By Vicki Prichard
NKyTribune reporter
One need only look at Bob Heil’s family to grasp the roots of his appreciation of and commitment to Northern Kentucky.
“I believe that my family is one of the greatest testimonials to the quality of life in Northern Kentucky,” says Heil, one of 13 children.
Growing up one of 13 siblings, Heil says that eight of them, at one point in their lives, lived out of state. The young Heils were business owners and entrepreneurs — with more than 20 companies between them, but at their core they were Northern Kentuckians and returned to the region. The family spirit of entrepreneurship continues in Heil’s son who owns his own business in Newport.
“Family draws you back, but an entrepreneurial climate is also attractive,” says Heil.
Heil, who is President and CEO of KLH Engineers, steps into one of the region’s most influential leadership positions on Thursday night as he accepts the chairmanship for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He succeeds David Heidrich of Zalla Companies.
While Fort Thomas is where he works and lives, Heil grew up in Newport. After high school, he attended Cincinnati State where he earned his A.S., and then went on to the University of Kentucky where he earned a degree in engineering. He joined KLH in 1987. Today the business has 150 employees in offices in Fort Thomas, Lexington, Columbus and New York City.
He earned his Master of Science in Executive Learning & Organizational Change (ELOC) at Northern Kentucky University.
“I had always wanted to get my masters, and for the working professional it [ELOC] is structured so well,” says Heil.
Heil became involved with the Chamber seven years ago, and credits his friend Ralph Dusing, President of Bluegrass Commercial Group L.L.C., with encouraging him to become more engaged.
“He encouraged me to get involved and it didn’t take looking much past Ralph because he was a beacon of engagement at the Chamber,” says Heil. “I saw so much engagement, and I joined out of a sense of duty. Businesses in the region benefit from the Chambers advocacy. I felt like I had an obligation to participate.”
“My hope is that my words are a call for action for people,” says Heil about his message to the Chamber at Thursday night’s annual dinner.
In the coming year, Heil will lead the effort to move the Chamber in critical initiatives such as leveraging its social capital as well as becoming a data driven organization that drives and engages human interaction.
“We had a board retreat with new members in May and we identified two wildly important goals. First, is to be a more data driven organization, using analytical tools to provide targeted member services to our members, and also use those analytics to drive human interaction with members that promotes engagement and value,” says Heil.
“The second is one that is really one of my passions. I am a student of how you build and leverage social capital, and the goal we came up with is that we want to an organization that has a hefty bank account of social capital.”
As a solution-based organization, says Heil, when issues come up — whether regional or statewide — the Chamber will reach out to members and use analytical tools to find members, who can contribute their expertise to the discussions.
“We’ll be willing to stick our neck out and say,’These are potential solutions — these are solutions,’” says Heil.
Among the issues he and Chamber colleagues will address is the deficit of social capital statewide.
“Northern Kentucky doesn’t get to the ballot box, we’re behind Lexington and Louisville in voter turnout,” says Heil, pointing out that Northern Kentucky voter turnout is traditionally in the low 20 percent.
“While we’re second in education attainment, we still don’t get out and vote. That’s counterintuitive to what you would think. We’re looking at initiatives and we’ll be leveraging Trey Grayson’s expertise from his role as Secretary of State.
With ample work ahead, Heil is enthusiastic about the momentum within the Chamber itself. He sites Grayson’s leadership, significant reorganization, a new publication rolling out that will be more of a day-to-day, hard-hitting publication that will be delivered digitally; redesign of the Chamber’s Northern Kentucky Business Journal to feature lifestyle pieces that will appeal to both Chamber readership and a broader community audience; and a new Chamber brand.
“I’m really excited about the Chamber’s new brand,” says Heil. “For the first time, Northern Kentucky has something identifiable that we can all embrace. The cities and organizations do a nice job of it, but this is the first time that we have our brand, with the “Y” in NKY asking us all the question, “Why Northern Kentucky?” We should all have the answer on the tip of our tongue.”
Next year, when Heil hands off the leadership baton to his successor, he hopes his tenure will have established the Chamber as the go-to resource for solutions.
“I think I would be really proud if the Chamber were viewed by the community as a whole, and certainly by elected officials, as a resource for expertise that can be relied on to help solve community challenges,” says Heil. “You don’t build social capital overnight, but my goal as chairman is to overcome that inertia where our standard MO is that if there is a community challenge, we have the members in the Chamber with the expertise.”
Heil and his wife Mary Beth, who have five children, live in Fort Thomas in the historic home of Colonel Harry Clay Egbert, an officer in the U.S. Army who served in the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War.
Heil’s passion for Northern Kentucky’s future has a firm foundation in his passion for the region’s past.
He and Mary Beth, along with a committee of Fort Thomas residents, are working to erect a statue in honor of the American Civil War veteran, U.S. Army Officer and Union General George Henry Thomas, to stand in front of the Fort Thomas Veterans Administration Hospital.
He and his family also own a farm in Bracken County where they constructed a cabin from historic log cabins purchased in Versailles, Ky.
This is good. I have been in contact with Northern Kentucky Chamber’s for our computer store and bounce house rental company. They came to our shop and talked with us. I think they have some great opportunities for small business in Northern Kentucky. I am excited to see what Bob Heil can do. He lives in Fort Thomas Kentucky and so do we.
Great to read of NKY Chamber efforts. I look forward to reading more!