Staff Report
Each year at its annual dinner, the NKY Chamber presents awards to individuals and organizations for outstanding service to the region. This year’s honorees were:
Gary Beatrice
Walter R. Dunlevy Frontiersman Award
The Dunlevy Frontiersman award recognizes individuals who have a life-long history of outstanding service to the NKY community. Recipient Gary Beatrice of Business Benefits, a company he owns with his siblings and parents, has established a reputation as one of the region’s most respected health care advisors. He has served as chair of the Greater Cincinnati Association of Health Underwriters and in advisory capacities for Anthem, Human, and United HealthCare. He has been an active member of the NKY Chamber since the late 1980s and has chaired many of the Chambers’ signature programs and evenness. He has served a director for a wide range nonprofit organizations as well, including the Behringer Crawford Museum, the Steinford Toy Foundation, Rosedale Manor, Tri-Ed, HealthPoint Family Care Foundation and the NKy Consensus Committee. He and his wife, Margie, live in Independence. They have four children.
Dale Silver
The Walter L. Pieschel Award
The Pieschel award goes to an outstanding Chamber volunteer. Winner Dale Silver, client services manager at C-Forward. Inc., became involved with the Chamber in 1993 and since then has chaired many programs including Leadership Northern Kentucky, Eggs ‘N Issues and the Golf Committee and volunteered for many more. She is President of the LNK Alumni Association, serves on the Chamber board, and helped form the Women’s Initiative program. She volunteers extensively in the community as well and is incoming Rose Reds President.
myNKY
The Unity Award
Presented to those who have shown leadership in seeking regional solutions to NKY’s challenges, the Unity Award went to myNKY, a plan driven by Skyward. myNKY undertook an in-depth public engagement process involving residents and businesses as well as education, government and civic leaders to develop a share vision for the region and how it will evolve over the next five years. During a six-month engagement campaign over 15,000 ideas were generated and became the basis for an actionable vision and agenda that became Skyward’s strategic plan.
ImageMaker Award
Thomas More College Women’s Basketball Team
Presented on special occasions to those who have brought national or international attention to NKY through their achievements, the recipient was the 201-15 Thomas More Women’s Basketball Team which claimed the first-ever team national champions b winning the 2015 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship in March. The Saints were the only four-year college baseball team — men’s or women’s — to post an undefeated record during the season.
The Devou Cup
Presented by the Northern Kentucky Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation
The Devou Cup honors the generosity of individuals who make a profound difference in the quality of community life in NKY. The late Dr. George Rieveschl and Ellen Rieveschl received the award for creating a charitable legacy that endures and inspired. The Rieveshls have left their marks on the region through support of our universities, museums, hospitals, arts organizations and more. Dr. Rieveschl started the UC Foundation and the McMicken Society at UC. The Rieveschls invested heavily in the NKU College of Informatics, and their impact on the quality of life is evident throughout the region.