NKY Business Journal July/August 2019

BUSINESS JOURNAL OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NKY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

JULY/AUGUST 2019

GROWING TOMORROW'S TALENT PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE REAL WORLD 12 FROM GYM SHOES TO DRESS SHOES 20 THE IGNITE INSTITUTE 24

Providing Innovative Solutions and Healthier Outcomes for Kentucky Businesses

What matters most, each and every day, is helping our clients address one of life’s greatest challenges – obtaining access to quality, affordable health care. HORAN works with employers to develop innovative solutions to minimize costs and improve health.

As the landscape continues to shift, HORAN helps Kentucky employers develop strategic plans that address financial concerns, plan design and effective communication with their employees.

For more information about how HORAN can help with your benefits strategy, contact Meg Groeschen at 859.572.4500 or MegG@horanassoc.com.

“

Our working relationship stretches beyond the scope of business and makes our partnership even better.

Timothy Schroeder, Chief Executive Officer CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, Inc.

JULY/AUGUST 2019 | EDUCATION EDITION | VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 5 PICTURED: Keith Bales, founder of Moonrise Doughnuts, was a guest recently on the NKY Chamber's new podcast, NKY Spotlight, with Chmaber President Brent Copper and Marketing/Communications Director Jeremy Schrand, photo by Ben Gastright.

CONTENTS

TUNE IN TODAY!

6 Ordinary Supplies, Extraordinary Impact

NKY SPOTLIGHT

Listen to the regions newest business podcast.

4 Letter From Leadership

8 Highlighting the "A" in STEAM 12 Preparing Students for the Real World 16 KEES Expanded to Include Workforce Training Programs 20 From Gym Shoes to Dress Shoes 24 The IGNITE Institute

Avaliable on:

& Most Podcast Platforms

NKYChamber.com/NKYSpotlight

30 Enhancing Your Market Value 32 Excellence in Education Celebration 36 Around the Chamber 40 Ribbon Cuttings

ON THE COVER: Photo provided by Fort Thomas Independent Schools

44 Member Milestones 46 NKY Chamber Events

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

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LETTER FROM LEADERSHIP

Jim Parsons Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PPL Chair, NKY Chamber of Commerce

Brent Cooper President and CEO, NKY Chamber of Commerce

PAGE 4

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK THROUGHOUT Northern Kentucky there are signs which say “Now Hiring." The unemployment rate for our region stands at 3.2% - well below the national and state averages. The need for talent is a major concern within every sector of our local economy.

This is exactly why the NKY Chamber, along with now over 60 regional workforce partners, established our Growing Regional Outcomes through Workforce (GROW NKY) initiative in 2018. If we hope to continue our current level of economic growth and be competitive in the global marketplace, it is critical that we focus our collective effort on growing, attracting and retaining a worldclass workforce.

As a Chamber of Commerce, we recognize that education is the key to growing talent. Indeed, the economic vitality of any region is directly tied to the quality of educational opportunities that exist there.

That’s why we wanted to dedicate this Business Journal to the topic of Education.

As you read through this edition, we encourage you to think about ways your business or organization can engage to ensure that we are indeed growing the talent necessary to fuel a vibrant economy.

Whether it’s creating or expanding an internship or apprenticeship program, working on continuing education for your team, or helping spread the word on workforce policy matters, we need your help.

When you walk in the GROW NKY door, you’ll find GROW NKY is already having a profound impact on the region Everything from early childhood education to adult learning; every day we’re seeing improvements.

We’re expanding the number of organizations involved in educating parents on the importance of early childhood.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Leaders from Northern Kentucky University and Ion/Apex, one of Cincinnati's and Northern Kentucky's largest electrical contractors, came together on May 21 at the NKY Chamber’s GROW NKY offices in Fort Mitchell to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will enable paid apprentices in the electrical construction trade to earn college credit toward a degree at NKU.

We’re helping to increase the number of paid internships throughout the region.

And we’re creating new education/ business partnerships that teach employees about new technologies.

All of the initiatives coming out of GROW NKY are helping our collective workforce.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of GROW NKY, however, is the impact it’s having on our advocacy efforts.

Because of the collective input from all the workforce partners, we are able to more effectively advocate for resources that benefit the entire region.

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

Already we’ve seen more resources for quality childcare (both a long-term and short-term workforce issue), additional state dollars toward internships and apprenticeships, and more flexibility when it comes to scholarship dollars.

But there is still much to do.

We hope you’ll join us in our efforts to support education at all levels and continue to explore ways to help us solve our collective workforce challenges.

Thank you for being a member of the NKY Chamber of Commerce and for helping us continue to make our region the best place in the country to live, work, play and raise a family. NK Y

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Ordinary Supplies, Extraordinary Impact Staff Contribution

IMAGINE YOU ARE EIGHT YEARS OLD. YOU REPORT TO HOMEROOM on your first day of school only to see kids opening their new backpacks full of notebooks, pencils, markers, and scissors – laughing and comparing supplies. You showed up with nothing because your family couldn't afford school supplies. How would you feel? How would you do your math homework or your art project?

Crayons to Computers exists to level the playing field in the classroom by ensuring that students in need have the tools to succeed in school. It's simple, yet so critical.

Teachers commonly spend $500 to $1000 of their own money each year to provide basic supplies as well as incentive and enrichment items for their classrooms. Since its inception, Crayons to Computers’ flagship program is the Teacher Free Store in Bond Hill.

Teachers from schools (preschool through 12th grade) where 60% or more of the student population benefit from the USDA’s free and reduced cost lunch program are eligible to shop with.

Crayons to Computers serves a 16-county area, including 7 counties in Northern Kentucky, 6 counties in Ohio and 3 counties in Indiana.

Since January of this year, 569 Northern Kentucky teachers representing 97 schools have shopped at the Free Store 1,074 times and received $579,906 worth of product/materials.

Some teachers (particularly those in the southern portions of Northern Kentucky) face a drive of 30 to 75 miles one-way to come to the Teacher Free Store. To address these time and distance barriers, Crayons started a Mobile Outreach Program (MOP) in 2014. A 15-foot box truck takes a subset of the store out to those more distant schools to benefit the teachers and their students in need.

Since January, the MOP has visited 27 schools in Northern Kentucky and distributed $134,549 in product/materials. A total of 853 teachers have benefited from these visits.

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NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Push 4 Pencils is the annual school supply drive for Crayons to Computers. The goal this year is to partner with 100 corporations and organizations.

Florence Mall, a Brookfield Properties shopping center, is hosting the Crayons to Computers Push 4 Pencils Supply Drive on Saturday, July 20 from 10AM – 2PM. The “Stuff the Van” event kicks off the back-to-school campaign, in Northern Kentucky, and all donations will go towards leveling the playing field in the classroom by providing every student in need with the tools to succeed in school.

Though all new supplies are helpful and appreciated, the Top 7 items that teachers need most are crayons, dry erase markers, filler paper, glue sticks, notebooks, pencils and pocket folders. All donations will be accepted at the Macy’s mall entrance between 10AM – 2PM. One pencil can draw the path to success. One box of crayons can color the imagination with new possibilities. These ordinary supplies can have an extraordinary impact. As one teacher said, “Students come to school with no supplies. Just pencils and lined paper from Crayons to Computers makes all the difference in my classroom!” Let’s give them the tools they deserve and the chance to achieve anything ... one pencil at a time. NK Y

For more information about Crayons to Computers, please visit www.crayons2computers.org.

To host a supply drive, please contact Betsy Wilson at bwilson@crayons2computers.org or call 513-482-3290.

Stuff the Van Saturday, July 20 10am – 2pm Florence Mall

(Macy’s Mall Entrance)

Give kids the tools they need to succeed in school. www.crayons2computers.org

Highlighting the “A” in STEAM Partnership between Covington and The Carnegie brings art back into the classroom

By Katie Louis Scooter Media

SCHOOL DAYS AND STUDENT’S ATTENTION SPANS are short, so making the most of school time is crucial.

