It is no secret that the Northern Kentucky region is a tight-knit community that is known for its willingness to support its own. We work together with our neighbors, we support local businesses and we care about improving our community.
It’s also no secret that Gateway Community & Technical College is a large part of the NKY community. Community partnerships have been key to Gateway paving the way for growth in NKY. Collaborations with some of the region’s largest businesses and nonprofit organizations have created strong connections and employment opportunities for Gateway students and alumni.
Gateway is proud to celebrate their community partners every year at the annual “Gateway to Greatness” Luncheon, where the NKY community celebrates the strong partnerships and ever-growing possibilities for Northern Kentuckians who are pursuing their degrees.
This year, the second annual “Gateway to Greatness” Luncheon takes place on Tuesday, May 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Drees Pavilion in Devou Park. This year, Gateway will recognize longtime supporter, Jeanne Schroer (The Catalytic Fund), and their long-standing partnership with St. Elizabeth Healthcare. The formal program begins at 12 p.m.
Gateway Community & Technical College has created connections in Northern Kentucky and beyond that have set its students up for success as they complete their degrees and move on to the next chapter of their lives. This has always been the goal. “The vision of Gateway Community & Technical College is to remove barriers and provide access to engaging education that changes the lives of our students and builds a better tomorrow for our community,” said Dr. Fernando Figueroa, Gateway’s President and CEO, “We strive to bring that vision to Northern Kentucky every day, and I am so happy to share that vision with partners like St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Jeanne Schroer who have provided such valuable expertise, investment, and passion to Gateway.”
The “Gateway to Greatness” Luncheon honorees were selected for their close involvement in the past and future of Gateway. Adrijana Kowatsch, Executive Director of The Gateway Foundation and Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs, said selecting an honoree this year was an easy decision due to the candidates’ sincere dedication to Gateway.
“This is our second year of what we hope to be an annual, signature event. Our hope is for it to be a premier business event that happens once a year that honors individuals with close ties to our organization,” said Adrijana, “For this event, we celebrate a couple different things – we promote our mission, which is to offer quality education, and provide talent in growth industries. It’s also a general opportunity to show who we are as a member of this community. Jeanne Schroer is no better candidate on all those fronts. She has spent time, talent and treasure on us. She is a huge supporter of our mission and has been a model of a servant leader including serving as a past foundation board member and a member of the foundation’s executive committee.”
In regards to Gateway’s other honoree, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, it’s all about cultivating the workforce within the Northern Kentucky community. “St. E has been the premier partner when it comes to our Allied Health programs. They support our faculty through classroom visits, provide clinical spots for students who are training, they are our premier employer, and they provide our graduates with a living wage as medical assistants, nurses, phlebotomists, and as paramedics,” said Adrijana, “We produce the workforce they so badly need and in turn, they support the process that gets those folks trained. They gave us a transformation gift to expand our nursing program. They have a longstanding scholarship within the nursing program. St. Elizabeth Healthcare provides a standard in terms of innovation, new programming, how the industry is changing and how to navigate how this can be best done in this community.”
The community involvement doesn’t stop there. Local sponsors are further supporting the “Gateway to Greatness” Luncheon in groundbreaking numbers. “This is my first year with Gateway and I am so impressed with the level of generosity in support of education. It’s an honor to award two exemplary recipients and we are so grateful to have this level of community involvement,” said Michael Orr, Director of Development for Gateway Community & Technical College.
To date, the following sponsors have returned the favor and shown up to support “Gateway to Greatness”;
Gold Sponsors:
Corporex Companies, LLC.
Silver Sponsors:
Duke Energy
Bexion Pharmaceuticals
Safran Landing Systems
TQL Foundation
Bronze Sponsors:
DBL Law
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Heartland Bank
Kris Knochelmann, Kenton County Judge
Fifth Third Bank
MeetNKY
BE NKY Growth Partnership
Strauss Troy Attorneys at Law
Mazak Corporation
Houchens Insurance Group
KLH Engineers
Friends of Gateway:
Donna Salyers
Orleans Development
University of Cincinnati Real Estate Center
Notre Dame Academy
At the end of the day, Gateway wants to create an event that reflects the great community surrounding it. “When an award resonates within our community, it becomes a touchstone for our mission to engage, connect, and inspire the students of Northern Kentucky, and to improve our region’s quality of life,” said Dr. Figueroa, “The Gateway to Greatness Luncheon reminds us that we are all interconnected here in Northern Kentucky and that we can achieve tremendous things when we all work together towards the common goal of bettering our region.”
To learn more about the Gateway to Greatness Luncheon and purchase tickets for the May 30 event, please click here.