ABOUT THE 2026 OUTSTANDING WOMEN OF NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Terri Bernstein, Owner and CEO, BB Riverboats
Terri is a third-generation owner with more than 26 years of service to the company. She oversees BB Riverboats, Current Catering, and the USS Nightmare. She’s armed with degrees in hotel, restaurant and tourism management from Western Kentucky University, as well as a paralegal studies degree from Purdue University. She holds a 100 Ton Master’s License issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, which is for full-time captains on bigger vessels such as tours, ferries, dinner cruises, whale watches, and crew boats. Terri is actively involved on the boards of MeetNKY, Southbank Partners, and The Haunted Attraction Association. She’s a Leadership Cincinnati graduate of Class 31.
Jessica Fette, Mayor, City of Erlanger | Owner, The Hive
Mayor Fette is a long-standing Erlanger resident with a degree in economics and business administration from Northern Kentucky University. She served as an Erlanger Council Member from 2016-18, before becoming the first female mayor of Erlanger, a role she’s held since. She also opened The Hive with her family in 2022, a coffee bar, restaurant, and gathering space for the community. Mayor Fette has served on the Kentucky Board of Emergency Services, the OKI Board, the Northern Kentucky Regional Ethics Authority Board, and as the secretary of the Kentucky County Mayors Group.
Christine Russell, Executive Director, Northern Kentucky Port Authority |
Vice President of Strategy, BE NKY Growth Partnership
Christine has served in her Port Authority role since 2022, defining and implementing its strategic direction and managing finances and operations. Her leadership has helped with the completion of two big local projects including the OneNKY Center and SparkHaus. Christine serves on the boards for Tri-State Trails and Blue North, is on the Urban Land Institute’s national Public/Private Partnership Council, is the past district council chair for ULI Cincinnati, and is a mentor for ULI Cincinnati’s Real Estate Accelerator Lab. She’s also a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 33.
Lacy Starling, President and CEO, LINK Media
Lacy is a former newspaper reporter turned entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and mentor. Before launching LINK in 2021 and serving as the founding president and CEO, she was operating Legion Logistics, a startup that developed into a $26 million company headquartered in Newport. Lacy also serves on the NKY Chamber board, has been recognized with the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40, among other recognitions.
Karen Zengel, Executive Director, St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky
Karen joined the organization in 2017 after nearly two decades in market research. She leads the organization’s mission of providing basic needs and emergency financial assistance to neighbors facing hardship. She holds a degree in economics from Bethany College and an MBA from Xavier University. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Safety Net Alliance of Northern Kentucky, the steering committee for the Erlanger Business Council, and is a Leadership Northern Kentucky Class of 2020 graduate.
ST. ELIZABETH HEALTHCARE HENRIETTA CLEVELAND INSPIRING WOMEN HONOREE
Dr. Holly Danneman, Associate Dean, UK College of Medicine - NKY
Dr. Danneman leads all aspects of campus operations, including medical student education, faculty development, curriculum oversight, staffing, budgeting, philanthropy, strategic growth, and community engagement. She holds a degree in science from Xavier University and received her medical degree from the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine. She completed her training at St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency, where she served as chief resident and house staff resident. She spent more than a decade in the St. Elizabeth Emergency Department, followed by service as an adult hospitalist, before transitioning to academic medicine. Since 2019, she’s served as a preceptor for both St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency and the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She serves on the boards of GO Pantry, the Northern Kentucky Local Board of Health, and Faith Community Clinic.
NANCY JANES BOOTHE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Kristin Hughes, Thomas More University
Kristin is a single mother who works full-time while pursuing her MBA. She has a degree in English from the University of Dayton and serves on the Emerging Leaders Steering Committee at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, where she’s employed. She volunteers at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds.