Covington, KY – BE NKY announced today that two key economic development professionals have been promoted and will work within the newly established business development unit, led by Wade Williams, SVP. Kevin Donnelly is now Senior Manager, Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) & Informatics Projects, and Kate Ferrer is now Senior Manager, Marketing & Projects. The promotions coincide with the alignment of marketing, business retention & expansion (BR&E) as well as project support within the new business development unit.

“Kevin has been a key resource in the success of NKY Boost, our award-winning BR&E program, and facilitating investment and expansions by our existing companies,” said Dan Tobergte, President & CEO of BE NKY. “As an alumni of Northern Kentucky University’s undergraduate and graduate programs, Kevin is an ideal fit to manage informatics projects and connect businesses with technology resources in Northern Kentucky.”

Donnelly has been involved with NKY Boost since December 2014 when he joined BE NKY. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies and graduated summa cum laude. He also completed the Haile/US Bank College of Business MBA program at NKU earlier this year. Donnelly is a member of the 2016 Leadership NKY class. He is a resident of Newport, Kentucky.

“Kate has quickly meshed her multiple skill sets with our efforts at BE NKY,” said Tobergte. “Kate will manage BE NKY’s marketing plan and PR, social media and website initiatives in addition to project management and business development.”

Ferrer joined BE NKY in January 2015. She earned a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Bachelor of Arts, business administration, cum laude, from the University of Florida. She and her husband are residents of Erlanger, Kentucky.

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About BE NKY:

Founded in 1987, the BE NKY Growth Partnership (BE NKY) serves as the primary economic development entity for Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Northern Kentucky.  Since 1987, 600 companies have located or expanded in Northern Kentucky accounting for the creation of 51,600 new primary jobs for a total of 120,800 jobs created. These jobs have generated an economic impact of $25B with new and expanding companies accounting for $6.9B in direct capital investment. BE NKY is part of the Kentucky Innovation Network, a network of business leaders and mentors that encourage relationships, grow companies new and existing, and create jobs. BE NKY is a key partner in Skyward, which manages the region’s strategic plan for growth, myNKY. For more information, visit www.NorthernKentuckyusa.com. BE NKY can also be followed through social media channels via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.