18 minute read
NONPROFIT & GOVERNMENT
FOUNDER Brisben Foundation
Patty Brisben
Brisben was a single mother when she began selling intimacy products to women at inhome parties in 1983 to support four children. Ten years later, she founded Pure Romance and built it into a multimillion-dollar company. The foundation, founded in 2006, collaborates with universities and research organizations to direct resources to advocate for women’s sexual health and advance the understanding of issues facing women’s sexuality.
Hometown: Cincinnati What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? Our core fundraising has always been achieved through an annual gala and several events throughout the year, so we all had to get creative in engaging our supporters and communicating the value their contributions adds to our cause. Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. I’ve always felt strongly about showing gratitude and appreciation for my team.
Brent Cooper
PRESIDENT AND CEO NKY Chamber of Commerce
Cooper, founder of C-Forward Information Technologies in Covington, has led the chamber since 2017. The organization advocates for and provides services to more than 1,600 businesses with more than 200,000 employees in the region. It reported revenue of $2.4 million in 2021. In January, the chamber named Ashleigh DuBois as its fi rst diversity director. Last fall, it named Garren Colvin, president and CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare, board chair through 2024.
Marc Fisher
CEO Mayerson JCC
Fisher has led the Amberley Village-based organization, which celebrates Jewish life and welcomes people of all ages regardless of race, religion or ability, since 2012 while also serving as a partner with Fisher Investment Group. JCC off ers programs for students, seniors, and people with special needs that includes stateof-the-art fitness centers, award-winning early childhood and senior centers, arts, and cultural events, plus a day camp, outdoor pool, playgrounds, and basketball and tennis courts.
Hometown: Cincinnati Education: University of Michigan (undergraduate), Northwestern University (MBA) Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. It’s led me to seeing the need to surround myself with great people who are there to support one another. The result has been the realization that I alone can’t be the only one driving change. I have to let others be empowered to help carry the torch.
Brian Griffi n
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY-TREASURER Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council
Griffi n was elected to the top labor leadership position last year when Peter McLinden returned to AFSCME Ohio Council 8 as director of its Dayton Region. The Cincinnati council represents 35,000 members from more than 100 unions. Its mission is obtaining economic justice in the workplace and social justice for working families. Griffi n also serves on the city of Cincinnati’s Civil Service Commission and United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s board of directors.
Hometown: Gallipolis, Ohio Education: Ohio University (undergraduate and master’s) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? Most of my career has been in communications, so it wasn’t as much about organizational change as it was to refocus on making sure we were at the center of the storm as the communication conduit for labor and the community. It was an essential step in making sure that resources were known and shared.
Lee Crume
PRESIDENT AND CEO Northern Kentucky Tri-ED
Crume has led the Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation, the primary economic development company for Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties, since 2019. Prior to that, he was Global Director of Business Development for fi ve years with JobsOhio. In January, an industry and employment analysis showed that employment in the three counties increased by 11,000 between 2015 and 2020, the strongest growth in the commonwealth during that period.
Hometown: Owensboro, Kentucky Education: Western Kentucky University (undergraduate and master’s) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? The primary change is the size and scope of our services. We’re hiring four new employees to work on our Build + Elevate NKY campaign as a direct response to the pandemic.
Darryl Haley
GENERAL MANAGER AND CEO Metro/SORTA
Haley has worked for the transit organization that provides bus service in Hamilton County and commuter routes from Clermont, Butler, and Warren counties into the city since 2006. He was promoted in 2020 after serving as interim leader. In August, Cincinnati Public Schools approved a contract with SORTA, allowing students to ride Metro buses to school and ending a year of uncertainty around student transportation. Metro has been expanding service throughout Hamilton County in the past year.
Joe Huber
PRESIDENT AND CEO Cincinnati Development Fund
Huber succeeded Jeanne Golliher, who retired in April after 24 years leading the nonprofi t lending institution. Huber had previously served as chief lending offi cer and chief operating offi cer for the agency, which administers a $34 million loan portfolio from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to build aff ordable housing in the city.
Hometown: Cincinnati Education: Butler University (undergraduate) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? The pandemic exposed signifi cant societal challenges related to the need for housing that’s aff ordable and accessible and illuminated the wealth disparities and lack of fi nancial opportunity for people of color. Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. With the changes related to hybrid work schedules and new routines, I’ve become better about listening to ideas from my team and trusting their judgment.
Christie Kuhns
PRESIDENT AND CEO Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio
Kuhns, an attorney and former executive at UC Health, succeeded Eddie Koen in June after serving as interim president and CEO since January. In May, she helped launch an initiative designed to double the number of minority business enterprises with two or more employees in Cincinnati over the next fi ve years. The league serves 12 counties in Ohio and Kentucky.
