Cheryl Besl

Cheryl Besl is VP of Marketing & Communications at BE NKY Growth Partnership (BE NKY). She joined BE NKY as Marketing Director in September 2019 and was named Vice President in October 2023. She brings extensive experience in leading communications, public relations and marketing campaigns for a variety of companies and non-profit organizations.

BE NKY’s marketing team has won numerous awards, including a 2024 PRSA Award of Excellence for Community Relations for the BE NKY Community Competitive Initiative, three 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council, and two 2023 Marketing Pinnacle Awards from the American Marketing Association’s Cincinnati Chapter.

In 2024, Cheryl began a new initiative to annually recognize Northern Kentucky companies in BE NKY’s target industry sectors that are celebrating milestone anniversaries. In its inaugural year, BE NKY honored 10 companies celebrating a combined 370 years in business.

In March 2023, Cheryl led a rebranding and website overhaul for BE NKY (formerly Northern Kentucky Tri-ED). The new name evolved from the success of BE NKY’s Build + Elevate Northern Kentucky investor campaign in 2022, which raised more than $4.6 million, surpassing the $4.5 million goal.

Cheryl also manages the organization of BE NKY’s annual forum, annual dinner, and quarterly economic development briefings, among other events.

Most recently she served as Manager, Communications and Digital Engagement, at The Port, where she led initiatives to share the organization’s mission, core values and impact through public relations, social media, communications and engagement with the community. Previously, she was Director of Client Services and Public Relations at a full-service marketing agency in downtown Cincinnati where she created marketing and communications campaigns on behalf of a variety of clients.

She is a former board member of Girls on the Run Greater Cincinnati, Give Back Cincinnati, Hyde Park Blast and the Civic Garden Center. Cheryl is a member of the NKY Works Regional Attraction & Promotion committee and previously the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Cheryl is a co-founder and helped launch the 51%, bourbon’s better half, in 2015. A social club for women who enjoy bourbon, the founders of the 51% plan unique events for women to learn about bourbon, network and meet women who are leaders in the spirits industry.

Cheryl graduated from GP Elevate, an executive leadership development program run by Gilman Partners, one of the largest executive search firms in the Cincinnati region, in February 2025. A graduate of Indiana University, Cheryl earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish.