By Laura Kroeger
NKyTribune staff writer
Geralyn Isler has spent her entire working career contributing to the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Now after 14 continuous years on the Executive Committee and serving as secretary of the Board and treasurer, she has taken the reigns as just the seventh woman to chair the Chamber Board.
She follows a family legacy of leadership and community service starting with her father who believed that businesses have an obligation to give back to the community that has supported them. George Beatrice founded Business Benefits in 1984. It was the first insurance agency in Northern Kentucky to specialize in employee benefits. Now it’s the largest. The firm’s reach will be more than doubled throughout the Commonwealth due to its acquisition by Houchens Insurance Group headquartered in Bowling Green.
As president of Business Benefits since 2018, Geralyn has shown her business acumen time and again. Her late brother Gary preceded her as president and was chair of the Chamber, making them the first brother and sister combo to be Chamber chairs.
“I’m honored to take on this role with the Chamber,” says Geralyn. “It’s a meaningful milestone for me and the Chamber. I do believe that the stronger the Chamber, the stronger the community becomes. Since the majority of the Chamber membership is composed of small businesses, I can help them feel their value since I represent a small business. Word is getting out there. Membership has grown and attendance at Chamber programs has increased. I want to see that trend continue during my term.”
A self-professed introvert, Geralyn has not been shy about her contributions to the Chamber. She has served as a Chamber ambassador, sat on numerous committees and reigned as chair of the Women’s Initiative. In fact, she has been involved with the Women’s Initiative since the initial meeting at the former Toyota headquarters in Erlanger. She is a graduate of the Leadership NKY Class of 2007.
Her family has helped strengthened her leadership skills, in addition to her father are her Beatrice siblings: Gary, Jim, Teresa and Bob. In age order she fits between Jim and Teresa, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology. “I guess she made it clear she wasn’t going into the family business,” laughs Geralyn
about her sister.
Geralyn has had no formal mentors. “It seems like every committee I was a part of had someone whose skills I admired. Those competencies just became a part of me.”
Ask Geralyn what she is most proud of and she quickly identifies her immediate family. She and her husband Bob, married for 38 years, have two children. Samantha, 34, is an account manager at Business Benefits. Mitchell, 32, works in IT at Fidelity and is set to get married in April.
“Geralyn has spent nearly 30 years giving her time, energy and expertise to this Chamber and Northern Kentucky’s business community. She is one of the most accomplished volunteers ever to become Board chair, having chaired the Women’s Initiative, served on the Business Advocacy Council, served as board secretary, and served as board treasurer. Her small-business perspective and deep understanding of our members will be tremendous assets as she takes the helm.
“It’s also special to see Geralyn and her late brother, Gary Beatrice, become the first brother and sister to serve as Chamber chair,” said Brent Cooper, president and CEO of the NKY Chamber of Commerce.
“Twenty years ago, Gary encouraged me to get more involved with the Chamber. When we met for lunch a few months before he passed away, he encouraged me to pursue the role of president, with a smile and optimism that were uniquely his. It feels like fate that I now get to serve my final year as president under Geralyn’s leadership.”
Call it “fate” or “it’s about time,” there is no doubt that Geralyn will leave a significant imprint on the Chamber and Northern Kentucky community.