Ellen Katz
PRESIDENT AND CEO Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Since 2015, Katz has led the leading community foundation that brings together donors, nonprofi ts, and changemakers to improve the region. Founded in 1963, the agency connects people in eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and has awarded more than $1.44 billion in grants, including $126 million in 2021. In April, GCF was among dozens of local companies that signed a pay equity pledge aimed at ending gender and race-based disparities in compensation . Katz recently announced that she will leave GCF by June 2023.
Hometown: Greenwich, Connecticut Education: University of Vermont (undergraduate), University of Cincinnati (master’s), Xavier University (MBA)
PRESIDENT UC Foundation
Peter Landgren
The former Dean of UC’s College-Conservatory of Music has led the school’s leading philanthropic operation since 2017. The foundation is spearheading “Next Now: The Campaign for Cincinnati,” which has a goal of $2 billion by 2024. The money will provide scholarships, fellowships, research, and healthcare initiatives to attract top talent. Last fall, LeAnne Anklan, former director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, became senior director of integrated marketing for the foundation’s Alumni Association.
Hometown: Rochester, New York Education: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (undergraduate)
Eric Kearney
PRESIDENT AND CEO African American Chamber of Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky
Since 2016, the former Ohio state senator has led the organization that advocates for African American-owned businesses with programs, events, and resources. In February, Kearney added a part-time role at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce as its director of diversity and inclusion. While Kearney has been at the African American chamber, membership has increased by 50 percent and a $300,000 endowment has been created.
Hometown: Cincinnati Education: Dartmouth College (undergraduate), University of Cincinnati (J.D. ) Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. We survey our members more to understand their needs. We’ve also provided data from UC Center of Economics on the economic impact of Black-owned businesses. And I seek to gain a deeper understanding of why the Chamber provides certain services, programs, and opportunities.
Kimm Lauterbach
PRESIDENT AND CEO REDI
Since 2018, Lauterbach has led the Regional Economic Development Initiative, launched in 2014 to advocate for companies locating or growing in Greater Cincinnati’s 15-county region. Since its creation, REDI has helped bring $2.4 billion in capital investment and 22,000 jobs to the area. The agency provides help in fi nding sites, securing fi nancing and tax incentives, and connecting with business leaders.
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio Education: University of Dayton (undergraduate), Indiana University (master’s) Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. Perhaps my leadership style has morphed a bit since prior to the pandemic, but my overall approach has continued to emphasize encouragement, recognition, and acknowledgment of each person’s contribution toward achieving our mission and metrics.
Gary Lindgren
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Cincinnati Business Committee
Lindgren, former Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, leads the downtown-based organization that was founded in 1977. He directs the business community’s collective eff orts to identify and provide leadership on issues important to the economic vitality of Greater Cincinnati. He helped launch the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee in 2012, which includes CEOs from nearly 100 mid-size Cincinnati companies, and continues to lead that group.
Patrick Longo
PRESIDENT AND CEO Alloy Development Co.
Longo, who has worked at the former Hamilton County Development Company for more than 20 years, took over the top spot in 2018. In March, the lender merged with West Chester-based Access Business Finance and rebranded as Alloy. The partnership will help grow its U.S. Small Business Association 504 program in Southwest Ohio to fi nance up to $5 million for fi xed-asset projects that promote business growth and job creation.
Hometown: Cincinnati Education: John Carroll University (undergraduate) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? Alloy is focusing more on customer service and aligning our internal processes to create better, more timely results for our clients. And we’re touching base with the businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities that we serve more frequently.
Bernie McKay
PRESIDENT AND CEO Haile Foundation
McKay was named leader of the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. Foundation in March, succeeding Tim Maloney, who retired after more than 15 years. McKay previously was a partner for 28 years at Frost Brown Todd. At the Haile Foundation, McKay oversees more than $300 million in assets.
Hometown: Maysville, Kentucky Education: Morehead State University (undergraduate), Northern Kentucky University (J.D.) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? The needs of the charities we support changed swiftly, and our team creatively pivoted our approach to philanthropy to ensure we continued to be a supportive partner. Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. The pandemic cast a spotlight on my need to expand the defi nition of “workplace freedom” insofar as team members were working remotely and at diff erent hours while continuing to deliver a stellar work product.
Tim Mettey
CEO Matthew 25: Ministries
Since 2012, Mettey has led the Blue Ashbased charity, founded by his father, Rev. Wendell Mettey, in 1991. Its mission is to fulfi ll Matthew 25:34-40 of the New Testament by providing food, water, medical care, and humanitarian supplies to those in need. M25M has distributed 265 million pounds of aid across the U.S. and into about 70 countries.
Hometown: Cincinnati Education: University of Cincinnati (undergraduate) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? As a disaster response organization, Matthew 25 launched a large-scale response to COVID within days of the WHO declaring it a global pandemic. We already had essential supplies stocked in our warehouse, like sanitizer, masks, gloves, and paper products. Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. My leadership style has always been and continues to be hands on. I encourage team-building over micromanagement.
