Kentucky

Hank Heidrich takes reins as 2024-25 chair of Northern Kentucky Young Professionals – NKyTribune

Published

2 years ago

October 11, 2024

Hank Heidrich takes reins as 2024-25 chair of Northern Kentucky Young Professionals – NKyTribune

Northern Kentucky Young Professionals (NKYP) announced Hank Heidrich, financial advisor at Merrill Lynch, as its 2024-25 chair. Heidrich’s role as chair officially began on Sept. 1 taking the reins from the outgoing chair, Jimmy Beatrice, benefits advisor with Business Benefits Insurance Solutions.

Part of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s effort to focus on talent attraction and retention, NKYP strives to create opportunities for young professionals in the region by focusing on the future of talent. This includes connecting with peers, enhancing professional development opportunities, and supporting regional goals to ensure that the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati metro region has the YP talent needed to grow and compete at a national level.

NKYP focuses on three primary goals: (1) Expanding professional and social networks for young professionals; (2) Connecting young professionals with quality programming and events to support growth and development; (3) Engaging young professionals in the community with a goal to make a difference in their companies and the region.

Hank Heidrich, chair of NKYP, with outgoing chair Jimmy Beatrice. (Photo from NKY Chamber)

Under Beatrice’s leadership as chair, NKYP met several organizational goals including reintroducing the NKYP Event Pass, which provides YPs discounted access to most NKY Chamber events so they can take full advantage of professional growth opportunities at an affordable rate for both themselves and their employers.

NKYP also built upon its programming by hosting several signature events and partnering with other young professional groups in the region to expand networks and connections. Over the course of Beatrice’s term, NKYP supported multiple nonprofit organizations including Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky through its Community Impact Partnership (formerly known as the Service Learning Project), which provided multiple volunteer experiences for young professionals in the Northern Kentucky community. NKYP also supported Be Concerned by collecting toys that were donated to the organization’s toy drive as part of a holiday giving campaign.

“I am honored to have had the opportunity to lead such an incredible group of young professionals who are making a positive impact in our community,” said Beatrice. “Together, we have not only been able to make a difference locally, but also create and foster meaningful opportunities for connection that help the lives and careers of those in our region.”

NKY Chamber Director of Events and NKYP Kyle Frizzell shares the same sentiment and is looking forward to the future of the program.

“During his time as NKYP chair, Jimmy did a fantastic job of taking the extra steps to engage our region’s young professionals by delivering effective programming and offering impactful ways to contribute to and engage with the community,” said Frizzell. “I am confident that Jimmy’s leadership has laid the groundwork for Hank to continue to elevate the great resources that NKYP provides for our region’s young professionals.”

As the incoming chair, Heidrich will enhance NKYP’s impact by increasing engagement in signature events, revamping the programming to feature topics that are not only interesting and thought-provoking but also educational, relevant and practical for career development. Heidrich is also looking forward to building on the success of the Community Impact Partnership with continued support for local nonprofits.

“As NKYP chair, my goals for the year are to continue to explore ways we can expand our reach and get more young professionals involved in meaningful roles in the NKY Metro region,” Heidrich said. “Whether it is serving on a committee, attending volunteer opportunities, or simply coming to networking events, I look forward to providing our region’s next great leaders with opportunities to be involved, learn, and lead.”

Heidrich has been working in the financial industry for over seven years, currently working at Merrill Lynch as a Financial Advisor. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business, Heidrich began his career at Fifth Third Private Bank where he served as a Private Banker. He then stepped into the same role at Central Bank & Trust, before joining Merrill Lynch, where he has been since the beginning of 2023.

In addition to his volunteer roles with the NKY Chamber, Heidrich also volunteers his time with Easterseals Redwood, a local nonprofit serving people with disabilities, veterans and individuals facing economic disadvantages. A lifelong Northern Kentuckian, Heidrich was raised in Villa Hills, Kentucky, and currently lives in Ft. Thomas with his wife and two children.

To learn more about NKYP and ways you can get involved, visit NKYChamber.com/NKYP.

The 2024-2025 NKYP leadership team is:

• Chair – Hank Heidrich, Merrill Lynch
• Vice Chair/Service Learning Project Lead – Tori Roberts, Gallagher
• Events Chair – Tyler Blau, Deloitte Tax LLP
• Outreach Chair – Travis Gysegem, The Catalytic Fund

NKYP Program Sponsors:

Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

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Kentucky

Which Kentucky Derby horses are running in the 2026 Preakness Stakes?

Published

8 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Which Kentucky Derby horses are running in the 2026 Preakness Stakes?

Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby. He won’t be at the Preakness. And that’s becoming a familiar story.

This marks the second straight year and the third time in five years that the Derby winner has decided not to compete in the Preakness Stakes despite having a healthy horse. The reason is almost always the same: two weeks isn’t enough time.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux made the call quickly after Golden Tempo’s dramatic last-to-first Derby victory on May 2.

“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime,” DeVaux said in a statement. “We believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort.”

DeVaux and Golden Tempo are focused on the June 6 Belmont Stakes instead.

The pattern is pretty clear.

From 1997 to 2018, every Kentucky Derby winner ran the Preakness, keeping the Triple Crown path intact. That streak ended with Country House, who won the Derby on the disqualification of Maximum Security, was scratched from the Preakness. The sport has been wrestling with the question ever since. Maryland’s racing leaders have considered moving the Preakness one week later, from the third Saturday in May to the fourth, though no change has been made.

