NKY Magazine, in partnership with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, will induct the members of its 2015 class of the Northern Kentucky Business Hall of Fame on March 11.
Inductees include: Helen Carroll, owner of Carroll Project Planning; Jerry Carroll, former chairman and co-owner of Kentucky Speedway; Judy Clabes, publisher of KyForward and NKyTribune; Jerry Deters (posthumous), founder of Drawbridge Inn; and Paul Verst, CEO of Verst Group Logistics.
The inductees will be honored for their lasting contribution to the community in economic, cultural, and civic endeavors. The celebration of their accomplishments will be a ceremony and dinner in their honor at the Radisson Hotel Cincinnati Riverfront.
The RSVP deadline to attend the event is March 5. Tickets can be purchased at bestofnky.com. For more information on the event, please contact Jenna Toon at 513-297-6215 or jtoon@cincymagazine.com.
The 2015 Inductees:
Helen Carroll: Helen, who retired last year as community relations manager for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, helped shape the automaker’s image in Kentucky and was the face of its community engagement efforts for 27 years. Helen started her own business, Carroll Project Planning in January of 2015. She is also currently serving as Interim President of United Way of Kentucky.
Jerry Carroll: There’s no denying Jerry Carroll’s projects—from Turfway Ridge Office Park, transforming old Latonia race track into internationally known Turfway Park, to building the Kentucky Speedway—have had a lasting impact on Northern Kentucky. For these reasons and many more, Jerry is one of the 2015 inductees into the NKY Business Hall of Fame.
Judy Clabes: Of her many business accomplishments, Judy was editor of The Kentucky Post from 1983 to 1996 and moved to Scripps corporate to be president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation until her retirement in 2010. She and her husband Gene, a former newspaper editor, started KYForward.com, an online community newspaper for the Commonwealth in 2011 and earlier this year they launched the online NKY Tribune.
Jerry Deters: Jerry could be considered the “father” of tourism in Northern Kentucky. Mr. Deters, who died in 2013 at the age of 85, developed and operated the iconic former Drawbridge Inn and Convention Center in Fort Mitchell, once the largest meeting facility in Northern Kentucky and for decades the place for events.
Paul Verst: Paul Verst has found much success as CEO of Verst Group Logistics. And it’s not hard to see why when you hear that it is of utmost importance to Paul to uphold the commitment of putting the customer first. As a strong believer in giving back, Paul is also a member of the boards of many local nonprofits. He is a Lay Minister in the Diocese of Covington and an active parishioner at St. Joseph Parish, Cold Spring.
The inaugural class of the Northern Kentucky Business Hall of Fame in 2014 included Matth Toebben, Toebben Companies, Dr. James C. Votruba, Northern Kentucky University, Donna Salyers, Donna Salyers’ Fabulous-Furs, Merwin Grayson, Northern Kentucky Central Bank & Trust, and Wm T. (Bill) Robinson III, Frost Brown Todd.
The Northern Kentucky Business Hall of Fame is presented by Northern Kentucky Magazine in partnership with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors of the 2015 event include: Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport, Northern Kentucky University Haile US Bank College of Business, Radisson Hotel Cincinnati Riverfront, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Ultimate Air Shuttle.