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Bill Butler, Garren Colvin among those honored with Commonwealth Awards at philanthropy Summit


Two Northern Kentuckians are among those to be awarded the Commonwealth Award from the Kentucky Philanthropy Initiative.

The awards will be presented Wednesday at the statewide KPI Summit on Philanthropy to be held for the first time in its nine years in Northern Kentucky, at the Newport Aquarium RiverRoom.

William P. Butler of Corporex Companies and Garren Colvin of St. Elizabeth Healthcare will be recognized for philanthropic service that rises to “extraordinary.”

Two other awardees are Scott Davis of Henderson, president of Field & Main Bank and trustee of the Preston Foundation, and Tori Murden McClure, president of Spalding College in Louisville.

“The Kentucky Philanthropy Initiative is proud to welcome these extraordinary individuals into the rarified company of our Commonwealth Award winners,” said Joseph Clabes, president and CEO of KPI. “Their unselfish service to others, community engagement, and dedication to leadership make them outstanding examples of the people and the work that mean so much to Kentucky.”

William P. “Bill” Butler

Bill Butler is chair of Corporex Companies, a privately held investment and real estate firm with more than $1 billion in assets in 20 major markets across the United States. He grew up in Northern Kentucky, raised his family here — and built his enterprises here.

William P. Butler

He has engaged in the community good in a number of ways and has earned accolades nationally and regionally for his community service and business accomplishments.

As a civic leader, Butler is credited with leading efforts toward regionalism. He co-chaired the “Quest” visioning process, founded the Metropolitan Club (and contributed his ownership to three charities) and in 2017 became founding chairman of the Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky, a community-wide foundation aimed at bringing people together to help break the cycle of poverty, support the arts, spark development and innovation, enrich education and improve the health and wellness of the Northern Kentucky region.

Garren Colvin

Another ‘local-boy-makes-good,’ Garren Colvin is CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Northern Kentucky’s largest employer. He grew up in Ludlow, started working for St. Elizabeth while a student at Thomas More College and has spent most of his professional life there.

Garren Colvin

He has made it his priority to establish the hospital as a vital community member in addition to its role as a vital healthcare provider. His aim: To make Northern Kentucky among the healthiest communities in the country.

Under his leadership — and he leads by example –, St. Elizabeth is making a terrific impact on the quality of life in Northern Kentucky. He has been named a Hero Against Heroin, heads the NKY campaign for United Way, is co-chairing the Heart Ball for the American Heart Association, is a founding member of the Kentucky Health Collaborative, and has established a roadmap for Northern Kentucky’s first-ever comprehensive cancer center.

Scott Davis

Davis is chair and CEO of Field & Main Bank, a community bank headquartered in Henderson, where he grew up. He is also trustee of the Raymond Preston Family Foundation.

Deeply committed to the communities he serves, he is actively engaged and actively leads in every way.

Scott Davis

The Preston Foundation is a transformational leader in the Henderson community, supporting important and impactful pubic good projects and encouraging meaningful change and progress. It focuses primarily on education and social services.

Davis serves on the public library Foundation, on the Kyndle Policy Board, the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the Henderson Leadership Initiative and The College Foundation.

Tori Murden McClure

McClure is president of Spalding University in Louisville and leads by example in emphasizing the importance of community service and giving back.

Tori Murden McClure

A passionate explorer, McClure is the first woman and first American to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, to ski to the geographic South Pole and to reach the summit of Lewis Nunatak in Antarctica.

An outspoken critic of the disparity in higher education today and a promoter of the transformational power of education, McClure encourages individuals to seek greatness through learning and to use their talents and skills to contribute to their own communities.

McClure has served as a chaplain at a Boston hospital, executive director of a shelter for homeless women, as a public policy analyst and as chair of the National Outdoor Leadrship School.

The awards will be presented on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Award luncheon program of the Summit on Philanthropy.

The statewide gathering will also feature sessions on social enterprise, engaging millennials, impact of philanthropy on growth and opportunity, Community Foundations, the power of philanthropy, corporate philanthropy, and the roll out of new “Transfer of Wealth Opportunity” for Kentucky.

Sponsors of the Summit include the Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky, Kosair Charities, the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the NKY Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the University of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky University, the R.C. Durr Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Scripps Howard Foundation, the Greater Cincinnati Regional Social Enterprise Alliance, the Kentucky Social Enterprise Alliance, the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement at NKU, Burcham Solutions Group LLC, St. Elizabeth Foundation, Community Trust and Investment Company, KyForward, and the Northern Kentucky Tribune.


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