Contributed by Amy Fitzgibbons, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Cincinnati Regional Chamber

At its Annual Dinner last Thursday, the Cincinnati Regional Chamber held its “passing of the gavel” ceremony to welcome its new Board Chair. Per Chamber governance policy, at the end of 2024, former CVG CEO Candace McGraw, now Immediate Past Chair of the Chamber board, completed her two-year tenure as Chair. James Watkins, CEO of Triversity Construction, assumed the role of Chair after serving for the last two years as Vice Chair of the Board. 

“Over the past decade, Jim has made Cincinnati his home. He has lent his passion, expertise and leadership to numerous initiatives in our region, including affordable housing policy, the caps on Fort Washington Way, and economic development—all in support of our vision of building a growing, thriving region where everyone belongs,” said Brendon Cull, President & CEO of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber. “I’m grateful for his service to our organization and looking forward to his contributions as Board Chair.” 

James Watkins serves as Triversity’s President and Chief Executive Officer with more than 30 years’ experience leading all business phases of construction management, general contracting, and its craft force division. Serving as its President for 11 years, Watkins guided Triversity toward all-time high growth and built its new headquarters, a $4 million development, in Walnut Hills.  

Watkins is responsible for leading the company’s day-to-day business operations and executing the company’s annual business plan giving him oversight of profit and loss company wide.  In addition to the Chamber Board, Watkins serves as a board member for ACI (Allied Construction Industries), Spirit of Construction, Truist Community Advisory Board and Cincinnati Housing Advisory Board. Watkins played a major role in several corporate construction management training programs and was an active member of the ACE Mentor program. He has been named “Who’s Who in Detroit” and is a past NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) board member. He is also a graduate of the Cincinnati Chamber’s Leadership Cincinnati, class 37 and an active Vistage member. 

The following individuals also joined as Board Members at the end of 2024: 

• Katrina English, SVP & Chief Administrative Officer, UC Health 
• Holly H. Mazzocca, CFP®, President, Wealth Advisor, Principal, Bartlett 
• Lisa Vannis, Audit & Assurance Partner, Deloitte 
• Andrew E. Worrell, General Counsel and Secretary, Fischer Homes 

To learn more about the Chamber’s Board of Directors, please visit: https://cincinnatichamber.com/board-of-directors/ 

About the Cincinnati Regional Chamber  

The Cincinnati Regional Chamber is the premier business and civic organization dedicated to growing the vibrancy and economic prosperity of the Cincinnati region. To achieve its vision that Cincinnati is a growing, thriving region where everyone belongs, the Chamber seeks to grow our economy, grow our population, and grow our cultural vibrancy – with the foundation of a strong business community – to foster a welcoming environment for all. The Chamber’s membership offerings, signature leadership programs, government and regional advocacy efforts, community events such as BLINK and Oktoberfest as well as key partnerships with organizations like Cincinnati Experience, Cincinnati Compass, Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator, and the Workforce Innovation Center lead the way in making that vision a reality. For more information, visit www.cincinnatichamber.com. 

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Contributed by

Cincinnati Regional Chamber

As the 45th Taste of Cincinnati, presented by Kroger, approaches over Memorial Day Weekend, the Cincinnati Regional Chamber is excited to announce the entertainment lineup for the festival.

Over 50 different entertainers are performing this year at Taste of Cincinnati, including country, cover bands and other local Cincy cult favorites. The event features five stages: Taste of Cincinnati Main Stage; Food Truck Zone Stage, sponsored by Tire Discounters; 5th & Broadway; DJ Stage at Pike Street Fountain, The Grove (acoustic stage); and Findlay Market Stage, sponsored by Findlay Market.

For the full lineup, visit tasteofcincinnati.com.

Taste of Cincinnati takes place Memorial Day Weekend:

Saturday, May 25 (11 a.m. until 11 p.m.), Sunday, May 26 (11 a.m. until 11 p.m.) and Monday, May 27 (11 a.m. until 8 p.m.) in Downtown Cincinnati on Fifth Street between Elm and Main Streets.

