Vision 2015’s Kara Williams

Kara Williams, Vice President of Communications for Vision 2015

“Don’t stress it if plan A or plan B doesn’t work because there are 24 letters left to try.” As a parent who works full-time and has a variety of personal and professional commitments, this statement has never been truer for Kara Williams, Vice President of Communications for Vision 2015.

“My entire professional career has involved regional initiatives that impact the community and allow me to develop a wide variety of skills, all applicable to my current position,” says Williams. Her first job out of college was in public affairs at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, where she learned a lot about legislation, policy and politics.

“I, then, spent seven years in marketing on both the client and agency sides before coming to Vision 2015,” says Williams. “Research, policy, project management and creativity are skill sets that I learned in earlier positions that have proven extremely valuable in my current role.”

Vision 2015 is Northern Kentucky’s 10-year strategic plan for growth. The plan focuses on developing the right community conditions for fostering economic prosperity for the region. It is a shared vision for change, one that includes a common understanding of problems and a joint approach to solving them through agreed upon actions.

“Great communities don’t just happen by accident; they start with a vision and a plan for the future,” says Williams. “We have over 20 active initiatives and more than 35 community partners collaborating with us on the work.”

“Initiatives like the Catalytic Development Fund, the formation of the Northern Kentucky Education Council, expansion of Success by Six, the Licking River Greenway and Trails, UpTech, the Regional Indicator Reports and many others are a few of our accomplishments.”

As a working mom, Williams’ life is nothing short of busy. “There are days where it feels like there is so much to do and so little time – but I enjoy being busy and by bend towards project planning helps keep my home and work lives moving forward,” she says.

What keeps Williams motivated is the community itself. “I want to make a difference in our community and the people who live here,” she says. “My life has to revolve around activities that I feel are impactful, which includes raising a self-confident, well-adjusted, compassionate daughter.”

However, there is no “either or” in Williams’ work-life balance. “I think it is important not to build rigorous lines between the two, but instead, to embrace your life holistically in order to build synergies,” she says. “I also think it’s important to be flexible. I can’t control everything – issues will pop up. Laughing and being flexible in how I deal with the issues is the only way I can keep my sanity.”

In looking to the future, Williams would like to be the President of Vision 2015 or continue as a senior leadership team member, but in a larger organization. “I’d love to go to culinary school and turn cooking into more than just a once-a-week hobby,” says Williams. “And in the near term, I want to volunteer for field trips at my daughter’s childcare center.”

“In order to move our common agenda forward, leadership and focused commitment from individuals and organizations on both sides of the Ohio River are needed,” says Williams. “I encourage everyone to check it out and share their hopes, ideas, wants and needs for our community!”

To be apart of Vision 2015’s current work plan or influence their next work plan, go to www.myNKY.org and share your ideas on Northern Kentucky’s future.