By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor
Retired Newport City Manager Tom Fromme, who has been deeply engaged in the community throughout his career, received meetNKY’s highest honor, The Proof award, at the organization’s annual meeting this week.
The award recognizes a person, organization or initiative that has made a measurable impact on the region as a destination in the past year.
The award was presented to Fromme, who retired after an accomplished 44-year career. He served as a Newport police officer since 1980 and rose to Police check, serving until 2005. He became city manager of Newport in 2005.
A graduate of Newport High School, Eastern Kentucky University, and Northern Kentucky University (with a masters of public administration, Fromme also graduate from the FBI National Academy and received credentialed manager status from the International City Managers’ Association.
He earned a stellar reputation for always exceeding expectations — and was deeply involved in his home community as a founding member of Italianfest, president of the Newport Foundation, on the board of the Purple People Bridge and of Southbank Partners. He was recognized by Mentoring Plus with the ‘Seeds of Hope” award in 2022.
He and his wife of 46 years, Terry, live in the East Row Historic Neighborhood. They have a son, TJ, and two grandchildren.
He has been a strong advocate for balanced city budgets, leaving a large cash balance when he retired and on his watch, he oversaw the following economic developments — including a number of that attract significant and repeat tourism to the region:
Academy on Fourth Apartments
Aloft Hotel
Aqua on the Levee Apartments
Buena Vista Historic District
Campbell County 911 Consolidated Services (central location at 998 Monmouth Street)
Campbell Towers (demolition for World Peace Bell development site)
East Row Historic District (2nd Largest Historic District in the Commonwealth of Kentucky)
Hampton Inn & Suites (demolition of the iconic Travelodge Hotel)
Hofbrauhaus – replica of Hofbrauhaus in Munich Germany (NKY’s 1st Microbrewery)
Kraus Awning demolition for Monmouth Row Apartments
Monmouth Row Apartments
Monmouth Street/US 27 Corridor Sidewalk and Underground Utility Project with support by the Kentucky Department of Transportation
New Riff Distilling
New Riff Distilling West Campus
Neighborhood Foundations (Newport’s Housing Authority – affordable housing)
Newport Administration Building – construction 998 Monmouth Street
Newport Aquarium
Newport Independent Fourth Street School demolition for Academy on Fourth Apartments
Newport on the Levee
Newport Pavilion (was able to save a development that went from bankruptcy to securing a new developer to save the project – with Kroger Marketplace and Target as anchor tenants)
One Riverfront Place
Route 9 Reconstruction Connection Project including the addition of bike lanes and round-about intersections
Scholar House in conjunction with Brighton Center Child Development on-site school
Skypoint Condominiums (Adaptive reuse of former Baptist Convalescent Center)
Southshore Condominiums
Vue 180 Apartments
World Peace Bell
York Street Historic Development.
Economic developments in progress or planned for Newport on his watch include:
Corporex Ovation Development Site: MegaCorp Pavilion, Hotels, Mixed Use Commercial Building and more
Fourth Street Bridge Project with KY Department of Transportation District 6
General James Taylor Park Redevelopment Plan
Margaritaville at Newport on the Levee
Martin’s Gate – site of Homearama 2023 – home sales and new construction continues on West 13th & 14th Streets
World Peace Bell Site: TRU & Home 2 Suites Hotels, City Parking Garage – 300+ vehicles, Mixed Use Commercial Building (proposed)
US 27 KY Department of Transportation District 6 Redevelopment Project: Underground utilities, Sidewalks upgrades/expansion, and Bike designation.
Clearly, these projects don’t happen because of one person — but leadership matters, and Tom Fromme has set a standard — and has gotten proven results — that made him the right choice for meetNKY’s ‘The Proof’ award.
If there is ever a ‘nice guy’ award, he should get that too.