Women continue to lead, innovate, and inspire – in their careers, communities, and everyday lives – throughout the Northern Kentucky region. Each year, the NKY Chamber Women’s Initiative Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards celebrates those who demonstrate exceptional achievement, meaningful service to their professions or region, and a commitment to integrity, perseverance, and leadership.
The Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards were established in the fall of 1984, inspired by the late Nancy Boothe, wife of then-NKU President Leon E. Boothe.
Since then, more than 250 women have been recognized for blazing trails, opening doors, and demonstrating leadership in their homes, their professions, and their communities.
“What began as an opportunity to spotlight local leaders more than 40 years ago, has now grown into a highly anticipated gathering for the region each year,” said Holly Nibert Harrison, director of the NKY Chamber Women’s Initiative. “We’re thrilled to celebrate this year’s honorees – in a room filled with their families, friends and colleagues – and sharing all the remarkable accomplishments and impacts of these incredible women.”
The awards will be presented during the Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards luncheon on June 4 at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming in Florence.
The 2026 Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky honorees include:
Outstanding Women of NKY Honorees
• Terri Bernstein, owner and chief executive officer, BB Riverboats, is a third-generation owner with more than 26 years of service to the company. She oversees BB Riverboats, Current Catering, and the USS Nightmare. She’s armed with degrees in hotel, restaurant and tourism management from Western Kentucky University, as well as a paralegal studies degree from Purdue University. She holds a 100 Ton Master’s License issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, which is for full-time captains on bigger vessels such as tours, ferries, dinner cruises, whale watches, and crew boats. Bernstein’s actively involved on the boards of MeetNKY, Southbank Partners, and The Haunted Attraction Association. She’s a Leadership Cincinnati graduate of Class 31.
• Jessica Fette, mayor of the City of Erlanger and owner of The Hive, is a long-standing Erlanger resident with a degree in economics and business administration from Northern Kentucky University. She served as an Erlanger Council Member from 2016–18 before becoming the first female mayor of Erlanger, a role she has held since 2019. She opened The Hive with her family in 2022, a coffee bar, restaurant, and gathering space for the community. Fette currently serves as Chair of the Eons Preserve Nonprofit, Chair of the PDS Management Board, and Chair of the Kenton County Dispatch Board, and previously served as Chair of the Kenton County Mayors Group. She is also a member of the Economic and Finance Advisory Board for Northern Kentucky University and a ski instructor at Perfect North Slopes.
• Christine Russell, executive director of the Northern Kentucky Port Authority and vice president of strategy at BE NKY Growth Partnership, has served in her Port Authority role since 2022 defining and implementing its strategic direction and managing finances and operations. Her leadership has helped with the completion of two big local projects including the OneNKY Center and SparkHaus. Russell serves on the boards for Tri-State Trails and Blue North, is on the Urban Land Institute’s national Public/Private Partnership Council, is the past district council chair for ULI Cincinnati, and is a mentor for ULI Cincinnati’s Real Estate Accelerator Lab. She’s also a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 33.
• Lacy Starling, president and CEO, LINK Media, is a former newspaper reporter turned entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and mentor. Before launching LINK in 2021 and serving as the founding president and CEO, she was operating Legion Logistics, a startup that developed into a $26 million company headquartered in Newport. Starling also serves on the NKY Chamber board and has been recognized with the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40.
• Karen Zengel, executive director, St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky, joined the organization in 2017 after nearly two decades in market research. She leads the organization’s mission of providing basic needs and emergency financial assistance to neighbors facing hardship. She holds a degree in economics from Bethany College and an MBA from Xavier University. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Safety Net Alliance of Northern Kentucky, the steering committee for the Erlanger Business Council, and is a Leadership Northern Kentucky Class of 2020 graduate.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Henrietta Cleveland Inspiring Women
• Holly Danneman, associate dean, UK College of Medicine – NKY, leads all aspects of campus operations, including medical student education, faculty development, curriculum oversight, staffing, budgeting, philanthropy, strategic growth, and community engagement. She holds a degree in science from Xavier University and received her medical degree from University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine. She completed her training at St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency, where she served as chief resident and house staff resident. She spent more than a decade in the St. Elizabeth Emergency Department, followed by service as an adult hospitalist, before making the transition to academic medicine. Since 2019, she’s served as a preceptor for both St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency and the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She serves on the boards of GO Pantry, the Northern Kentucky Local Board of Health, and Faith Community Clinic.
Nancy Janes Boothe Scholarship
• Kristin Hughes, Thomas More University, is a single mother who works full-time while pursuing her MBA. She has a degree in English from the University of Dayton and serves on the Emerging Leaders Steering Committee at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati where she’s employed. She volunteers at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds.
Tickets for the event are $75 for NKY Chamber members and $95 for non-members. The NKYP rate is $65 or free with the NKYP Event Pass.
To purchase tickets, visit NKYChamber.com/Events.