Christine Russell is the Vice President of Strategy for BE NKY Growth Partnership (BE NKY). In this role, she is responsible for defining and implementing the strategic direction of the organization as well as managing the day-to-day operations and finances. As a BE NKY employee, she also serves as the Executive Director of the Northern Kentucky Port Authority. Christine previously served as Economic Development Director for the City of Springdale, Ohio, where she focused on expanding the economic base of the city through business attraction, business retention/expansion, and project development. Her work resulted in $120 million in additional payroll and over 1,350 new/retained jobs in Springdale. In her former roles with Hull & Associates and the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, Christine secured over $14 million in grant funding that led to the cleanup and redevelopment of 11 contaminated brownfield sites in southwestern Ohio. Christine has held leadership positions in a number of professional organizations including Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). She is a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati (Class 33) and the winner of the 2016 CREW Leadership Award. Christine has a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Master of Science from University of Findlay.

Tom Powers currently serves on Cushman & Wakefield’s Capital Markets Group Executive Committee. Tom previously served on Cassidy Turley’s Board of Directors for 13 years until the sale to DTZ in January 2015. Tom specializes in the sale of major investment transactions of industrial and office properties on a nationwide basis. Tom has been partners with Jim O’Connell, an investment specialist for over 27 years. In addition, he is partners with Mike Sullivan, an investment specialist, and Hank Davis, a retail specialist, along with six other members of their team. Tom focuses in capital placements throughout the United States, concentrating in the Midwest. Since 1983, Tom has completed more than 1,900 transactions totaling over 195 Million square feet valued at over $11.62 Billion. He joined Cushman & Wakefield (formerly DTZ, Cassidy Turley and Colliers Turley Martin Tucker) in 2002 as a principal after nineteen years with CB Richard Ellis and their Institutional Investment Properties Group. He has been involved in completing some of the largest investment transactions in the history of both Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, and CB Richard Ellis prior to joining Colliers.

Chris has more than 30 years of experience in the development and construction of mixed-use, Class A office, medical office, retail, residential and industrial real estate. Utilizing his past roles in architecture, construction, estimating, land development, vertical development and leasing, Chris has lead the development of several high quality projects in the Greater Cincinnati region including The Baldwin redevelopment, Linden Pointe on the Lateral and dunnhumby at 444 West Third and has been an active development partner in several others including Keystone Parke, USquare @ The Loop and Cornerstone at Norwood. Chris leads the vision setting and development/redevelopment for Neyer Properties, Inc. land and building portfolio. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering and an Associates’ degree in Civil Construction Engineering, both from the University of Cincinnati. Chris also serves on City Council (Mayor 2015-2021) for Montgomery, Ohio, a bedroom community located 14 miles north of downtown Cincinnati. He serves as Chair of ULI Cincinnati, member of Public-Private Partnership Product Council Blue Flight and ULI Cincinnati's Regional Product Council.