Lee Crume honored by NKY Chamber for BE NKY work

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has awarded its Northern Kentucky Community Award to Lee Crume, president and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership, recognizing his impact on the region’s economic growth and development.

The chamber presented the award during a recent NKY Chamber Board of Directors and Board of Advisors luncheon. The honor recognizes individuals, businesses or organizations that have made a positive impact across the Northern Kentucky metro region.

Crume has led BE NKY Growth Partnership since 2019. The nonprofit focuses on attracting, retaining and growing businesses in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties. In 2024 alone, BE NKY landed 18 projects, helped drive more than 1,400 new jobs and spurred nearly $500 million in capital investment in those communities.

Construction of both the OneNKY Center and SparkHaus in Covington, completed by the Northern Kentucky Port Authority, also took place during his tenure. The port authority operates as a managed entity of BE NKY.

Crume’s work has earned repeated recognition from Consultant Connect, which named him a Top 50 North America Economic Developer in 2017, 2018 and 2023. 

“Lee Crume has set out to attract, retain and grow businesses across Northern Kentucky and under his leadership BE NKY’s efforts and initiatives have proven successful,” said Brent Cooper, president and CEO of the NKY Chamber. BE NKY has become a staple in driving economic development for our region, Cooper said, largely because of Crume’s leadership.

Crume holds a Master of Arts degree in communication and a Bachelor of Arts degree in corporate and organizational communication from Western Kentucky University. Professionally, he is a graduate of Leadership Kentucky’s Class of 2023 and serves on several boards, including the NKY Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Foreign Trade Zone Inc., Northern Kentucky Port Authority and LifeSciKY, which has its headquarters at the OneNKY Center.

The NKY Chamber awards the honor based on nominations.

“He’s elevating what makes us a great place to live, work, play, learn, and give back,” Cooper said of Crume. “We’re honored to present him with the NKY Community Award.”