The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce announced the creation of business councils in both Florence and Fort Thomas.
Fort Thomas is the largest city in Campbell County, while Florence is the largest in Boone County. By forming these two organizations, business owners in those communities can better connect with their local and regional officials, according to the chamber.
Specific goals include fostering collaboration, promoting economic growth and providing support for the development of businesses, as well as serving as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing and advocating on issues that impact their specific business communities, said NKY Chamber CEO Brent Cooper.
David Wallace, chairman and CEO of Heritage Bank, will serve as the Florence Business Council’s first chair. Mark Collier, chief operating officer with LINK Media, will serve as chair for the Fort Thomas Business Council.
“Part of the charm of living in Northern Kentucky is the uniqueness, variety and pride that exists within each of our cities,” Cooper said in a press release. “These councils will help better connect the businesses and organizations within their respective communities with each other and their government officials, while at the same time helping to better connect them to things happening around the region. We view this as an integral part of our strategy to move the region forward.”
Wallace said he sees an opportunity for the Florence Business Council to serve as a platform for building relationships.
“Heritage Bank believes in Florence and in the potential of all Northern Kentucky communities. We know that when people work together and build relationships, our communities become more economically dynamic,” Wallace said in the release. “I’m proud to chair the Florence Business Council in its first year. I look forward to meeting up with people I’ve known for decades and making some new friendships with people eager to make Florence the site of their next business venture.”
Collier said he sees the Fort Thomas Business Council serving in a similar fashion.
“My time at LINK nky has allowed me to see the benefit of casting a wide net in the business community throughout all of Northern Kentucky,” Collier said. “The launch of the Fort Thomas Business Council enables us to concentrate on vital issues that impact our businesses and stakeholders while streamlining operations and broadening our knowledge of the NKY Metro business community. I can’t wait to see how we embrace this opportunity and I invite other communities to consider the same.”
Membership is open to businesses, industry associations, government officials, educational institutions, and community organizations operating within respective city limits. For NKY Chamber member businesses located in a participating city, council membership is automatically included with NKY Chamber membership. Businesses do not have to be a member of the NKY Chamber to participate in a business council. Individual business council dues are $100 and renew yearly.
Meetings will be held monthly. The Fort Thomas Business Council held its first meeting in September at The Midway Cafe. The first meeting of the Florence Business Council will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Turfway Park Racing and Gaming.