Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's annual music party, Party in the Park, gets underway Wednesday with a 16-week lineup that will run through August 20.

Acts scheduled to be part of the Bunbury and Buckle Up festivals will be joining Party in the Park on July 9 and 16.  Bunbury acts scheduled to perform July 9 include The Yugos, Archer's Paradox and Great Good Fine OK.  Buckle Up performers will include Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle and The Alternate Routes.  

Five regional agencies that aim to drive business and economic growth are moving in together.

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI), Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority (Port Authority), Cincinnati Business Committee (CBC) and the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee (CRBC) are co-locating in the Three East Fourth Street building between Vine and Walnut streets Downtown.

The five organizations combined have about a hundred employees.

From the media release:

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber is naming Brian Carley as its new President and CEO.

He takes over for Ellen van der Horst on May 1, 2014.

Carley is currently a partner with Deloitte and leads its audit practice in Northeast Ohio. The chamber says Carley has "a 37-year accounting, audit and consulting career."

In a release, Carley says he's happy to be coming back to Cincinnati. “Having the chance to return to Greater Cincinnati and help guide the region through the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead was too good to pass up.” 

From the release:

The Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky regions' economy continues to bounce back from the recession that began five years ago, according to a new economic outlook report.

But the economic outlook report issued Wednesday said more can be done to pick up the pace.

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce issued a report Wednesday that forecasts a two percent increase in gross regional product in 2014, compared to 1.4 percent this year.

After nearly 20 years with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, President Steve Stevens says he's leaving his job.

Stevens started at the chamber in 1994 to manage government affairs and serve as the Chamber's lobbyist in Frankfort.  He's been president for the past seven years. 

In a release, Stevens says the job's been rewarding to him, but says now is the time to pursue other professional endeavors.  He has not yet set a his departure date.