With that in mind, many schools have shifted focus away from extra curriculars to STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. However, educators and parents recently realized that focusing strictly on STEM subjects is limiting, which is why an A for “art” has been added to create STEAM.

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NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

As schools give more weight to the arts, it's less about the fundamentals of drawing or music theory and more about teaching skills like teamwork, creativity, and communication that will benefit students as they grow into young adults and, eventually, business and community leaders. In order to teach these concepts while keeping a focus on academics, schools are working to integrate artistic concepts into lesson plans for more traditional subjects.

“If students are learning about story structure or sequence, you can easily translate it into theatre. How do you create a strong beginning, middle and end that you can bring to life?”

Alissa Paasch, education director at The Carnegie in Covington explains, “We challenge students to practice showing the story, not telling the story, through facial expressions and body

movement. We’re working on story development and inference at the same time. Students need to develop the skill of inference as they progress and read more complex texts, so it’s important to teach it early and in an accessible way.”

The Carnegie’s education department provides arts education experiences to thousands of area students each year through their summer, weekend, in-school and after-school programming. Summer camps and weekend workshops are hosted at The Carnegie’s historic building (appropriately, a former Carnegie library) on Scott Street but the vast majority of their work is done in local schools. The teachers trained and employed by The Carnegie have been teaching in Covington, Newport, and other area schools for the past 13 years. Districts keep coming back and expanding, because they see the benefits.

PICTURED: The Carnegie Student All-Stars in the musical, We Are Monsters; all photos by Jonathon Paasch.

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

PAGE 9

“Schools are eager to partner with us because we focus on keeping students engaged as they learn,” said Paasch. “The arts are a way to engage students in learning… Art makes learning fun, and makes students want to understand more deeply.”

“Take geometry, for example,” she continued. “The most beautifully designed costume on paper can’t translate without geometry. Your body isn’t flat – you can’t design flat. We incorporate larger geometric concepts into the art of costume making. Students who may not have an interest in geometry, find themselves wanting to know more when they are interested in making costumes.”

Paasch feels the most important part of the A in STEAM isn’t the end result but the creative process. “It doesn’t need to be visually stunning, I care about the thoughts along the way. We absolutely teach techniques our students should know but it’s more about exploring, learning, thinking, trying, and going back to the drawing board to try again. These skills transfer to the STEM subjects and professional life.”

At its core, the focus of STEM is to drive innovation and efficiency in our world. Paasch points out that there can be no innovation in STEM subjects without the creative process. While visual arts help develop the creative process, performing arts offer a whole different set of skills.

“Communication – both verbal and non-verbal – is a huge part of performing arts and people don’t think about that,” said Paasch. “In choirs and orchestras, you learn how to listen to those around you, adjust your own volume and tone as appropriate, and collaborate to create something beautiful, all without discussion. In drama you learn to express yourself not just through words but through expressions and body language as you interact with those around you to tell a story.”

Paasch went on to explain the practical application of these skills. “Think about your job and how much you have to communicate with those around you. When you enter a meeting, you read the room to get a feel for the mood. When you have an idea, you must effectively communicate it to others to get buy-in.

You work as part of a team and need to collaboratively create output – whatever that is. You develop all of those skills through performing art experiences.”

PICTURED: The Carnegie Student All-Stars in the musical, We Are Monsters

PAGE 10

PICTURED: The Carnegie Student All-Stars in the musical, We Are Monsters.

“If we want people who are going to change the world, do something necessary or new to take us further, we have to allow room for creativity and collaboration at a young age,” she said.

“Which is why we need arts in our schools. In a test-driven society, kids rarely get a chance to talk to each other or make their own choices during the day. They are often driven to produce something – generally with a right or wrong answer – and move on. How do we expect them to be adults who can be innovative and push us further if we don’t give them opportunities to take creative risks and trust in their ability to problem solve? We cannot have a right or wrong answer for everything.”

These are the skills educators from The Carnegie and their counterparts at local schools are hoping to pass on.

“Strong teachers give students opportunities to practice making decisions, being brave, and communicating. These are not always innate skills and need to be practiced. People develop these skills because they’re encouraged and given opportunities to grow.”

The Carnegie isn’t alone in training teachers to equip students with these skills. They’re part of a larger network affiliated with the Kennedy Center working to integrate arts into school curriculums throughout the country. In 2014, The Carnegie was chosen as one of 11 teams doing strong work in arts integration. This group receives annual training to support their work with local school districts and provide professional development for teachers working to incorporate art into their curriculum.

Locally, The Carnegie has joined the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, a group providing professional development for teachers wanting to integrate arts into their classroom. There are 13 districts involved, each one striving to bring benefits to their students.

Seeing this integration across districts and through The Carnegie’s work with schools is encouraging to Paasch.

“At the end of the day, the arts develop confidence and bravery to go into life and do something different. People are afraid of being wrong, but the arts teach the benefit of taking that risk. If you aren’t willing to take the risk you’ll maintain the status quo. We want people who excel and are brave enough to try in order to push society forward.” NK Y

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Preparing Students for the Real World The Case for Experiential Learning

By Courtney N. Kleier NKY Chamber

PAGE 12

RESEARCH DONE IN 2018 SHOWS THAT 75 PERCENT of surveyed U.S. employers across all sectors reported a skills shortage. Northern Kentucky (NKY) is no exception to this trend.

This is why a conversation started nearly a decade ago in the community over how to combat the widening skills gap in our region. In today’s healthy economy, employers often cite a lack of skilled workers as the primary obstacle to their growth. A promising solution to this issue is experiential learning.

Experiential learning has wider applications beyond the college context. Gene Kirchner, former school superintendent and current COO of the NKY Chamber of Commerce, defined it as “activities which provide students the requisite skills necessary to succeed and solve real world issues” and teaching students not just how to do well in school but to do well in life.

It all comes down to helping people of all ages understand the career opportunities in their community and using real-world applications to give them the experiences they need in order to excel in their career path.

In the eyes of the Superintendent of Fort Thomas Schools, Karen Cheser, there are three primary reasons why NKY needs to emphasize experiential learning: increase ability to make informed plans, grant exposure to high-need careers paths in the region, and limit college costs by entering with an informed career plan.

Experiential learning, also referred to as “work-based learning,” exists in many forms: education, school-based enterprises, service learning, shadowing, entrepreneurships, mentoring, and apprenticeships. These types of experiences help connect academic learning to real-world opportunities, and great work is being done in this region to improve their prevalence.

For example, trades and manufacturing have historically had difficulty connecting to future talent. This meant that a lot of time and money was invested in apprenticeships only to fall victim to high-turnover rates and a net loss in time and talent.

Today, there has been a reconfiguring of how we think about the role of intermediary talent services in the apprenticeship or internship process.

The NKY Chamber’s GROW (Growing Regional Outcomes through Workforce) talent strategy initiative has been uniting regional partners of various fields to tackle this exact idea in Pillar II of the program. Intermediaries could work with these partners and various industries (from manufacturing and skilled trades to healthcare) to identify the skills and dispositions needed in new talent in order to take advantage of apprenticeships. The intermediary would then conduct aptitude tests among candidates (students or un/underemployed adults) and help those with potential to further develop the skills needed for them to directly fill the talent need of certain industries.

PAGE 13

Intermediary's hiring of candidates provides less risk for businesses, an income for candidates, and an understanding that, with proper training, the candidate is on track for long-term, meaningful employment in a critical industry in his/her community.

This intermediary-apprenticeship form is just one possible model of how experiential learning can be used to improve our community’s workforce. While the concept of experiential learning is applicable in various forms for nearly all ages, a lot of current discussion is happening around preparing the next generation workforce for today’s- and tomorrow’s- unique challenges.

