OUR HISTORY

The Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards celebrates its 39th year of honoring women who exemplify notable achievements; outstanding service in their professions or to the Northern Kentucky community; and the qualities of personal integrity, perseverance, and leadership.

These women—who live, work, or volunteer in Northern Kentucky—represent the great diversity and extraordinary accomplishments of today’s women. All honorees represent ideal role models for the young women who follow in their footsteps.

The Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards were established in the fall of 1984, when the late Nancy Janes Boothe, wife of then-NKU President Leon E. Boothe, invited several faculty and staff members to a luncheon for a discussion of ways to involve more women from the Northern Kentucky area in the University community. In the spring of the following year, the first Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards luncheon was held with The Kentucky Post acting as a co-sponsor. Thomas More University (formerly Thomas More College) and Gateway Community Technical College later joined as education partners. After the newspaper closed in 2008, Toyota became the major sponsor, assumed responsibility for event production, and supported the scholarship program. With the 2014 announcement of Toyota’s headquarters consolidation and eventual relocation to Texas, the program was again in need of a champion to carry the torch. The NKY Chamber of Commerce Women’s Initiative has adopted this program and will continue its remarkable legacy. At the first award celebration, five women were honored. Since then, more than 200 women have been recognized for blazing trails, opening doors, or demonstrating leadership in their homes, their professions, their communities, or their state.