students. We are excited about this opportunity for them and the expansion of our Urban Metro Campus in Covington.”

Dr. Amber Decker Steps into VP Role Gateway Community and Technical College is pleased to announce Dr. Amber Decker will begin her role as Vice President of Development and Strategic Partnerships. Dr. Decker will also serve as the Executive Director of the Gateway Foundation.

Dr. Decker is filling the role held by Laura Cook Kroeger, who is retiring.

“I am very pleased that Dr. Decker will 32

be taking on this senior leadership role as the Chief Advancement Officer at Gateway,” said Dr. G. Edward Hughes Gateway President/CEO. “She has been a successful leader of a non-profit, a champion of innovation and one of the most prolific grant writers I’ve ever encountered. She knows the community, our students and all aspects of the college. She is well-equipped to tell the Gateway story, leading the capital campaign and developing strategic partnerships with our community.”

As Director of Grants and Contracts, Dr. Decker secured over 25 million in grant funding, including the largest federal grant in Gateway’s history, served as the campaign manager for Gateway’s capital campaign and led the grants department. Prior to that, she was the Director of Adult Education at Gateway.

Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation Awards $1 Million to Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky announced that it has received a $1 million grant from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

The gift, the largest individual donation ever received by CHNK, supports the $5.2 million renovation of the Home’s historic administration building.

The four story building was constructed in 1925 to serve as an orphanage.

Most recently, it was used primarily for administrative offices, with very little space being utilized to its fullest potential. The renovation project addressed all four floors; the rooms of the 33,500 square foot facility have all been reconfigured and transformed into state of the art treatment spaces for youth with behavioral health needs.

The Haile/U.S. Bank Foundation has long been a community partner for CHNK. Its namesakes were involved with the Home for years prior to the establishment of the foundation. Ralph served on CHNK’s Board NKYChamber.com

of Trustees and the Ambassadors Council.

“We actually have copies of handwritten notes from Mr. Haile, actively seeking funds from his connections in the community for the youth in our Home’s care,” shares Rick Wurth, CEO of CHNK. “Ralph and Carol Ann were dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky,” explains Chris Bochenek, Vice President and Senior Program Manager with The Haile/U.S. Bank Foundation.

The lower level and first floor of the administration building now accommodate a Therapeutic Day School. Operated

by CHNK in partnership with Covington Independent Public Schools (CIPS), the space includes eight classrooms, multiple academic and treatment offices, a computer lab, a media room/library, and a student learning kitchen. CIPS leases the space from CHNK, providing a new revenue stream for the Home.

Founded in 1882, Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky operates three campuses—one in Burlington and two in Covington. Last year, the Home impacted over 700 youth and families in 36 counties across the Commonwealth. CHNK is a member of the Children’s Alliance, Kentucky’s voice for at-risk children and families.

Thomas More College Hires Amy Wagner Thomas More College (TMC) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky has named Amy Wagner Director of Communications and Public Relations. Wagner most recently served as weekend anchor/investigative reporter for WXIX-TV in Cincinnati. Prior experience as a journalist includes reporting for WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, WLKY-TV in Louisville and WBKO-TV in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Wagner served as development director for Susan G. Komen Greater Cincinnati from 2011-13.

She was recognized by Venue Magazine as a Cincinnati Woman of Influence in 2013 and was a Peter Jennings Fellow in 2011. She received the 2011 First Place Award for TV Public Service Reporting by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Crimestopper of the Year Award for Media Reporting in 2010.

As Director of Communications and Public relations, Wagner will trade her traditional role as reporter for that of media spokesperson for the college, editor of the college’s alumni publication and will be involved in various other marketing and public relations efforts as well as event planning and fundraising.