According to Ervin Dimeny, Kentucky Commissioner of Workplace Standards, apprenticeships are far more common in Europe – particularly in Germany it is built into the education system. Students there choose career pathways much earlier, typically going through high school on a specialized track. Students are taught a trade so that upon high school graduation, they have a degree in a skilled trade and, perhaps for this reason, they frequently choose an apprenticeship over going to a traditional four-year college. In Germany, there are also far more alternatives to four-year colleges than there are in the US. German students have the option of applied universities that combine degrees with technical and applied learning.

For Dimeny, who personally benefitted from an apprenticeship with a car manufacturer, experiential learning opportunities like apprenticeships are important because they reverse engineer a career path by breaking it down into a series of skills. These multi-dimensional skills overlap in numerous career paths and form a stronger, more prepared, nextgeneration workforce.

Both Dimeny and Cheser firmly believe that students enjoy greater success when they learn career skills earlier rather than delaying that learning and the choice of career field until college; the earlier the exposure the better. To this effect, Cheser and Fort Thomas Schools are trailblazing a new strategy to better help their students achieve success after high school through their PAGE 14

LAUNCH program. Its new, modern space is outfitted to encourage collaborative learning. Students there can explore career paths in app development, health innovation, and entrepreneurship through experiential learning in a variety of forms.

The school district believes that in order to get people into key critical careers, businesses need to interact with students of all ages and work alongside them to solve real-world problems. This might mean a business coming into the classroom for a lesson, job shadowing, formal career mentoring, or even extracurricular advising, such as an engineer coaching a robotics team. Classes in LAUNCH are dual credit and, not only provide real-life applications through project work, but the paths directly align with certificate programs at Northern Kentucky University. Cheser believes this program will help in workforce development and retention in our region’s critical career areas.

Cheser and Dimeny are just two figures in the much larger GROW network of people and organizations partnering to discuss and implement strategies for community workforce improvement.

In these efforts, it is critical that all parts move and speak as one. “The [NKY] Chamber has done a great job bringing people together and creating an environment to help businesses thrive,” said Dimeny. He feels this is important because, ultimately, apprenticeships belong to private businesses, and it’s up to them to sponsor apprentices and choose what talent they want to attract.

If experiential learning is part of the solution for our worsening skills gap, how do we get there? “Unfortunately there is no silver bullet to fix it all,” said Dimeny.

He believes it comes down to rethinking our whole approach to experiential learning options like apprenticeships. This would mean enacting policies that support funding programs and ease the way for more public-private partnerships and business-led experiences in high schools.

When asked what the five-year vision would be for LAUNCH and experiential learning in NKY, Cheser had four goals.

First, a regional consensus on the skills needed for students to fill and succeed in

critical job openings. Second, she noted the need to “make students, families, and communities aware of high-need career paths in our region, country and world.” In conjunction, the third goal is to help students identify their skills and passions and help them map a specific path to career success after high school.

Finally, we need to ensure that everyone has access to these resources in order to make a change in our community’s workforce prospects.

Despite the intimidating prospect of taking on the skills gap, there are myriad people and organizations working hard to innovate a solution for lasting workforce improvement. In NKY, we enjoy a certain amount of economic stability but any discussion with a student on the cusp of graduation or a short-staffed employer will allude to the residual uncertainty they face in matching job openings with the skills that the available workforce possesses. It is time to bridge the void between expectation and reality and prepare our workforce for lasting success.

NK Y

If you or someone you know is interested in mentoring the next generation workforce within the LAUNCH program, please contact Karen Cheser at karen.cheser@ fortthomas.kyschools.us.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

40% 40% NKY Chamber is partnering with Humana to help businesses with one of their largest expenses: health insurance. NKY Chamber HealthSolutions is a new health insurance association exclusively for NKY Chamber members with 2+ employees

8 employees, 19 covered members

With HealthSolutions, many NKY Chamber members will see savings between 5-40% on health insurance premiums .*

Contact your NKY Chamber Broker to start 8saving employees, 19 covered members

NKY Chamber is partnering with Humana to help businesses with one of their largest expenses: health insurance. NKY Chamber HealthSolutions is a new health insurance association exclusively for NKY Chamber members with 2+ employees

The savings with the new Humana health insurance plan are monumental for us. With We cut our total health insurance costs more than half! Yes, that’s right.

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Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship Expanded to Include Workforce Training Programs Students interested in pursuing careers in business and IT, construction, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and advanced manufacturing to benefit from passing of HB 61.

By Charley Wayman Building Industry Association of NKY

PAGE 16

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

KENTUCKY STUDENTS MAY NOW use their Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships (KEES) toward workforce training programs due to the passing of HB 61. Prior to this year, KEES money was used exclusively for college or university enrollment or to a registered apprenticeship program.

The bill added the top five high demand work sectors to the list of eligible uses for KEES. The sectors determined by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (KWIB) include business and IT, construction, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and advanced manufacturing. The KWIB is the advisory board to the Governor that strives to create a statewide vision to move Kentucky forward through workforce training and development.

“In many areas of our Commonwealth, construction trades have traditionally been taught by public schools,” states Brian Miller, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky. “In northern Kentucky and Lexington, private industry partners have joined the education community to deliver construction career pathways that are enhanced by the industry connection. With the passage of HB 61, we believe that our partnerships are on far more equal footing. As construction trades disappear in some public schools, we can form stronger partnerships with our educators to offer an opportunity for high school graduates to access their KEES scholarship and use our partnered approach.”

Students enrolled in workforce training programs will earn postsecondary credit hours at participating schools and are eligible for reimbursement of training costs based on their earned KEES. Kentucky college students who earn at least a 2.5 GPA each year of attendance at a certified Kentucky high school receive KEES. Students must live in Kentucky and be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident and must not be a convicted felon. The higher their GPA, the more students earn towards college.

ACT/SAT scores, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and

Cambridge International (CAI) test scores can increase the scholarship award as well.

Bonus awards are eligible for students receiving free or reduced-price lunches during any year of high school that make qualifying scores on AP, IB or CAI. Unclaimed lottery winnings and lottery sales fund the scholarships.

“Families are elated to learn that they will have access to the KEES money their students earned during high school,” states Dr. Vicki Berling, director of professional development at the Enzweiler Building Institute. “Even though tuition at the Enzweiler Building Institute is extremely affordable, many families need this funding. The inclusion of skilled trades education in the KEES program verifies how important these jobs are to our economy in Kentucky and confirms that these are great careers for our young people. We are so grateful to Representative Kimberly Moser and the other lawmakers who supported this effort.”

The bill was made possible in large part by the combined efforts of Representative Moser, former Education and Workforce Development Secretary, Hal Heiner, former Deputy Labor Secretary, Brad Montel, Cabinet Deputy Secretary, Mike Nemes, and countless Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky (BIANKY) members and education partners.

Northern Kentucky Public School Superintendents publicly supported the efforts to pass the bill but did not take part in committee testimony. The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers also joined in to support the passing of HB 61.

“I appreciate the efforts of the BIA and others to help our legislators update KEES funding guidelines to reflect the realities of the current demand for post-secondary education,” said Shad Sletto, director of Design/Build Services at Al Neyer, LLC, and member of the Work Ready Skills Advisory Committee, Education Professional Standards Board, and School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council. “As a result of this

change, students are now encouraged to continue their education, either through academic or more vocational directed training. Both are excellent choices for students, and it was time to allow KEES funding to be used to support those students interested in a vocational pathway.”

After two years of planning, the HB 61 bill was first filed during the 2017 session of the Kentucky General Assembly but faced several problems. In order to continue the momentum, it was then worked into another education bill. The BIANKY then approached Representative Moser to file a committee substitute to bring the bill through the house, which it did and then made its way to the senate and through committee.

