Friends of James West, the first executive director of the Tri-County Economic Development Corporation (Tri-ED) in 1987, have joined with the NKU Foundation to create a scholarship in West’s honor at NKU’s Haile College of Business.
Tri-ED has contributed the first $5000 to start the James F. West Economic Development Scholarship at the NKU Foundation.
West died on November 16 at age 73 after a short battle with lung cancer at his home in Augusta, Georgia.
West came to Northern Kentucky in 1987 to head Tri-ED. He had been serving as an economic development specialist with the local chamber of commerce in Columbus, Georgia, and Tri-ED was a new spin-off from the Northern Kentucky Chamber. He was charged with building NKY’s unique identity as an economic powerhouse.
With his easy southern drawl and focused, capable work he advanced the economic prosperity of Northern Kentucky and showed the region how a regional economic development organization should excel. He started by building positive relationships with Frankfort and collaborative relationships with Cincinnati. He focused on manufacturing and on filling office space.
During his tenure of 11 years, Tri-ED was named the top U.S. economic development organization for three years. He also formulated a state-wide, local-option license fee on rental cars to fund the operations of local development organizations.
He and his wife Connie left NKY in 1998. Jim returned to his home state of Georgia to head Augusta’s economic development effort. He retired after 35 years in Economic Development and Association Management.
Lee Crume, president/CEO of Tri-ED, (lac@northernkentuckyusa.com) and West’s good friend, Dan Tobergte of Graydon Economic Development Services (dtobergte@graydon.law) are heading up the scholarship effort.
Contributions may be made by credit card at www.nku.edu/give (select “other” in the dropdown box and put in the name of the scholarship — James F. West Economic Development Scholarship). Or send a check made out to NKU Foundation with the scholarship name in the memo line to Elizabeth Berk, NKU Haile College of Business, BC 305E Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY. 41099.
The goal is to raise $25,000 by the end of December and to announce the fund at a Celebration of Life event for West in Augusta in mid-January.
The aim is to award the first scholarships in the Fall, 2022, to 2-3 NKU students.
See the NKyTribune’s special obituary for James West here.
Much appreciation to Judy Clabes and the entire Northern Kentucky Tribune team for recognizing Jim’s long-standing impact upon Northern Kentucky. Together with Bill Robinson, Jerry Deters, Ken Lucas, Bob Aldemeyer, Ken Paul, and Bruce Ferguson, as the original founding members of Tri-ED, Jim led the state’s first regional economic development effort, strengthened ties with Cincinnati, and landed some impressive companies in NKY. As Tom Prewitt mentioned to me recently “Jim really taught us how to do economic development.” Establishing the “James F. West, Jr. Economic Development Scholarship” in the NKU College of Business will extend Jim’s impact in NKY!