LEGACY, Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati’s young professional organization, announced the winners of its Next Generation Leader Awards in front of a crowd of more than 300 members of the Northern Kentucky business community on Thursday at The Madison Event Center in Covington.
The Next Generation Leader Awards (“NGLAs”) are designed to salute the region’s young professionals under the age of 40 for significant accomplishments in their chosen professional field, demonstrated leadership, as well as their contribution to the community.
Sponsors of NGLAs included BB&T, Bartlett Wealth Management, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, The Northern Kentucky Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Mubea, and Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky.
The winners in each category are as follows:
ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATION
Christie Rogers, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
BUSINESS & FINANCIAL SERVICES
Holly Mazzocca, Bartlett Wealth Management
COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING & SALES
Drew Boehmker, Scooter Media
COMMUNITY & SOCIAL SERVICES
Talia Frye, Brighton Center, Inc.
EDUCATION
Keith Lanser, Mount St. Joseph University
ENTREPRENEURIAL
JB Woodruff, KY Innovation Network/UpTech
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Aftab Pureval, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts
LEGAL SERVICES
Liz Reeder, Strauss Troy Co., LPA
MEDICAL, HEALTHCARE SERVICES & TECHNOLOGY
Laura Capannari, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Additional awards were presented to Kevin Canafax, Fidelity Investments, who received the LEGACY Legend Award and to Norm Desmarais, TiER1 Performance Solutions & ENTREP, who received the LEGACY Impact Award. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation presented the 2018 Emerging Philanthropist Award to Adam Turer, Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss.
“The NGLAs are a signature event for LEGACY,” said David Kay, President-Elect of the organization. “The program brings businesses, community leaders, and young professionals together to celebrate our successes in the region.”
As part of the evening’s celebration, Elizabeth Fricke, Legacy President announced a new name for the organization – Northern Kentucky Young Professionals (NKYP), and a merger with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (NKY Chamber).
“We are excited to announce the name change to NKYP,” shared Fricke. “Our steering committee feels the name is a better representation of our organization, allowing new members to easily identify our mission, and better aligns the group with the NKY Chamber.”
Started in 2000 as an initiative of Forward Quest, Legacy was created in an effort to provide a forum that would provide young professionals with the support and development needed to be successful in their careers. The organization encourages young professionals to grow through diverse opportunities for networking, professional development, and community involvement. That purpose will remain intact as the program merges into the NKY Chamber.
“The transition of Legacy to NKYP and the merger with the NKY Chamber is exciting,” said NKY Chamber Sr. Vice President and COO Gene Kirchner. “It is a top priority of the Chamber to retain, attract and grow talent in our region. The development of an active and engaged organization for young professionals such as those who are part of NKYP is an important component of our overall strategy.
The new name and merger with the NKY Chamber are effective immediately. To learn more about NKYP, visit www.nkychamber.com/nkyp.