Winston Griffin Chosen as Chair-Elect
Nick Rowe, American Water Southeast Division senior vice president and Kentucky American Water president, has been elected to serve as chairman of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for the 2020 term. Rowe succeeds Paul Thompson, chairman, president and CEO of LG&E and KU Energy, whose term expired September 30.
Since joining American Water in 1987, Rowe has held numerous management positions within the company including serving as senior vice president of American Water’s Central and Eastern divisions.
As president of Kentucky American Water, Rowe reinforces and strengthens customer, regulatory and local government relationships, and drives operational and financial results. As senior vice president of the Southeast Division, overseeing Kentucky and Tennessee, Rowe is responsible for driving performance within the division, establishing consistent best practices and enhancing American Water’s efforts to maintain and build external relationships.
Aside from his role at Kentucky American Water and the Kentucky Chamber, Rowe is involved in civic organizations including serving on the boards of the Lexington Industrial Foundation and Lexington Clinic as well as the Central Bank Advisory Board. He previously served on the boards of Commerce Lexington (past chair), United Way of the Bluegrass and St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is currently a member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and National Association of Water Companies and represents American Water on the National AWWA Water Utility Council.
Rowe is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Lebanon Valley College. He also has attended executive education programs at Oxford University and IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“It’s an honor to serve as chairman of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. This will be a year of transition as our new CEO takes the helm. My commitment is to work closely with Chamber leadership and dedicated staff to build upon our organization’s past successes in business advocacy and value-added membership,” said Kentucky Chamber Chairman Nick Rowe. “Our vision as a Chamber will remain the same – to provide exceptional support to our businesses and advance the Commonwealth. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead such a distinguished organization.”
Winston Griffin, CEO and chairman of Laurel Grocery Company will serve as chairman-elect for 2021. Serving with Rowe and Griffin on the Chamber’s Executive Committee will be:
- Immediate Past Chair, Paul Thompson, LG&E and KU, Louisville
- Treasurer, Janet P. Jakubowicz, Bingham Greenebaum Doll, Louisville
- Vice Chair, Administration, Kevin Smith, Beam Suntory, Clermont
- Vice Chair, Business Services, Scott Davis, Field & Main Bank, Henderson
- Vice Chair, Membership Development, Rusty Cheuvront, Brown-Forman, Louisville
- Vice Chair, Public Affairs, Nick D’Andrea, UPS, Louisville
- Small Business Representative, Condrad Daniels, HJI Supply Chain Solutions, Louisville
- Chair, Kentucky Chamber Foundation, Diane Medley, MCM CPAs & Advisors, Louisville
- At-Large Member, Mike Castle, Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville
- At-Large Member, Spencer Coates, Houchens Industries, Bowling Green
- At-Large Member, Garren Colvin, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Edgewood
- At-Large Member, Susan Elkington, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Georgetown
Newly-Elected Directors:
- Gabby Bruno, Ford Motor Company, Louisville
- Bruce Carpenter, Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Corbin
- Brian Cromer, Stites & Harbison, Louisville
- Brett Mattison, AEP- Kentucky Power Company, Ashland
- Steve Merrick, Somerset Wood Products, Somerset
- Andrea Miller, Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, Stanford *KCCE President
- Bruce Tassin, CHI Saint Joseph Health, Louisville
A full board listing, including members continuing their terms, can be found online at kychamber.com.
“I could not be more excited to have Nick serve as chair of the Chamber, especially in my first year as president,” said Kentucky Chamber incoming President and CEO Ashli Watts. “Nick is a proven, esteemed leader and his guidance will prove vital for the Chamber during this year of transition.”