NewsMakers ’23: Introducing Gaby Batshoun, Julie Kirkpatrick, Kristi Nelson, Tom Saelinger, Mike Sipple

By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor

The Northern Kentucky Tribune’s 2023 NewsMakers, an annual celebration of top community servant-leaders, are: Global Business Solutions’ Gaby Batshoun, meetNKy’s Julie Kirkpatrick, Pomeroy’s Kristi Nelson, Republic Bank’s Tom Saelinger, and Talent Magnet’s Mike Sipple Jr.

“We are honored to hold up these outstanding community leaders as examples of the best of the talented, dedicated, and decent people who have distinguished themselves as top servant-leaders,” said NKyTribune editor Judy Clabes. “Based on input from former recipients, from our board and advisors, and from other community leaders, the consensus was that these five individuals earned an honor setting them apart from the pack this year. We agreed.”

Here are the NewsMakers’ basic bios, for which there is much to be proud, but please know this is just the beginning of what you will learn about the extraordinary people behind the bios. Next week we will introduce you to the real stories about these amazing personalities and why they are being celebrated as 2023 NewsMakers.

Gaby Batshoun

Gaby Batshoun was born in Jordan, grew up in Morocco, and moved to America in 1987, speaking not a word of English. He was a fast learner and found his way to Northern Kentucky University where he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in manufacturing engineering technology and electronics technology. Coming from a hard-working family of entrepreneurs, and having an innovative facility for “fixing things,” he founded Global Business Solutions in 1994 and has grown it into an international provider of managed IT services. He and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of two sons and a daughter. They live in Alexandria.

Julie Kirkpatrick

Julie Kirkpatrick was named president and chief executive officer of meetNKY/Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2020 and has worked with the region’s primary tourist group since 2014. She has had a successful 20+ years with several hotel brands. She leads the parade that attracts tourists to NKY. She loves what she does — and it shows. She and her “true partner,” Brad, live in Union and have two children, Lily, now a student at UC, and Logan, a 6th grader. Kirkpatrick grew up in Lexington, attended the University of Kentucky where she focused on biology and organizational leadership and Northern Kentucky University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.

Kristi Nelson

Kristi Nelson is Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at Pomeroy with responsibility for the overall management of Pomeroy’s legal affairs, human resources organization, facilities, and the Company’s technology solutions team. She earned her BA degree from Arizona State University and her JD degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law. She and her husband, Jeff, have a daughter, Emery, a student at NKU. She is involved in numerous good-deed organizations in region, including the Health Collaborative, the Cincinnati Women’s Executive Forum, and the NKY Children’s Advocacy Center, but is best known for her dedication and hard work related to helping make the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Cancer Center a reality — and expanding cancer care options for her home region.

Tom Saelinger

Tom Saelinger, the consummate community banker, is market president for Republic Bank. He grew up on a farm in Melbourne in Campbell County, the youngest of ten siblings, played sports at Bishop Brossart High School in Alexandria, and studied finance at Xavier University where he earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA. He started his career in banking early and is now growing the Republic Bank footprint in the greater NKY region — and helping it grow its community service footprint as well. He and his wife, Gina, a lawyer, have triplet daughters and live in Villa Hills.

Mike Sipple Jr.

Mike Sipple Jr. is CEO of Centennial, an executive search and recruiting firm, and co-founder of Talent Magnet Institute. An author, podcast host, and speaker, he is a leader and visionary who has extensive experience supporting forward-thinking and growth-oriented decision-makers of family-owned businesses who want to build highly effective leadership teams and healthy organizations to achieve their next chapter of success. He has expertise in succession planning, talent acquisition strategies, employment branding, community engagement, and building high performing executive teams. He grew up in Latonia and now lives with his wife and three children in Villa Hills.

More to come

Stories about each of these accomplished NewsMakers will appear next week right here in the NKyTribune, as we continue our tradition of honoring community-engaged citizens who give back to the community. The Trib serves NKY with local news online — free to all — because everyone needs access to the news to be a contributing member of our community.

In addition, an individual reception will be held for each NewsMaker at a place and time of their choosing so that their families and friends can be present for the presentation of their awards. And the NKyTribune can say a very special “thank you.”

The NKyTribune appreciates the support of the following sponsors of our NewsMakers program. Without these good corporate citizens — who put the community’s interests first — we could not provide the 24/7 news, sports, and entertaining features (including FREE obituaries, an open platform for the region’s nonprofit news, and a forum for the exchange of opinion and ideas). Please join us in saying thanks.

As a nonprofit, The NKyTrib has received a matching grant from the nationally-funded NewsMatch program that will double your contributions through the end of the year. We’re asking you for your generosity in supporting us — and in helping us reach our goals for both the amount of donations we receive — as well as bonuses for exceeding the number of readers who donate year-over-year. For that, we say thanks to you as well.