July/August 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS JULY

AUGUST

7/8

Employer Solutions: HR Webinar - Federal Contractor and Subcontractor Employment Law Obligations

7/9

Employer Solutions Monthly Session: Seasonal Hiring Best Practices and How to Attract Talent Among Competition

7/10 Your Chamber is a Gold Mine: Successful Referral & Personal Marketing Strategies

8/11 Eggs ‘N Issues: Common Core 8/12 Employer Solutions: HR Webinar - Public v. Private Sector Employment Laws 8/13 Getting the Most from Your Chamber Membership 8/18 Annual Chamber Golf Outing 8/20 Leadership Breakfast featuring Todd Henry 8/31 Women’s Initiative CONNECT Hour at Buca di Beppo

7/21 Eggs ‘N Issues: Riverfront Vitality 7/23 STEM Girls Day out 2015 - Presented by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center 7/27 Women’s Initiative “Connecting Shore to Shore” at the Radisson

For details and registration visit: www.nkychamber.com/events

7/27 Regional Leadership Exchange 2015: Paducah & St. Louis

Want to see YOUR company profiled in a future issue? Apply for Emerging 30!

Are you in the top 30? Don’t wait – apply today!

Application deadline - August 3, 2015 Use this link for application: http://bit.ly/E30App2015 Questions? Contact Christie Rogers at 859-426-3652 or email crogers@nkychamber.com

UNBRIDLED PRIDE Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, August 1 at 7:10 p.m.

Free Devin Mesoraco bobblehead to the first 25,000 fans!

Saturday, August 1 is Northern Kentucky Night at Great American Ball Park! Wear blue to show off your Bluegrass pride and catch a ball game as the Cincinnati Reds take on their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Discounted tickets are available for NKY residents and for employees of Northern Kentucky businesses at reds.com/nky.

Proud partner of the Cincinnati Reds.

STELHC-12707-4_Chamber_NKYNight_FA.indd July/August 2015

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6/10/15 11:07 AM

RIBBON CUTTINGS

Welcome & Congratulations

Wellerhaus Bed, Breakfast & Event Center

Stock Yards Bank & Trust 4790 Houston Road Florence, KY 513.824.6108

319 Poplar Street Bellevue, KY 513.236.4292 Peggy Schultz, Proprietor Ambassadors: William Black & Drew Bartel

Kim Bishop, Amy Flanders and Dan Bachman with Stock Yards Bank & Trust, Trey Grayson, NKY Chamber, and Stephen Brown with Stock Yards.

Magic Nutrition and Mackinder Marketing Group 1350 Jamike Avenue Erlanger, KY 41018 859.371.3262

Ambassadors: Kevin Richardson was in attendance

Magic Nutrition: Bob Carl, Ralph Landrum, Brady Mescher, Alan Mackinder Ambassador: J. R. Schneider

Residence Inn – Airport

Republic Bank – Ribbon Cutting Sponsor: Vickie Stulz and Laurie Harvey

2811 Circleport Drive Erlanger, KY 859.282.7400

The Stock Yards Bank & Trust TEAM

Front: Jennifer Schneider, Amber Tierney, Michael Blanton , Paul Stanton, Monica Pitt, Brian Fry, Christy Craig. Back: Patricia Jones, Chad Feedback, Daniel Miller, Texas Joe, Daniel Sidor, Candice Sutherland, Jim Seitz, Nancy Downing, Jim MacFarlane, Mike Houle, Reanna Derrick, Dina Estrella, and Debbie Farrell

Ribbon cuttings sponsored by:

Burger King 3432 Madison Pike Fort Wright, KY 440.666.7194 Burger King: Carmen Giangvizzo, Dana Rogers, Joe Waller, Michael Miller, Mario Nocero

We want to help you promote and celebrate your ribbon cutting ceremony for your new facility, expansion, anniversary celebration or open house! We’ll bring our trademark giant blue scissors, a group of Chamber ambassadors, and a camera to capture the excitement of your special day.

Call Ruth Eger at 859-578-6395 to schedule your FREE ribbon cutting today!

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City of Fort Wright: Gary Huff, City Administrator Ambassadors: Brian Ruschman & Ellen Barnett Republic Bank – Ribbon Cutting Sponsor: Vickie Stulz and Laurie Harvey July/August 2015

CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Jump start ideas. Make ideas real. Move ideas forward.

NKU’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship ignites passions, fuels desires, and fans the spirit and culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the campus and the region.

Since our founding, our studentcentered transdisciplinary approach unites entrepreneurship programs across the classroom, across campus, and into the community. And our INKUBATOR program was recently ranked in the top 5 in the world.

Ignite your spark // cie.nku.edu