However, due to delays, it did not get read due to several issues filing towards the closing days of session.

Representative Moser finalized the standalone bill in the spring of 2018. The pre-filing of the bill allowed for an early review in the 2019 session and, due largely to the efforts of Representative Moser and current Cabinet Deputy Secretary Mike Nemes, made it through both houses unencumbered. Governor Matt Bevin signed it into law on March 26, 2019.

"Understanding Kentucky's workforce shortage and the difficulty that some students face in furthering their education and training begged the question, ‘How can we as legislators lift a barrier that will make a difference?’" said Representative Moser. “Allowing students to use their KEES funds toward certification in a trade program will assist students with the cost of training, incentivize students to pursue trades, and bolster the work force needed to keep improving Kentucky's economy.”

“It will have the added benefit of increasing a student's confidence in furthering their education and ignite their passion in productive, needed ways,” she continued. “Skilled labor and trade programs are an essential part of Kentucky's work force development, moving students and families into wellpaying jobs and secure futures. I am proud to have sponsored HB 61, KEES Money for Trade Schools." NK Y

For over a century,

Notre Dame Academy alumnae,

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10,000

Number of alumnae nationwide, making a difference in every state and nine countries

$16.8 million

Amount colleges offered NDA seniors in 2019

43%

Number of seniors who received offers of half tuition or more to college

99-100 %

Number of seniors accepted into college each year

25

Notre Dame Academy is a premier Catholic high school providing excellent academic and co-curricular programs that prepare graduates to be outstanding female leaders serving the world.

For 114 years, Notre Dame Academy has been an educational leader in innovation and best practice in the competitive environment of education in our region. As the only all female college preparatory school in Northern Kentucky, Notre Dame Academy is proud of its Catholic identity and reputation as one of the area’s leading educational institutions.

Notre Dame Academy is a community of lifelong learners rooted in the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame with a strong commitment to academic excellence. Dedicated to providing a holistic education, Notre Dame Academy develops the God given gifts of its students and prepares them for the ongoing pursuit of knowledge. Notre Dame Academy graduates demonstrate a strong commitment to service, leadership and building a just and peaceful community

Notre Dame Academy’s network of over 10,000 alumnae positively impacts our region and the world.

Average number of students per class

15:1

Student-to-faculty ratio

$865,000

Amount of financial assistance given in 2018-19

13

Number of athletic teams, including one no-cut sport each season

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From Gym Shoes to Dress Shoes A college athlete turned professional recruiter reflects on what made him stay in this region after he finished school.

By Karen Cornelissen KC Writing & Editing Solutions

WHEN THE FINAL BUZZER SOUNDS, THE SCREAMS from the crowd die away, and a student athlete steps off the court for the last time, he finds his identity shifting.

What would inspire him to stay in area after graduation?

For Garry “Gee” Horton, strategic relationship manager at Gilman Partners and former point guard for the basketball team at Thomas More College (TMC), the answer is in community. Horton appreciates what the experience of being a student athlete can do for both athletes and the region. He hopes his story highlights the types of opportunities that student athletes can find for themselves in this area once athletics are over.

When asked if he always knew he would play college basketball, Horton laughs and responds with a flat “No.” He’s a native of Louisville, and he graduated from Pleasant Ridge Park High School, which is known for its basketball program and sending students on to play college ball.

Horton was already going into the ninth grade when he played the sport for the first time. As a beginner surrounded by talented and experienced players, he focused on incremental goals: making the freshman team, then the junior varsity team and then the varsity team.

He says he learned as quickly as he did because he was willing to put himself around others who were better than he was and because he discovered a passion and followed it with dedication and hard work. In talking about that period of his life, he says, “You can’t be afraid to trust your gut and take a shot on yourself.”

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“You can’t be afraid to trust your gut and take a shot on yourself.”

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

“A good region like this one gives you so many opportunities to reinvent yourself. That’s what this region does.”

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

His efforts paid off — by the time he was a senior, he realized he was he was good enough to play in college. Horton was at Thomas More College and on the basketball team from 2003 to 2006, when he graduated with a B.S. in Psychology. What stands out to Horton about his experience there is that it gave him a chance to reinvent himself. TMC, for instance, is where he picked up the nickname Gee, which he still uses today. He says, “It allowed me to evolve into the person I wanted to be, not the person I was attached to.” He loves, too, that through TMC, he was able to meet and form friendships with so many people who were completely different than he was.

It was on service-learning trips with the school to Mexico and Jamaica where Horton discovered a passion for service, which inspired him to earn an M.A. in Social Work at the University of Louisville from 2006 to 2008.

Horton’s experience as a recruiter began with coaching, which he got into a few months after he finished at TMC. He played pickup games on campus at the University of Louisville while he was taking graduate classes, and one of the assistant basketball coaches there asked him to participate as a practice player for the women’s team. This gave Horton a way to stay in shape and stay connected to the sport, and that’s when he met the freshman, All-American shootingguard Angel McCoughtry, who would go on to become a WNBA player and number-one draft pick in 2009. Her dedication to the sport amazed him, and the two quickly became friends and training buddies. The impact of their friendship and his experience with the team at Louisville University inspired Horton to pursue college coaching.

After graduate school, he was hired for a coaching and recruiting position for the women’s team at Furman University. After coaching there for four seasons, he got a chance to return to this area when Xavier University in Cincinnati hired him as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team.

When Horton came back to this region to work for Xavier University, it was 2013, and he noticed the region was changing for the better. He found a tribe of friends and like-minded individuals who were making a positive impact in nonprofits. That’s when he discovered an opportunity to step away from coaching and work in the nonprofit sector. He recognized that he could combine his M.A. in Social Work with his experience as a coach to make a broader impact on the region. He joined Leadership Scholars, which is a Cincinnati nonprofit that enlists and empowers parents to become a catalyst for their children to attend and graduate from college.

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Horton says it was his time at Thomas More College that made him want to stay in the area after he had been hired to coach at Xavier University. That commitment to stay and help the region grow and attract talent is what led to his transition into executive recruiting with Gilman Partners, which was perfect given his rich experience in athletic recruiting and in connecting with people.

Horton recognizes how powerful it is that student athletes get support from the local community day in and day out, which gives them the feeling of home. For those like Horton who aren’t from the Northern Kentucky area, that feeling is especially meaningful. As Horton puts it, student athletes “love the community that loves them.” Horton believes that this positive energy creates a huge opportunity for the region to build ties with these young leaders that last. Professionally, it’s a chance for the region to give student athletes a reason to stay after they graduate through internships, mentorships, career opportunities and awareness building that broadens their sense of what they can do outside of sports.

These days, when Horton is not with Gilman Partners or spending time with his family, he’s following another passion: visual art through charcoal drawing. He’s self-taught, and he’s active in the local art scene. While this area does not boast an art scene on par with what one could find in a bigger city, Horton says that art scene here is thriving, and he loves being part of it.

Drawing has given Horton another way to reinvent himself. He says he’s “an executive recruiter by day and a self-taught visual artist by night,” and he gives credit back to the area, which made that possible. He says, “A good region like this one gives you so many opportunities to reinvent yourself.

That’s what this region does.” NK Y

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PICTURED: Horton's drawing of the GOAT, Muhammed Ali.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

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The IGNITE Institute at Roebling Innovation Center

A Transformative Approach to Regional Education

By Casey WIlliams Spotted Yeti Media

FOR MANY YEARS, KENTUCKY fell near the bottom of national education rankings in almost every measurable category.

Underperforming schools and low high school graduation rates were indicators of more systemic issues.

With a national labor market near full employment, it has become clear to a group of local business and education leaders that the time is right to rethink how our education system and our businesses work together to create a vibrant future for Northern Kentucky – it begins in the fall of 2019 with the first class of students at the Ignite Institute.