Candace McGraw
McGraw, who has led CVG since 2011, helped create the largest North American cargo operation for both Amazon and DHL. In 2021, cargo represented 69 percent of the landed weight at the airport. Last fall, CVG was again the top-ranked regional airport in North America, based on passenger surveys, according to London-based Skytrax.
Hometown: Pittsburgh Education: Duquesne University (undergraduate and master’s) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? The airline and cargo industries have undergone immense changes as a result of the pandemic, and airport operations have had to adjust. We were fortunate, however, that pre-pandemic the airport had made a concerted eff ort to diversify our business by engaging with a number of passenger carriers, growing our cargo footprint, and developing hundreds of acres to support a variety of both aviation and non-aviation related businesses.
Jill Meyer
CEO Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
Meyer has led the organization, which advocates for more than 3,500 businesses, since 2015. She collaborates with public offi cials to develop plans on issues such as transportation, healthcare, and education to fuel economic growth. The chamber is in the forefront of the campaign for a new Brent Spence Bridge. With 2021 revenue of $25.6 million, it is the region’s largest chamber. Brendon Cull became president in July, taking on a role previously held by Meyer.
Hometown: Cincinnati Education: Mount St. Joseph (undergraduate), Northern Kentucky University (J.D.)
Joseph Meyer
MAYOR City of Covington
Meyer was first elected in 2016 to lead the Northern Kentucky city of 41,000, the fi fth-largest in the commonwealth. In April, the city committed an estimated $10 million to a $25-million research and development lab in Northern Kentucky that’s considered to be a potentially “catalytic” project for the city and region. In 2021, it was named “City Government of the Year” by the Kentucky League of Cities for its pandemic eff orts.
Hometown: Covington Education: Bellarmine University (undergraduate), St. Louis University (master’s), Northern Kentucky University (J.D.)
Danielle Minson
CEO Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
In 2021, Minson became the first female leader in the organization’s 125-year history. She was named chief development offi cer for the advocacy agency in 2005 and managing director in 2018 before moving into the top job. She was the architect of creating new revenue streams in addition to the annual campaign that doubled the federation from a $10 million to $20 million institution that promotes community education, engagement, and programming.
Aft ab Pureval
MAYOR City of Cincinnati
Pureval, previously Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, became the city’s fi rst new mayor in eight years in fall 2021 when he defeated veteran council member David Mann 66–34 percent to succeed John Cranley. Pureval, whose father is from India and mother is from Tibet, is Cincinnati’s fi rst Asian American mayor. He visited the White House for meetings on gun violence this past summer and announced the hiring of Sheryl Long as the new City Manager in September.
Hometown: Xenio, Ohio Education: Ohio State University (undergraduate), University of Cincinnati (J.D.)
Kurt Reiber
PRESIDENT AND CEO Freestore Foodbank
Reiber took over the agency that provides food and services to help people create stability in their lives in 2011 after an almost 30-year career with Key Bank. It’s one of the state’s largest foodbanks, providing more than 37 million meals each year in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Its 100 employees and 10,000 volunteers partner with about 540 community agencies.
Hometown: Avon Lake, Ohio Education: Baldwin Wallace University (undergraduate), University of Toledo (MBA and J.D.) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? We immediately transitioned from a choice pantry model of food distribution, where our families can come and shop for their groceries, to utilizing prepacked emergency boxes distributed via large scale drive-thru food distributions, where our team served upwards of 3,000 families at each event.
Beth Robinson
PRESIDENT AND CEO Uptown Consortium
Robinson has led the nonprofit community development corporation, whose members include Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, TriHealth, UC Health, the University of Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to collaborate on projects, since 2009. It is working on fi ve diff erent development eff orts supporting the Innovation Corridor in Uptown. The consortium relocated from the Oak Building in Avondale to an office building on Burnet Avenue that’s owned by Cincinnati Children’s.
Hometown: Georgetown, Ohio Education: University of Cincinnati (undergraduate and master’s)
Dennis Schnurr
ARCHBISHOP Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Most Rev. Schnurr has led the archdiocese of about 450,000 Catholics in 19 Southwest Ohio counties across 208 parishes since 2009. For the past two years, he has overseen Beacons of Light, a major reorganization process that’s remaking archdiocese parishes and schools in response to changing demographics, shrinking church attendance, and a priest shortage.
Hometown: Sheldon, Iowa Education: Loras College (undergraduate), Gregorian University (master’s), Catholic University of America (Ph.D.) What’s the main way your business organization changed over the past two years of the pandemic? The Catholic faithful have renewed their trust in the Lord during the pandemic. Compare your leadership approach today to how you led before the pandemic. The work of the Church, proclaiming the Truth of the Catholic faith, endures through times of both diffi culty and prosperity.
