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REGIONAL PRIORITIES

In October, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) approved its next round of federal funding grants to area infrastructure projects, awarding a total of $53.8 million to 26 applying organizations. The projects include roadway, bridge, and sidewalk repairs; public transit upgrades; safety improvements; and bike/ pedestrian access improvements. Funds will be dispersed starting this Spring.

EAST OF EDEN

A total of $6 million was awarded to rehab work on the bridge connecting Eden Park to Victory Parkway and Walnut Hills (above and previous pages) over Kemper Road. Vehicle lanes will be reduced, sidewalks will be extended along Eden Park Drive, and street lighting will be replaced. The city of Cincinnati plans to add an on-street bike facility.

EASY RIDING

The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky will receive $2.2 million to replace four diesel buses with hybrid electric models. TANK currently has 23 hybrid buses in service (above and right), accounting for nearly one-third of its fixed-route fleet, and acquired its first ones in 2007.

Boone County received more than $2.4 million total for two new sections of the CVG Loop Trail, planned as a 14-mile pedestrian and bicycle trail around the airport. The first segment of trail runs beside Aero Parkway (left and below), and these extensions will be designed later in 2022 primarily along county- and state-owned right of way on Donaldson Road and connecting streets.

WEST IS BEST

One of the region’s most significant infrastructure projects, a replacement for the Western Hills Viaduct (left and bottom), received $1 million in this funding cycle. As OKI noted in its announcement, a total of $126 million is in place for the project through federal, state, and local funding, including more than $18 million from OKI. It’s possible that funds from the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill could be allocated to the viaduct as well.

JOHN BANCHY KATE SCHRODER

PRESIDENT AND CEO

THE CHILDREN’S HOME

ASK ME ABOUT How the pandemic has impacted our mission of helping children.

HOW DID THE PANDEMIC AFFECT YOUR MISSION OF SERVING AREA KIDS? Most of our counselors and therapists are in schools, and clients see our providers during the academic day. When schools closed, we had to figure out how to keep serving kids. We were able to craft a telehealth system, and our telehealth visits increased nearly 400 percent in one year to about 60,000 visits total.

HAS THE DEMAND FOR YOUR SERVICES GROWN SINCE THE PANDEMIC? The demand for our services has steadily increased every year. In 2015, we served 6,657 clients, and by 2021 we were serving nearly 15,000. Our country is getting better at diagnosing mental and behavioral health challenges. If anything, the pandemic and social isolation exacerbated issues and brought others to the surface.

HOW DO YOU HOPE TO CONTINUE GROWING THE ORGANIZATION? We recently opened a Pediatric Urgent Care Mental Health clinic, which is the first of its kind in our region, and we’ve welcomed Cincinnati Arts and Technology Studios (CATS) into our cadre of services. Our students attend more than 300 schools in the region, and we provide services in another 200 community locations. We’re hiring more licensed social workers to meet the communities’ needs. We’ve been serving our neighbors since 1864, and I think people recognize an organization that simply wants to do good things for our commu-

nity. — ELIZABETH MILLER WOOD

NEW CEO

INTERACT FOR HEALTH

ASK ME ABOUT My vision for a healthy and strong Cincinnati.

IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU SEEN DEI IMPROVEMENT IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF THE OHIO BANKERS LEAGUE’S EFFORTS? One is the strategic engagement, communication, and implementation from the leadership of banking institutions. Another is institutions like the Summer Banking Institute, which has the goal of creating job opportunities for diverse talent coming out of universities.

WHY ARE DEI INITIATIVES PARTICULARLY ESSENTIAL TO THE BANKING INDUSTRY? First, as we have an aging employment base alongside a growing industry, there is a deficit of minority talent. Second, there’s a great need to look at underbanked or unbanked populations. If minority populations don’t trust the industry and are not utilizing banking services, it impacts their ability to

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING CINCINNATI HEALTHY? We have huge disparities in our health outcomes throughout this region. Life expectancy can vary by up to 20 years depending on the neighborhood in which someone is born. Black babies in Cincinnati are three times more likely to die than white babies. These differences are unacceptable. As a community, we need to come together to move the needle and improve overall health outcomes, especially health equity.

WHAT STRATEGIES DO YOU HOPE TO ENACT TO TACKLE SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES? My vision is that can we rally around a collective health agenda—aligning resources and partner efforts around a shortlist of top priorities— and then work tirelessly to make measurable progress on these. In my work, I’ve always strived to live out the African proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

WHAT ROLE DO VACCINATIONS PLAY IN OUR CURRENT HEALTH LANDSCAPE? As someone who spent many years working in global health, I’ve seen firsthand the indescribable anguish of preventable deaths and the life-saving power of vaccines. Everyone deserves access to life-saving medicines and vaccines. Equitable access and reliable information are things we should all strive for across our neighborhoods, our country, and our global community.

— E.M.W.

build wealth. When minority talent has a deeper understanding of banking, they go back and share that with their communities. That’s a win-win-win for banking institutions, for citizens, and for the state.

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL THE INDUSTRY STILL HAS ROOM TO IMPROVE? We have a long way to go in terms of demystifying the banking industry for minority populations, getting greater numbers of minority representation, and decreasing numbers of the unbanked and underbanked. We’ve got to do better in terms of minorities who serve on boards of directors of financial institutions, but I think we’re on the right track. I think OBL is leading in the right direction.

— E.M.W.

KEITH BORDERS

VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

UNION SAVINGS BANK

ASK ME ABOUT My work to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the banking industry.