The Ignite Institute will serve 1,000 students in grades 9-12, providing a focused, blended learning approach in seven colleges: design, computer science, bio-medical and pre-nursing, education, engineering, construction technology, and logistics. The school will be operated

by Boone County Schools but will be a truly regional approach to education and the preparation of Northern Kentucky’s future workforce. Students from Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties are encouraged to apply.

In addition to orchestrating a collaborative effort between the Boone and Kenton County school districts, the Ignite Institute will also engage local businesses and higher education institutions to provide a holistic, project-based educational experience for its scholars.

“The vision around the school from the beginning is that it’s totally changing how we engage students to what learning is through problems of practice, investigation, and apprenticing,” said Tim Hanner, founder of Navi-Go College and Career Prep and former superintendent of Kenton County Schools.

The need for a career institute in Northern Kentucky has long been the dream of many of the region’s education leaders. Both the Boone and Kenton county school districts had independently developed early versions of the Ignite institute. The Imagineering Academy in Boone County and the Academies of Innovation and Technology in Kenton County independently trained students in STEAM fields like robotics, design, and construction.

When Toyota announced that it would be moving its Northern Kentucky operations to Plano, Texas in 2017, it presented a unique opportunity for the Boone and Kenton County School Districts to join their efforts and create a regional school that would serve students from across Northern Kentucky. Toyota executives were inspired by a similar school in Plano, and began working with superintendents from across Northern Kentucky to donate the building that they would be vacating and to help plan for its future use.

PICTURED: (Opposite page and the following pages) The IGNITE Institute under construction.

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

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"It’s totally changing how we engage students to what learning is through problems of practice, investigation, and apprenticing."

Tim Hanner, founder of Navi-Go College and Career Prep and former superintendent of Kenton County Schools

“Before they left, Toyota wanted to leave a legacy in the region that would help other industries in the region,” said Dr. Randy Poe, superintendent of Boone County Schools. “That would be to help us transform education into 21st century skills that industries need.”

While other STEAM schools across the country inspired the partnership between the school districts and Toyota, the goal was not just to mimic what others had done. The goal was always to do it bigger and better, and to ensure that the school was training students in fields that were perfectly suited to the workforce needs of Northern Kentucky. “I’ll never forget the first time walking through that facility,” said Hanner. “My mouth watered imagining what it could be.”

“The Ignite Institute is taking business and education integration to a whole new level,” said Dr. Julie Whitis, co-principal of the Ignite Institute. “Businesses collaborate with the Ignite Institute in developing curricula as well as

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provide opportunities for scholars to work in a professional forum. Because of our integrative model and the generosity of our business partners, Ignite scholars have a chance to work as professionals in their field of choice before leaving high school.”

The Ignite Institute proclaims “care first, then teach” as its educational model. It is the belief that a caring adult who is interested in the well-being of students is integral to their success in the classroom. This approach allows students to feel supported, while exploring their passions and learning that failure is part of the learning process. Small, personalized classroom environments allow and encourage students to put in the extra effort needed to be successful. Additionally, before high school graduation each scholar will have the opportunity to spend over 400 hours with regional companies learning on-the-job skills.

The Ignite Institute offers its business partners “the ability to present real world case based learning and problemNORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

solving skills, and most importantly, to share the soft skills needed in any business setting,” said Dave Fleischer, executive director of strategic partnerships for the Ignite Institute. “The ability of business partners to interact, watch and nurture these scholars as they develop from grades 9-12 is transformative within the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region.”

The Ignite institute reimagines how we prepare students for the careers that Northern Kentucky desperately needs to compete regionally, nationally, and globally. Northern Kentucky is primed to lead the way in transforming education in our state because of our wealth of business and education resources and collaborative spirit.

“The uniqueness of our model is that it has a regional steering committee that includes…Boone and Kenton County superintendents, along with businesses to set the curriculum in relationship to the business model in the region,” said Dr. Poe. EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER

The Ignite Institute will be one of the most innovative and authentic opportunities for scholars in the country,” said Dr. Henry Webb, superintendent of Kenton County Schools.

“The fact that two of the largest school districts in Kentucky are willing to partner to ensure world class opportunities for students is an example of the collaborative and innovative spirit of Northern Kentucky.”

The Ignite Institute will be transformative, not only for our schools, but for our economy and the vibrancy of our region. It represents a collaborative, inclusive approach to regionalism that builds upon the strengths of Northern Kentucky.

Businesses and other organizations interested in learning more or getting involved with the Ignite Institute can present problems of practice for students to solve, help shape curriculum, offer internships and more. Visit igniteinstitute. org to begin shaping the future of Northern Kentucky’s workforce. NK Y PAGE 27

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Enhancing Your Market Value

By Bill Powell FranNet MidAmerica ADULTS OFTEN ASK CAREER coaches, HR professionals and others how they can increase their marketability if they’re seeking employment or how they can get their employers to promote them with a possible salary increase. There are many potential answers to that question, so it depends on the specific circumstances, resources and goals of each individual.

“I always suggest that adults conduct an assessment of their core skills and their essential (soft) skills,” said Angie Taylor, Ed.D. of Taylor Career Strategies in Ft. Mitchell. “Then they can determine their primary strengths and where they may need to focus on upgrade training. If they’re employed, they’ll want to speak to their supervisor about what skills they could acquire that would increase their likelihood of a promotion. Being a skilled contributor in the workplace is always important to a person’s future career pathway development.

“In some cases, people choose to complete their college degrees or plan to seek an advanced degree such as an MBA,” she continued. “With an employer’s tuition benefit, this is always a step in the right direction. Other certifications or credentials that may be useful in the workplace include a leadership training program such as the NKY Chamber’s Leadership NKY or another workplace leadership program.”

Taylor added that the Kenton County Public Library has many online, shortterm courses that adults may take to increase their skills, as well as classes and programs offered through the library’s resource portal, Job Search Central,

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“One example of such a credential is such as the Transferable Skills Workshop, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification Maximize Your LinkedIn Profile Workshop that TMU offers,” Schutzman explained. and Target Your Resume Professional “Lean Six Sigma is a customer-focused, Level Workshop. data-driven methodology that’s widely She stresses that credentials that are used to analyze and improve the matched to the sector in which a person performance of processes, products and works are always useful, e.g., Lean Six services. Traditionally, many have thought Sigma training or other industry-specific of it as a methodology that’s useful only credentials that sharpen and/or enhance in manufacturing environments. But it’s their skills. often useful in any work situation where Carissa Schutzman, assistant employees need to increase efficiency vice president for adult and graduate and then quantify it. For example, we’ve education at Thomas More University served employees from Children’s Hospital (TMU) in Crestview Hills, said she focuses and other health care providers, as well as on job description competencies when determining what—if any—academic “micro government employees.”

Schutzman said another program credentials” might be professionally TMU offers is Grant Writing: 101. “The beneficial to specific individuals. three-hour workshop provides an “Even companies with robust training overview on how to turn a great idea into programs and resources often find a successful grant proposal. It’s designed that they can help their employees by for professionals in the nonprofit or engaging outside resources, including education field with limited experience higher education,” Schutzman explained. in researching, developing and writing “We talk with organizations regularly successful grant proposals. There’s no to help them determine what their credential yet, but we’re developing a employees need. It could be any size of much fuller rollout of a grant writing company. series.

