The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce presented Rich Boehne with the NKY Community Award at the Northern Kentucky University Campbell County night basketball game Thursday night. Sponsored by First National Bank of Kentucky, the award is given to individuals, businesses, or organizations throughout the Northern Kentucky Metro region in recognition of their positive impact on the community.
Rich Boehne served as president and CEO of E.W. Scripps Company from 2008 to 2017 and as chair of the board from 2013 to 2021. Just as Scripps has built success and made commitments to journalism, so has Boehne.
NKU President Cady Short-Thompson, Rich Boehne, and Lytle Thomas (Photo provided)
Boehne began his media career in high school, selling subscriptions to The Cincinnati Post and Kentucky Post. He went on to work full-time as a newspaper journalist in 1981, spending the peak of his reporting career covering Wall Street, the capital markets, public companies, and the economy for The Cincinnati Post.
He accepted a job with the Scripps Corporate Staff in 1988, where he spent the 1990s and early 2000s as part of a team helping the company pivot from primarily being a newspaper owner to a leader in cable TV networks. He helped lead the company to become a leader in public-service journalism and champion of press freedoms and broad free speech rights for all individuals.
“Over the last four decades, Rich has played a tremendous role in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky communities. He served on numerous boards, donated time and dollars to various community efforts, and helped lead both personally and professionally. His work with Scripps and in journalism over the years has helped shape how we learn crucial information in an ever-changing industry,” said NKY Chamber President Brent Cooper.
“Rich has also served the Northern Kentucky community specifically as part of the initial group of trustees for the Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky. Even in retirement, his dedication to journalism and the region remains steadfast, as evidenced by his service as an advisor to Northern Kentucky’s LINK nky. When it comes to Northern Kentucky University, Rich continues to go above and beyond. He has served multiple times on the NKU Board of Regents and is wrapping up his second term as Board Chair. I cannot think of anyone more deserving than Rich Boehne to be honored with the NKY Community Award on Campbell County night at NKU!”
Boehne and his wife Lisa – who share two sons and three grandchildren – are both NKU graduates who continue to attend home basketball games and split their time between Newport and their farm property in Morning View, Kentucky.
Individuals interested in learning more about the NKY Community Award, sponsored by First National Bank of Kentucky, or in submitting a nomination, should contact Lynn Abeln at labeln@nkychamber.com.