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Contributed

The Cincinnati Regional Chamber, together with Asianati, is excited to announce the entertainment lineup for the annual Asian Food Fest (AFF), presented by Kroger and Procter & Gamble. This festival gives visitors an entire weekend to experience Asian culture, not only through cuisine but also through dance, music and other special performances and contests.

Asian Food Fest features an expanded footprint in Downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, April 27,11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., on Court Street between Elm and Main Streets. Admission to the festival is free. 

This year’s entertainment will feature the largest lineup yet with 19 different performances, including 13 local and regional DJs from a variety of Asian ethnicities. The types of entertainment include performances from cultures across Asia, rock bands, traditional dances, Taiko drummers, University of Cincinnati student groups and the Cincinnati Opera. 

Additionally, the 2024 karaoke contest will occur over two days instead of one. The Eastern Eats and Vocal Beats Karaoke Contest with DJ Hi David will include 25 participants taking the stage on Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m., followed by a Top 10 final round on Sunday from 6 to 7 p.m.

Details on how to participate will be released soon on the AFF website. 

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By Patrice B. Borders, JD, with daughters Candace Layne Borders, & Camille “Mimi” Alyce Borders

When the Cincinnati Regional Chamber reached out to me about writing something for Women’s History Month, I knew almost immediately that I wanted my daughters to be a part of it. Each of them has a heart for history and a passion for honoring those who came before us. I invited my daughters, Candace Layne Borders and Camille “Mimi” Alyce Borders, to join me in reflecting on the significance of Women’s History Month, and we engaged in a cross-generational conversation that left me inspired and hopeful about the impact of my work coaching leaders and organizations to lead with emotional intelligence.

Learning from women’s history is crucial in shaping a better future and building cultures of belonging. Taking time to reflect on the leaders of our past and understand both their successes and their shortcomings can inspire greater self-awareness and empathy today.

This month is so much more than a name. It is a call to action, a reminder of where we’ve gone and where we want to go. And with Black History Month in our rearview mirror, we are called to reflect on the intersectionality of race and gender, and how we can build a future that will ensure belonging for all women. Let’s not just reflect on the resilience of women in the past, but work toward a future where such resilience isn’t necessary.

Here’s a recap of our conversation:

Patrice: It’s important to pause and understand that where we stand right now is on the shoulders of the people who are in the history books, and the people who will never make it to any page in any written history. Their perseverance, their resilience, and their form of activism enable us to be here to have this conversation now. And that should come with the acknowledgment of Black History Month transitioning into Women’s History Month so that we can examine the intersection of our race and our gender.

Mimi: I’ve been focusing on this transition from Black History Month. As women living at the intersection of race and gender, that’s important.

There are many moments in history when there was division between so-called women’s movements and the goals of Black women organizers — the suffrage movement, the women’s liberation movement, and second-wave feminism. An example I always think about is Susan B. Anthony who disagreed with Black men getting the right to vote over women.

For me, I often view Women’s History Month as Black women’s History Month. There is no equality for women if some women are excluded from that vision of inclusion, that vision of full civil rights. And I think at this moment when there is increased violence against trans women, especially trans women of color and Black trans women, we also need to say that there is no equality for women if it does not include our trans sisters. When we think about Women’s History Month, we must include activists such as Marsha P. Johnson.

Candace: There’s something so powerful about learning about our history and knowing where we come from, and the women who have spoken up for women’s rights. Women like abolitionist and suffragist Sojourner Truth, or Anna Julia Cooper.

When you were talking about Susan B. Anthony, I was thinking about Sojourner Truth and her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech, which always sticks with me. She was speaking at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851 using the refrain “ain’t I a woman” to advocate for the equal rights of Black women, centering Black women in the early women’s suffrage movement.

Cooper wrote about the intersection of race and gender as an early activist focused on ensuring girls had access to education. She laid the foundation for Kimberlé Crenshaw’s groundbreaking research that coined the term intersectionality.

Mimi: What does Women’s History Month mean to you, Mom?

Patrice: It is an opportunity to reflect on a past, to learn from it, and to shape a type of future that would honor women. I feel like resilience has been a form of activism. The fact that I continue to persevere and have ambition is, at its core, activism. I’m saying, I will continue to define my success. I will continue to echo back my affirmation. I will continue to proclaim my beauty, my brilliance, and the validity of my voice. I feel like that is what has been handed down from our ancestors.

While I embrace that as part of my DNA, I also want to free the next generation — you, your cousins, and your friends — of the necessity of it as well. That’s the work of creating spaces where there is greater belonging and greater emotional intelligence anchored in empathy curiosity and compassion.

Mimi: You, as our mother, have armed Candace and me with the tools to affirm ourselves in the face of a world that will not always tell us that we are beautiful smart, and capable. We must sometimes be the ones to tell ourselves. As a young Black woman, that teaching has been so important. In spaces where I’m not made to feel as if I belong, where I’m excluded by microaggressions or microaggressions, I’m able to hold steady in my deep sense of self, and in the confidence that has been instilled in me through generations. Confidence in my abilities, and also the strength to know when I’ve made a mistake.

Like you said, the hope is that we are a part of a movement to widen the space so that we all have a seat at the table.

Candace: An important part of my dissertation research in American Studies and African American Studies is narrating those untold and often forgotten or silenced parts of history, especially for women or women of color. I think something so important about Women’s History Month is celebrating and remembering stories of women so that we don’t forget where we’ve come from. We’re able to live the way that we live and dream the big dreams that we dream because of the women who have come before us.

Mimi: As a historian of American history in year four of working on my dissertation at Princeton, something that I’ve recognized is that telling the stories of Black women transforms the way we think about American history. It widens and complicates and untangles and re-tangles all of our preconceived notions. Black women’s voices deserve to be heard.

I think that Women’s History Month is a moment for us to stop and pause, as my mother says, take a deep belly breath, and think about where we’ve gone and where we want to go.

Candace: It’s a beautiful moment of reflection and action. It’s not just an observance; it’s also an action.

Patrice: The observance of Women’s History Month is about determining your contribution and action as well. It’s not just women who are standing on the shoulders of the great women. It’s everyone standing on their shoulders. With that comes some accountability and responsibility, and I think that’s embedded in how we answer the call to action to ensure that we’re all doing the work.

Journaling prompts for further consideration:

My daughters and I maintain practices of journaling and self-reflection in our own lives. Journaling is a great practice for spending time with deep, sometimes complicated topics. It can help you ground yourself and gain clarity on your thoughts and actions. During our discussion, we thought of three prompts that may encourage you to think more deeply about what Women’s History Month means to you. ◦

• Think about the women you’ve interacted with personally and professionally or observed as public figures. What qualities of theirs have influenced you, and how can you incorporate those into your life?
• How can you apply the lessons from Women’s History Month to your daily life?
• In what ways can you actively support and be an ally to the women around you?

Candace Layne Borders is a Doctoral Candidate in American Studies and African American Studies at Yale. Camille “Mimi” Alyce Borders is a History Doctoral Candidate at Princeton and a Rhodes scholar. Patrice Baughman Borders, JD, is the Founder and CEO of AmplifyEI and their proud Mother.

“Generations in dialogue” was originally published by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber via their website on March 8, 2024. Republished with permission.

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Contributed

Our #MakingBlackHistory celebration, now in its fifth year, recognizes seven Black leaders living and working in our region creating legacies today. These are leaders who go the extra mile for their community, excel in their respective fields, and open doors for the future leaders coming up behind them. 

For your Cincinnati Regional Chamber, we’re humbled by the passion and talent of each honoree and are honored to help elevate, empower and support these leaders as well as all of our region’s Black leaders today, tomorrow, and all year long. We hope you join us in uplifting their accomplishments and in our shared commitment to creating more opportunities for Black leadership in every corner of our city. 