“The demographics of people who “We also customize skills training for take such certification programs are pretty diverse,” Schutzman said. “Typically, industries,” Schutzman continued. “For they’re people already in a career pathway example, we’ve developed a ‘Banking 101’ program that teaches specific skills and who are 25 years or older. Sometimes competencies needed in that industry they seek us out by themselves and such as customer service and other sometimes employers, career coaches soft skills. It’s currently a non-credit or others point them in our direction. It’s training program, but we’re developing a helpful when individuals can get advice curriculum for such offerings. Additionally, from a mentor or other experienced, we’re also looking at undergraduate knowledgeable person with perspective and graduate short-term certifications about what’s useful in the workplace now that can be completed within a degree and what will be useful or demanded in program.” the future.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Two examples of certifications offered through professional organizations rather an educational institution include: • Project Management Professional (PMP) The Project Management Institute offers the 35-hour education requirement course, which is capped with a PMP exam.

• Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), offers a credential to enhance the professional marketing standards for marketers and business developers in fields such as architecture and engineering. It also concludes with an exam.

“There are many certifications available to adults seeking a job or career enhancement,” Taylor concluded.

“Information is available about the various options through colleges, universities, career coaches and other organizations.

Whatever an adult chooses, it’s important that they develop their career pathway plan in a way that adds to their skill set each year.” NK Y

PICTURED: (Above) Chick-fil-A owner Dustin DiCiara leads a session on customer service, one of the NKY Chamber's Business Growth classes in the Sales Essential Series. (Opposite page) Social Medai Trainer Michelle Hummel leads a session on Magnetic Social Media, another in the Sales Essential Series.

ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

KY CAREER CENTER kcc.ky.gov NKY SHRM nkyshrm.org

NKY CHAMBER nkychamber.com/events & nkychamber.com/services/ business-navigation

SAVE THE DATE

NKY Chamber's

Annual Dinner Thursday, September 5 NKY Convention Center 5:00 — 8:30 PM NKYChamber.com/AnnualDinner

RISING STARS

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CONTACT OUR NORTHERN KENTUCKY ADMISSIONS TEAM: FORT WRIGHT | 859.916.5884 809 WRIGHT SUMMIT PKWY, SUITE 310

INDIANATECH.EDU/GOFORIT

Excellence in Education Celebration The Northern Kentucky region has a long history of supporting education and celebrating the vital role that educators, businesses and community partners play in ensuring our students are ready for college, career and life. Continuing this tradition, the NKY Education Council and NKY Chamber of Commerce joined forces to host the 2019 Excellence in Education Celebration on April 30, 2019.

As the premiere education event for the region, the dinner recognized students, educators, community and business leaders for their significant contributions to education. NK Y

CHAMPION FOR EDUCATION Pictured: Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber of Commerce; Garren Colvin, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Polly Lusk Page, NKY Education

SPIRIT OF THE REGION

Pictured: Dr. Henry Webb, Kenton County School District; Rick Hulefeld, Children, Inc.; Karen Collins, Kenton County Board of Ed; Shannon Herold, Kenton County Board of Ed; Karen Byrd, Boone County Board of Ed; Dr. Maria Brown, Boone County Board of Ed; Julia Pile, Boone County Board of Ed; Bonnie Rickert, Boone County Board of Ed (past member); Matt McIntire, Boone County Board of Ed; Dr. Randy Poe, Boone County School District; Troy Fryma, Boone County Board of Ed; Polly Lusk Page, NKY Education Council; Representative Ed Massey, Boone County Board of Ed (past member); Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber of Commerce PAGE 32

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

A.D. ALBRIGHT OUTSTANDING TEACHER OF THE YEAR

A.D. ALBRIGHT OUTSTANDING ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

1

5

STUDENT SERVICES

SPECIAL RECOGNITION - POLLY LUSK PAGE’S 10-YEARS OF SERVICE

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BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT OF THE YEAR

6 PICTURED: 1. Dr. Jim Detwiler, Boone County Schools; Amanda Berringer, Lincoln Elementary; Dan Cahill, HORAN 2.

Mike Borchers, Ludlow Independent Schools; Jenny McMillen, Ludlow Independent Schools; Susan E. Back, Simon Kenton High School; Dr. Robert Prichard, St. Elizabeth Healthcare

3.

Barbara Stewart, Workforce Investment Board; Dr. Jean Loftus, Loftus Plastic Surgery; Adam Ritter, Campbell County High School; Alex Wallace, Divisions Maintenance Group; Scott Siener, Divisions.

4.

David Schroeder, Kenton County Public Library; Leigh Emmanuelle “Emma” Wichmann, Larry A. Ryle High School; Anna Mae Impellitteri, Conner High School; Bradley N. Hall, Pendleton County High School; Mike Hammons, Children, Inc.

5.

Dr. Karen Cheser, Fort Thomas Independent Schools; Jamee Flaherty, Fort Thomas Independent Schools

6.

Dr. Randy Poe, Boone County School District; Polly Lusk Page, NKY Education Council

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STUDENT LEADERSHIP

All photos by Lauren Mulcahy

4

More Excellence in Education photos

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER

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ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

GOLDEN APPLE AWARDS – ELEMENTARY

GOLDEN APPLE AWARDS – MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL

AGAINST ALL ODDS

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Pictured: Dr. Kathleen Jagger, Thomas More University; Su’Mya Herndon-Jones, Kenton County Academies of Innovation and Technology; Margot L. Seidel, Highlands High School; Manu Nair, Larry A. Ryle High School; Molly Morgan, Holmes High School; Emily C. Girard, Simon Kenton High School; Dr. Henry Webb, Kenton County School District (not pictured, Jared Rowe, Beechwood High School)

Pictured: Dr. Jim Detwiler, Boone County School District; Dan Cahill, HORAN; Debra Wallace, Crossroads Elementary; Lynda Neltner, John W. Reiley Elementary; Jack Steele, Longbranch Elementary; Jackie Sheaffer, Walton-Verona Elementary; Toni Hook, Erpenbeck Elementary; Amanda Berringer, Lincoln Elementary; Hannah Hofstetter, Newport Primary School; Samantha Hall, Southern Elementary; Kristina Bell, Mary A. Goetz Elementary

Pictured: Cameron White, Randall K. Cooper High School; Candy Osborne, Maurice Bowling Middle School; Ryan Neaves, Tichenor Middle School; Christopher Manker, Campbell County High School; Jamiee Sampson, WaltonVerona High School; Robert Laterza, Holmes Middle School; Amanda Dempsey, Kenton County Academies of Innovation and Technology; Jonathan Heinrichs, Holmes High School; Robert Keller, Ludlow High School

Pictured: Dr. Shelli Wilson, Campbell County School District; Andrea Debrozsi, Campbell County High School; Madison Woods, Campbell County High School; Brianna Hammond, Kenton County Academies of Innovation and Technology; Amanda Dempsey; Kenton County Academies of Innovation and Technology; Destinee Matthews, Homes High School; Lori Eifert, Covington Independent Schools.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

e r b Off m a ice Ch rk Pa

l l a

y

Fo o

d T R k ruc

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Food trucks will be parked in the lot directly behind BB&T 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Chamber Office Park | 300 Buttermilk Pike | Fort Mitchell, KY

AROUND THE CHAMBER LEADERCAST | CROSSROADS FLORENCE

1 LEADERSHIP NORTHERN KENTUCKY 2019 GRADS | NEW RIFF DISTILLING

3

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NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

AROUND THE CHAMBER NKYP BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH FC CINCINNATI | NIPPERT STADIUM

2 PICTURED: 1. Pam Gilchrist, Ann Marie Whelan, Grace Desserich & Mike Sipple, Jr. 2. Young Pros on the field at FC Cincinnati vs. LA Galaxy 3. Congrats, y'all! - 2019 Leadership Northern Kentucky Graduating Class

DON’T MISS OUT! Check page 46 for the next three months of events, or for the full list go to nkychamber.com/ events EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

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AROUND THE CHAMBER WOMEN'S INITIATIVE GOLF OUTING & CLINIC | SUMMIT HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS HALL OF FAME | NEWPORT SYNDICATE

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EGGS 'N ISSUES | RECEPTIONS ERLANGER