Of the 14 horses entered in the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, just three made the trip from Churchill Downs. None of them won the Derby. One nearly caused the biggest upset in recent memory.

Ocelli (Post 2, 6-1)

The most intriguing Derby returnee. Ocelli finished third at 70-1 odds on May 2, giving trainer Whit Beckman and jockey Tyler Gaffalione a surprise ticket to Laurel Park. He was the lone maiden in the Derby field and remains a maiden heading into Saturday. Nobody expected him to be here.

Incredibolt (post 12, 5-1)

The morning-line co-favorite among Derby runners. Incredibolt finished sixth at Churchill Downs and trainer Riley Mott moved quickly to point him to Laurel Park. Jockey Jaime Torres won the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Grey. The connections believe the 1 3/16-mile distance suits Incredibolt better than the Derby’s mile and a quarter.

Robusta (Post 4, 30-1)

The longest shot of the Derby trio is Robusta, who finished 14^th of the 14 in the Derby. The question with any horse coming back this quickly after a tough Derby is how much the race took out of him. At 30-1, it seems the market has answered that question.

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Kentucky

Northern Kentucky man accused of abusing missing teen girl found at his home

Published

20 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Northern Kentucky man accused of abusing missing teen girl found at his home

COVINGTON, Ky. (WKRC) – A Northern Kentucky man is in jail, accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl who’d been reported missing.

Matthew Wade, 40, faces charges, including sexual abuse, unlawful transaction with a minor and assault.

Covington Police say they found the teen at Wade’s home on Highway Avenue on Monday. According to the police report, he was knowingly hiding her, knew she was missing and had cut her ankle monitor off.

Investigators say the teen was given alcohol, marijuana and magic mushrooms.

The girl told police wade slapped her and choked her.

Officers also say they found guns in the home.

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Kentucky

Exploring what each member of the Kentucky Basketball GM team does

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Exploring what each member of the Kentucky Basketball GM team does

When Mark Pope announced that he would be taking questions directly from BBN, we all knew things could get interesting. But honestly, it turned out pretty good; you had some honest questions and some good answers. Sure, there were sarcastic questions that just were never going to be answered, but Pope did address the GM situation. While it wasn’t the answer a lot of people hoped for, at least there is now a clear hierarchy within the basketball front office. Let’s break it down.

Mark Pope has confirmed that no official GM position will exist for at least this season, and most likely won’t exist going forward. Why? Because he has the responsibilities spread out across 4 different people, and believes that is the best way forward.

“In this ever-changing college basketball dynamic, everybody is trying a different solution. For us, instead of hiring a singular GM, we’ve gone with a more comprehensive general management team approach. We have four members of the team. Keegan Brown is a data analysis and roster construction expert who’s worked in both college and the NBA. Nick Robinson is our salary cap strategy and management specialist. Kevin Sergent is our compliance officer, and he deals with all of our contracts and legal language. Kim Shelton is our JMI liaison, and she does all of our NIL contracts that deal with corporate sponsorships. That’s our four-person general management team.”

But who is each one of these people, and what makes them qualified?

Who’s doing what in the Kentucky basketball front office?

Well, Keegan Brown has been a video coordinator in the G-League. That essentially means he would go and watch all the videos on league opponents and potential prospects, and come up with data-backed scouting reports for the coaching and front office teams. Pope has worked with Brown at BYU, so there is some familiarity there.

Nick Robinson also worked with Mark Pope in Provo, being an assistant coach from 2019 to 2024 and following Pope to Lexington. He has been on staff all 3 seasons now, and is being tasked with handing out Kentucky’s money and setting a budget for each player.

Kevin Sergent is not new to Kentucky; he has been in Lexington since 2020. But this is his first time handling compliance on his own; his official title is Senior Associate AD for Athletic Compliance. He handles all the rules, applying for waivers, basically making sure the entire staff is doing everything the right way.

Kim Shelton is a UK alum who was more known for soccer than anything else. She was part of the very first Kentucky women’s soccer team and is a former CEO of Lexington Sporting Club. She worked for Kentucky when Commonwealth was renamed as Kroger Field, and played a role in setting up naming rights for Kentucky Proud Park. Right now, she is kind of the bridge between Kentucky and JMI, specifically handling BBNIL Suite.

If you don’t remember what BBNIL suite is, it’s essentially the opt-in program where student athletes agree to only work with deals through JMI. They find offers, broker deals, and help athletes make money. It is, of course, optional, but if players decline, they will not be able to use the University of Kentucky logos in their NIL marketing.

Trent Noah is probably the most successful NIL athlete who opted out. The Kentucky native is handling his own NIL, and by the amount of ads and cardboard cutouts I see littered around the state, he seems to be doing pretty well.

Seeing JMI integrated again into Kentucky Basketball is probably going to make some of you uneasy, and I get that. But everyone who has worked with them who has officially gone on the record says they are a pleasure to work with.

And that’s how Mark Pope wants it done. There is a theory out there that he wants a GM, but JMI won’t let him. Considering he has chosen 2 of the 4 people personally, I highly doubt that’s true.

What do you think of his explanation, and what do you think of how he is handling the GM role?

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