A special thank you to the 2023 selection panel, Frost Brown Todd for their sponsorship, all of our honorees to date, and most of all, to our 2023 #MakingBlackHistory honorees. Our region is better because of your outstanding talent, vision and commitment to leadership.

Please take the time to get to know these leaders and raise your bold voice to celebrate and elevate them today, tomorrow, and all year long. Photography and videography by Rooted Creative.

Meet the 2023 #MakingBlackHistory Honorees:

Claudia M. Abercrumbie is the President & CEO of The Abercrumbie Group, a company that creates and manages signature events that add value to the community and help its corporate partners advance their business objectives. She began her career in Brand Management and Ethnic Marketing at Procter & Gamble; managed Ethicon Endo-Surgery’s participation in over 100 national medical conventions; and raised over $10 million for university-wide initiatives for the University of Cincinnati Foundation.

Derrick Braziel is the CEO and co-founder of Pata Roja Taqueria. Pata Roja provides high-quality street tacos, family-style taco kits and catering inspired by the culture and traditions of central Mexico. Previously, Derrick co-founded MORTAR, an organization dedicated to enabling historically marginalized entrepreneurs to start businesses, change communities and build generational wealth. Derrick’s work has led to recognition from the Indianapolis Star, YES! Magazine, Next City, Politico, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Essence Magazine and NBC Nightly News. He has also been named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for Social Entrepreneurs and the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 40 under 40 list. He is an Echoing Green and 2016-17 BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) Fellow, a 2018 Next City Vanguard and a 2019 Obama Foundation Fellow.

Christie Kuhns is the President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio fulfilling the Urban League’s mission to help African Americans and others in underserved communities achieve their highest true social parity, economic self- reliance, power, civil rights, and justice. She attended law school and practiced at both a major law firm and Fortune 500 company.  In 2015, Christie was elected as an Ohio State Representative in the 131st General Assembly, 32nd District. She then gained experience in the not-for-profit sector at UC Health, as Vice President of Operations and Community Relations, and Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer.

Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney owns a multi-media publishing company, Sesh Communications, that includes ownership of the award-winning The Cincinnati Herald newspaper. She was appointed to Cincinnati City Council in 2020, and then elected in the 2021 election. Mayor Aftab Pureval appointed Vice Mayor Kearney, chair of the Healthy Neighborhoods Committee, and vice chair of Public Safety and Governance. She has been an active volunteer in many organizations.

Rosemary Oglesby-Henry is a nationally known leadership educator, author, philanthropist, and award-winning founder/ CEO of Rosemary’s Babies, an impact organization (501c3) committed to helping teen parents master the concepts of self-leadership to leave a legacy. Her work has been published in three magazines including Forbes and four novels.

Liza Smitherman joined Jostin Construction in 1998, in partnership with her husband in their first generation, family-owned business. Liza played a key role in developing the driving purpose behind Jostin Construction – To create & provide a diversity of opportunities for all.  Now celebrating almost twenty-five years in business, she facilitates the development of growth strategies for Jostin and its subsidiary companies and continues to drive the direction and planning for all aspects of human resources (employee relations, compensation, training & development etc.) and workforce development. As owner of Brewster Pumping, Liza provides direction for establishing and implementing short and long-term goals for the business. She also works closely with the Brewster team to manage day-to-day activities. Liza is very active in community organizations that share her passion for creating new opportunities for others.

Marcus Thompson works as Director of Corporate Development at TriVersity Construction one of the largest construction firms in the Cincinnati region. Prior to joining Triversity, Marcus held the title of Director, Supplier Diversity at Skanska Building USA. In his free time, Marcus serves on several boards including NewPath, Great Parks of Hamilton County Board of Commissioners and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber. He also serves as President of the Board of Trustees for the Center for Addiction Treatment, is a Board member for Council on Child Abuse, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Ambassador Council, is a mentor, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative.

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