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BUSINESS AFTER HOURS | GRANDVIEW TAVERN

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NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

AROUND THE CHAMBER WOMEN'S INITIATIVE CONNECT HOUR | CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS

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OUTSTANDING WOMEN OF NORTHERN KENTUCKY LUNCHEON | ST. ELIZABETH TRAINING & EDUCATION CENTER

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PICTURED: 1. NKY Hall of Fame 2019 inductees: Garren Colvin, Dan Tobergte, Rodney Cain & Lytle Thomas 2. Dennis Kennedy, Brian Ruschman & Tom Scarborough 3. Dale Silver 4. Phil & Lynn Schworer 5. Tom Reusch, Becky Vaughn & Martin Eisele 6. Audra Kordenbrock & Carolyn Eager 7. Peter & Sue Rodish 8. Shanna Novosel, Matt Strippelhoff & Sharmili Reddy 9. Colin Mitchell & Andrew Nickell 10. AshleyBangi & Dani Schwarz 11. Courtney Steele, McKenzie Lauver, Natalie Alderman & Kayla Byrnside 12. Christine Ray & Charley Wayman 13. Erin Head & Katrina Eckard 14. Becky Schultz, Danielle Bidwell, Nici Biehle & Sarah Day 15. Kristen Campbell & Karen Cornelissen 16. Carol Williams & Wendy Vander 17. Karen Zengel, Amy Beck & Barb Johnson 18. Jane Kleier & Sister Mary Ethel Parrott 19. Shannan Boyer, Katie Louis, Jamie Glavic & Krystan Krailler 20. Angie Christian, Rhonda Chisenhall, Tara HIggins & Denise Govan

All photos by Ben Gastright, except Business HOF by Brent Cooper and Golf Outing by Lynn Abeln

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

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RIBBON CUTTINGS ATECH AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY LAB AT GATEWAY’S TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER 1051 Dudley Road| Ft. Wright, KY 41017 | (859) 441-4500 | www.gateway.kctcs.edu PICTURED: Lance Angel, ATech Training, Inc. – NKY Chamber Ambassador; Dr. Figueroa, Gateway Community and Technical College; Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber President; Laura Lyons, ATech Training, Inc.; Debby Shipp, NKY Chamber

CENTRAL BANK 9021 U.S. 42| Union, KY 41091 | (859) 905-5570 | www.centralbank.com PICTURED: Larry Nitardy, ComAssist-NKY Chamber Ambassador; Karen Hartig; Karen Homan, Luther Deaton, Jeff, Augsback; Jim Uebel, Central Bank; Larry Lubbers; Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber President; Diana Webster; Amy Roberts; Mark Minton; Dennis Barnes; Steve Gillespie; Brad Hungler; Brett Blackwell; Jane Young, Re/Max Affiliates-NKY Chamber; Don Benzinger; Lindsey Phelps

DOMINION SENIOR LIVING OF FLORENCE 4009 Seligman Drive | Florence. KY 41042 | (859)208-0773 | www.dominionseniorlivingcom/florence PICTURED: Gary Winn, City Council Florence; Duane Froelicher City Council Florence; Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber President; Jackie Smith, Dominion Senior Living; Mark Taylor, Dominion Senior Living President; Jenny Daugherty; Dominion Senior Living; Diane Whalen, City of Florence Mayor; Jane Young, Re/Max Affiliates-NKY Chamber Ambassador; friends and family of Dominion Senior Living

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NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

RIBBON CUTTINGS FRISCH'S 100 Landmark Drive | Bellevue, KY 41073 | (859) 491-3205 | www.frischs.com PICTURED: Greg Hamed, Frisch’s Area Coach; Dick Mallon, Frisch's Ambassador; Frank Warnock, Bellevue City Administrator; Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber President; Mayor Cleves, City of Bellevue; Cheryl White, Frisch’s District Manager; Bob Ritter, Frisch’s Executive Vice President of Operations; Ryan Salzman, Bellevue City Council; Jody Robinson, Community Development Director

FRISCH'S 1731 Patrick Drive | Burlington, KY 41005 | (859) 525-6674 | www.frischs.com PICTURED: Alan Brinker, Frisch’s District Manager; Melissa Edwards, Frisch’s Manager; Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber President; Judge Executive Gary Moore, Boone County; Commissioner Charlie Kenner, Boone County

GUTHRIE’S CHICKEN FINGERS 1965 Highland Pike | Ft. Wright, KY 41017 | (859) 415-2012 | www.guthrieschickencom PICTURED: Joe Durrett, PNC Bank-NKY Chamber Ambassador; Gene Kirchner, NKY Chamber; Rigoberto Ibarra, Guthirie’s; Mark Halpin, Guthrie’s; Sara Aseere; Bill Aseere, Guthrie’s; Megan Ash; Mike Ash, Guthrie’s; Angi Dora, Guthrie’s; Marcie Vogelpohl; Guthrie’s; Jill Baily, City of Ft. Wright; Cara Miller-Aliff, Re/Max Affiliates

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

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RIBBON CUTTINGS NOTHING BUNDT CAKES 4960 Houston Road, Suite C | Florence, KY 41042 | (859) 594-2292 | www.nothingbundtcakes.com PICTURED: Kimberly Heestand, Bluegrass Care Navigators-NKY Chamber Ambassador; Pam Teller, Nothing Bundt Cakes; Kim Appel, Nothing Bundt Cakes; Diane Whalen, City of Florence Mayor; Gene Kirchner, NKY Chamber; Jane Young, Re/Max AffiliatesNKY Chamber Ambassador; City of Florence Police staff; City of Florence Fire Department staff; Nothing Bundt Cakes staff

PERFETTI VAN MELLE 650 Erlanger Road |Erlanger, KY 41018 | (859) 283-1234 | www.perfettivanmelleus.com PICTURED: Sharwari Dandekar, Demand Planning Analyst; Olbunmi Eko, Logistics Coordinator; Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber President; Sylvia Buxton, Perfetti Van Melle President/CEO; Adeleye Agbaje, Procurement Manager; Jessica Fette, City of Erlanger Mayor; Travis Eilers, Distribution Center Manager; James Biro, VP Supply Chain

SMOOTHIE KING 82 Crothers Road | Newport, KY 41071| (859) 888-3325 | www. smoothieking.com PICTURED: Jane Young, Re/Max Affiliates-NKY Chamber Ambassador; Bob Viani, Smoothie King; Angie Wormald, NKY Chamber; Tom Guidugli, City of Newport; Mayor Jerry Peluso, City of Newport; Commissioner Frank Peluso, Sr., City of Newport; Commissioner Ken Rechtin, City of Newport; Becki Vaugh, Full Throttle-NKY Chamber Ambassador

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NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

RIBBON CUTTINGS ST. ELIZABETH WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTER 600 Medical Village Drive | Edgewood, KY 41017 | (859) 301-6380 | www.stelizabeth.com PICTURED: Garren Colvin, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Susan McDonald, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Dr. Robert Prichard, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Dr. Susan Oakley, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Liz Youngs, St. Elizabeth Healthcare

THE STEPHENS GOLF CENTER 5390 Limaburg Road | Burlington, KY 41005 | (859) 414-1791 | www.stephensgolfcenter.com PICTURED: Angie Wormald, NKY Chamber; Beth Farrer, NKY Chamber; Diana McGlade, NKY Chamber; Sara Stephens; The Stephens Golf Center; Andrew Stephens, The Stephens Golf Center; Lynn Abeln, NKY Chamber; Jeremy Schrand, NKY Chamber

TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES 610 Main Street | Covington KY 41011 | (513) 582-6695 | www.tenthousandvillages.com PICTURED: Jon Engelhard, Huntington Bank-NKY Chamber Ambassador; Drew Gates, Ten Thousand Villages; Nancy Worsham, Ten Thousand Villages Volunteer; Terry Rienecke, Ten Thousand Villages Volunteer; Desiree Johnson; Ten Thousand Villages; Danielle Hoffman, Ten Thousand Villages; Mini Masih, Ten Thousand Villages; Kim Belcher, Staples-NKY Chamber Ambassador

LET US HELP YOU PROMOTE!

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 Lynn Abeln at (859) 578-6390 to schedule your FREE ribbon cutting today!

EDUCATION 2019 | VOLUME 38 NUMBER 5

Ribbon Cuttings Sponsored by:

PAGE 43

Member Milestones PLASTIC SURGERY GROUP

The Plastic Surgery Group, Surgery As An Art, is proud to welcome Dr. Ryan Wilson to the practice.

Dr. Wilson was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia. He attended West Virginia University for his undergraduate studies and then enrolled in the West Virginia University School of Medicine. During medical school, he was chosen for membership in both the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society as well as the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

After graduation, Dr. Wilson was accepted into the Integrated Plastic Surgery program at the University of Kentucky. While a resident there, he received training in the full breadth of plastic and reconstructive surgery and contributed to multiple research projects.

Upon completion of his plastic surgery residency, Dr. Wilson was selected as the inaugural Traveling Breast Fellow for the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. During this fellowship, he was given the opportunity to study both internationally and throughout the United States with some of the leading plastic surgeons in the field of breast reconstruction and aesthetic surgery.

Dr. Wilson is board-eligible in plastic and reconstructive surgery and licensed to practice in Kentucky and Ohio.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling and hiking with his fiancé, Laura, and spending time with their two English bulldogs, Gus and Calvin.

PAGE 44

WOOD + LAMPING LLP

Wood + Lamping LLP is proud to announce the election of Jennifer Griffin Anstaett and Jeff Teeters to the firm’s partnership.

Jennifer Griffin Anstaett practices primarily in the areas of Medicaid and Estate Planning, Trust and Estate Administration, and Special Needs Planning. She advises clients on Medicaid eligibility for long-term care — whether they are living at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing facility.

She also advises clients on a broad range of estate planning matters, including lifetime gifting and transfers at death, estate planning for families with children with disabilities, and guardianship proceedings. Jennifer is an OSBA Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law. She is an active Cincinnati Bar Association member and past chair of its Basic Estate Planning Institute and Elder Law Committee.

Jeff Teeters is vice chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Area. Much of his work focuses on assisting clients to manage their interactions with competitors. He provides counsel and litigation services in the areas of business and commercial, antitrust, trade secrets, non-compete agreements, unfair competition, shareholder, director and officer disputes, and professional liability. In addition to serving on committees for the Cincinnati Bar Association, Jeff currently serves on two editorial boards for the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation.

Jeff has been listed previously as an Ohio Super Lawyer, and Jennifer has been listed previously as an Ohio Rising Star. Both have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation and Elder Law, respectively. NK Y

— SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS!

All NKY Chamber members are invited to share announcements & personal achievements in the Milestones column.

Send Milestones to bgastright@nkychamber.com

NORTHERN KENTUCKY BUSINESS JOURNAL

AMPLIFY YOUR IMPACT. BE CPA READY. With 4 different specialized tracks, we have the right path for you!

For More Information: macc.nku.edu

EVENTS JULY 7/11 7/13 7/16 7/17 7/18 7/19 7/23 7/24 7/25 7/29

Northern Kentucky Business Journal is published bi-monthly by:

HR 100: Generational Hiring | TBD Small Business SATURDAY: Smart Owner Series, “Financial Data for Business Loans” | NKY Chamber | 8:30 – 11:30 AM Eggs ‘N Issues | Receptions | 7:30 – 9:00 AM Workforce-Safety Forum: Emergency Response: Beyond the Basics | NKY Chamber | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM NKYP: NGLA (Next Generation Leader Awards) Celebration | Newport Aquarium | 5:30 – 8:00 PM NKY United Reds Game | Great American Ballpark | 7:10 PM Sales Essentials: Design Success | NKY Chamber | 9:30 – 10:30 AM Workforce: Webinar Series Presented by Frost Brown Todd | TBD International Affairs: Utilizing Our Regions International Students | NKY Chamber | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM. Women’s Initiative Connecting Shore to Shore | Aloft Newport | 4:30 – 7:00 PM

AUGUST 8/1 8/6 8/7 8/8 8/10 8/13 8/20 8/22 8/22 8/26 8/27 8/27 8/29

Game Show Night | Florence Freedom | 5:00 PM Workforce: Employer Webinar Series - Compensation Planning: Pay-for-Performance Design | 12:00 – 1:30 PM NKYP: Bourbon & Boards | River’s Edge at Newport Landing | 5:00 PM Getting the Most from Your Chamber Membership | NKY Chamber | 3:00 – 4:00 PM Small Business SATURDAY: Smart Owner Series, “Use Metrics to Grow Your Business” | NKY Chamber | 8:30 – 11:30 AM Annual Chamber Golf Outing | Summit Hills Country Club | 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM Eggs ‘N Issues: Lee Crume, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED | Receptions | 7:30 – 9:00 AM International: How to Do Business with Germany | Hofbrauhaus | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Business After Hours | The Stephens Golf Academy | 4:30 – 6:30pm Women’s Initiative CONNECT Hour | Brianza Gardens and Winery | 4:30 – 6:30 PM Workforce: Employer Legal Roundtable - Hiring Foreign Workers | NKY Chamber | 7:30 – 9:30 AM Sales Essentials Workshop: Target Marketing! | NKY Chamber | 9:30 – 10:30 AM Workforce Safety: True Preparedness for an Active Shooter | NKY Chamber | 11:30 – 1:00 PM

Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Inc. 300 Buttermilk Pike Suite 330 P.O. Box 17416 Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017 859-578-8800 NKYChamber.com The Business Journal is a benefit of membership and included in membership fees.

Annual subscription rate for future members is $24.

Periodicals Postage Paid USPS-548630 at Covington, KY. 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. © 2019, The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and by the individual authors.

All rights reserved.

CEO/Publisher Brent Cooper VP, Public Affairs & Communications Kristin Baldwin | kbaldwin@nkychamber.com Marketing / Communications Director Jeremy Schrand | jschrand@nkychamber.com Design & Photography Ben Gastright | bgastright@nkychamber.com VP, Membership Lynn Abeln | labeln@nkychamber.com Director, Sponsor Investments Diana McGlade | dmcglade@nkychamber.com Chamber Communications Committee Karen Cornellisen, Kit Andrews, Mindy Kershner, Katie Scoville Louis, William Powell, Kelly Rose, Charley Wayman & Casey Williams

REGISTER TODAY

SEPTEMBER 9/5 9/14 9/17 9/17 9/18 9/18 9/26 9/30

NKY Chamber Annual Dinner | NKY Convention Center | 5:00 – 8:30 PM Small Business SATURDAY: Smart Owner Series - “Money and Credit Score” | NKY Chamber | 8:30 – 11:30 AM International/Small Business: Trademark Basics | NKY Chamber | 8:30 – 10:30 AM Eggs ‘N Issues: State of Northern Kentucky | Receptions | 7:30 – 9:15 AM Sales Essentials: Boost Sales w/Social Media Marketing | NKY Chamber | 9:30 – 10:30 AM Workforce: Webinar Series by Frost, Brown, Todd – “Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity as Protected Status” International: Trademark Basics | NKY Chamber | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Women’s Initiative CONNECT Hour | White House Event Center | 4:30 – 6:30 PM

Next Generation Leader Awards Thursday, July 18 Newport Aquarium 5:30 — 7:30 PM

LOOKING FOR MORE EVENTS? NKYCHAMBER.COM/EVENTS PAGE 46

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