SENIOR PASTOR Crossroads Church
Brian Tome
Tome founded the Oakley-based nondenominational megachurch in 1996. It now has 10 campuses in Ohio and Kentucky, an online streaming platform that reaches more than 6,000 each week, and prison ministries at seven facilities in Ohio and Kentucky. He has written four books; helped launch Ocean in 2014, the fi rst faith-based business accelerator; hosts the Aggressive Life podcast; and produced Phantom Lake, an adventure motorcycle TV show on Amazon Prime.
Hometown: Pittsburgh Education: Robert Morris College (undergraduate), Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (master’s)
Moira Weir
PRESIDENT AND CEO United Way of Cincinnati
Weir, who previously led Hamilton County Jobs & Family Services for 12 years, took over as top leader of the local United Way in March 2020. She succeeded Ross Meyer, who served as interim CEO for 14 months. In August, the agency named Greg Carmichael, who retired as CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, to lead the 2022 fundraising campaign. UWGC serves 87 partners across nine counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Hometown: Philadelphia Education: Simmons College (undergraduate), Thomas Moore (MBA), Bryn Mawr College (master’s)
Allen Woods
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mortar
Woods, Derrick Braziel, and William Thomas II founded the urban business incubator in 2014 to help marginalized entrepreneurs fi nd resources and partners. The organization has grown to seven cities in six states, with plans to expand to 15 new cities within fi ve years. Its Entrepreneurship Academy is designed for people starting or growing a business. Alumni include Brian Jackson, CEO and head brewer of Walnut Hills’ Esoteric, one of the few minority-owned breweries in the nation.
Hometown: Indianapolis
Michael
McDonaldCYBER CRIME
Lambcke is deeply tanned, rested, and retired, but drags around a bad hip and knee after standing on a factory fl oor for 38 years. Baskin is sitting out on a recumbent bike, reading Lee Child paperbacks, after getting therapy on his elbow and back. This past year I bookmarked mayoclinic.com, acquired a cardiologist and sleep doctor, and blew through my deductible before March Madness. Plus one more tk line goes here. SUPREME LEADER Doobie Brothers, Attorneys at Law Lambcke is deeply tanned, rested, and retired, but drags around a bad hip and knee after standing on a factory fl oor for 38 years. Baskin is sitting out on a recumbent bike, reading Lee Child paperbacks, after getting therapy on his elbow and back. This past year I bookmarked mayoclinic.com, acquired a cardiologist and sleep doctor, and blew through my deductible before March Madness. Plus one more tk line goes here.
Michael McDonaldTRUSTED Michael McDonald
BUSINESS
SUPREME LEADER Doobie Brothers, Attorneys at LawPARTNERS TAXES Lambcke is deeply tanned, rested, and re-THAT CAN HELP tired, but drags around a bad hip and knee after standing on a factory fl oor for 38 years. YOU WEATHER Baskin is sitting out on a recumbent bike, reading Lee Child paperbacks, after getting THE STORM. therapy on his elbow and back. This past year I bookmarked mayoclinic.com, acquired a cardiologist and sleep doctor, and ADVISORY SERVICES blew through my deductible before March Madness. Plus one more tk line goes here.TAX SERVICES
ASSURANCE SERVICES
Hometown: Anderson Township Education: Miami University First job: Painting houses Toughest challenge faced Best advice received or favorite inspirational quote: Begin with the end in mind. What you’d tell a recent college graduate about entering your fi eld of business: Your work life last 30 or 40 years, so make sure you love what you do. Favorite hobbies or leisure activities: Hiking, fi shing, golf, reading Favorite Greater Cincinnati charity: Down’s Syndrome Association of Cincinnati
Hometown: Anderson Township Education: Miami University First job: Painting houses Toughest challenge faced Best advice received or favorite inspirational quote: Begin with the end in mind. What you’d tell a recent college graduate about entering your fi eld of business: Your work PEOPLE MATTER. life last 30 or 40 years, so make sure you love what you do. Favorite hobbies or leisure activities: Hiking, fi shing, 513.579.1717 | www.mcmcpa.com | golf, reading Favorite Greater Cincinnati charity: Down’s Syndrome Association of Cincinnati
LEADERS INSPIRE. EXCELLENCE RULES.
Hometown: Anderson Township Education: Miami University First job: Painting houses Toughest challenge faced Best advice received or favorite inspirational quote: Begin with the end in mind. What you’d tell a recent college graduate about entering your fi eld of business: Your work life last 30 or 40 years, so make sure you love what you do. Favorite hobbies or leisure activities: Hiking, fi shing, golf, reading Favorite Greater Cincinnati charity: Down’s Syndrome Association of Cincinnati
