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ThriveTogether Engagement Process

Engagement Process for ThriveTogether, Greater Cincinnati's Sustainable Playbook

Community feedback helps better understand the values, hopes, concerns, and perspectives of Greater Cincinnati's communities. Currently, the region faces multiple challenges – participation barriers and outdated frameworks, weakened community resilience, extreme weather events, housing affordability and homelessness issues, and more. For these reasons, the engagement process is crucial to the successful completion of the Regional Sustainability Playbook.

The ThriveTogether team employs a collaborative impact and governance approach in developing the Playbook and sourcing implementation project ideas. This approach utilizes community and policy decision-making processes that enable participants to work together to enhance their communities and shape sustainable policy decisions. It engages participants collectively and constructively across public, private, and civic sectors to leverage the unique attributes and resources of each for greater impact.

Key Audiences:

The engagement process is driven by three central strategies:

  • Greater Cincinnati Climate Action Hub (this website)
  • In-person and Virtual Engagement Sessions
  • Steering Committee and Working Groups


Engagement opportunities will be added continuously as the planning process progresses, so be sure to register so you can receive updates when new activities are announced!


Greater Cincinnati Sustainablity Action Hub

This website is the virtual hub for public engagement for the Regional Sustainability Playbook for Greater Cincinnati. The ThriveTogether team will use this site to share information about Playbook. We will also use this as a central hub for collecting, organizing, and analyzing public feedback about the issues and areas of policy that the Playbook addresses. Over the course of our engagement process, this platform will offer a variety of information and virtual engagement activities that will allow members of the public to learn about and contribute their ideas to shape the Playbook.

The pandemic has demonstrated that virtual alternatives to in-person communication can present both challenges and opportunities. This site can’t replicate or replace in-person engagement—nor should it. However, it can offer a lower barrier to entry for some communities to the engagement process. Accessing the information and contributing your feedback on this Hub is free, and you can do that anytime and anywhere. You can easily share this site with your friends, family, and community.

Most importantly, we have designed this site to make the engagement process as transparent as possible. For example, we will report out on results of surveys you’ve taken, offer recordings of community discussions and workshops, and publish engagement updates from community-based organizations contributing to the plan. We will use this site to explain how public feedback has been analyzed and incorporated into the policies of the Draft Playbook, and ultimately, the Final Playbook.


In-Person and Virtual Engagement Sessions

Engagement session details will be announced soon!


Steering Committee and Sub-Committees

To ensure a regional and diverse perspective throughout the planning process, OKI is convening a Steering Committee to provide guidance and input at key moments in the plan development process, as well as a regional submission for implementation funds. The first Steering Committee meeting was held in December 2023 and will be followed by six additional meetings through spring 2027.

The Engagement Subcommittee ensures ThriveTogether engagement is fair, transparent, and accountable, and centers impacted communities. The Subcommittee meets quarterly. Co-chairs: Rico Blackman and Reena Murphy.

Current ThriveTogether Steering Committee Members:

  • Rico Blackman, Director of Community Organizing at Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition & Executive Director at Black Power Initiative, (Equity and Engagement Subcommittee Co-Chair)
  • Kristin Burgoyne, Executive Director at Refugee Connect
  • Maddie Chera, Director at Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council
  • Mark Christopher, Mayor at City Williamstown KY
  • Ashley Combs, Assistant City Manager at City of Middletown OH
  • Stefan Densmore, Mayor at Village of Golf Manor OH
  • Steve Divine, Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Northern Kentucky Health Department
  • Correy Eimer, Associate Director of Workforce Development at Northern Kentucky Area Development District
  • Rob Franxman, County Engineer at Boone County KY
  • Brian Gath, Council Member at City of Blue Ash OH
  • Steve Hayden, Commissioner at City of Covington KY
  • Andrea Henderson, District 8 Local Public Agency Coordinator at Ohio Department of Transportation
  • Mary Huller, Senior Manager of Grants Administration and Development at Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
  • Chris Jacquet, Director of Engineering and Environmental Affairs at Rumpke
  • Mark Jeffreys, Council Member at City of Cincinnati OH
  • Sarah Kent, Executive Director at Groundwork Ohio River Valley
  • Kris Knochelmann, Judge Executive at Kenton County KY
  • Jenna LeCount, Development Services Director at Boone County KY
  • Erin Lynn, Planning Manager at City of Fairfield OH
  • Maeve Mason, Utility Strategy Director at Duke Energy
  • Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard, Executive Director at Urban Native Collective, (Equity and Engagement Subcommittee Member)
  • Ardythe Morrow, Professor and Epidemiology Division Director at University of Cincinnati
  • Reena Murphy, Sustainability Coordinator at City of Oxford OH, (Equity and Engagement Subcommittee Co-Chair)
  • Joy Pierson, Community and Economic Development Director at Delhi Township OH
  • Edwin Porter, Executive Director of Infrastructure at City of Hamilton OH
  • Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader for Community Development at Purdue University Extension
  • Susan Sprigg, Director of Community & Population Health at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
  • Jeff Weckbach, Township Administrator at Colerain Township OH
  • TJ White, Executive Director at Center for Local Government
  • Tim Williams, Commission President at Union County IN
  • Ashlee Young, Vice President of Strategy and Policy at Interact for Health


Email greatercincyclimateaction@gmail.com with any questions.

Engage By Community

https://greenumbrella.govocal.com/en/folders/engage-by-community