Common Good for the Commonwealth: Public Service, Progress & Possibility with Sharmili Reddy

What does it take to build a thriving community, and why does local leadership matter more than ever?

On this episode of Common Good for the Commonwealth, Nancy Grayson sits down with Sharmili Reddy, City Manager of Covington and member of Horizon Community Foundation's Council of Trustees. Together, they explore the role of public service in shaping vibrant communities, the exciting transformation happening across Covington, and why collaboration remains one of Northern Kentucky's greatest strengths.

From economic development and neighborhood revitalization to philanthropy, community partnerships, and the future of regional growth, Sharmili shares insights from her career in public service and her vision for creating places where everyone can thrive.

The conversation also highlights Horizon's innovative approach to community impact, the power of local philanthropy, and why the next generation gives her hope for Northern Kentucky's future.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:08

Welcome to Common Good for the Commonwealth, where we feature our uncommon advocates of Northern Kentucky who work every day to make our region more vibrant. I'm your host, Nancy Grayson, president and CEO of Horizon Community Foundation of Northern Kentucky. And with me today, I'm thrilled to have Covington's city manager and Council of Trustees member for Horizon, Charmelie Wright. Charmie, thank you so much for being here today. Thanks for having me, Nancy. I was excited to be. It's going to be a lot of fun. And this will be very conversational. So would love at first just to hear, you've been in a lot of different goals throughout the region. You were with uh Kenton County PDS, you are now working in the city of Covington. What really drew you to become a public servant to work in this more civil space?

SPEAKER_00 0:57

So that probably goes all the way back to my parents and uh them being involved in public service for a long time. And so I honestly did not consider any other alternatives. It just was so ingrained and felt so real and good that uh when I started my career, it was in on the colic side. So yeah, I've been in several different roles, both on the city side and on the county side. And it's just so fulfilling on a daily basis that you get to help residents, but then you also get to pitch and work on some grand ideas for the future, and it's the perfect balance of the daily and the long term. And so that's what draws me to it, but ultimately it is about serving residents and businesses and helping our elected officials make good choices about the future. So all that is why I continue to staple it.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

So this we're so lucky to have you in the roles that you've been in. And I would love to hear, I know um, as my husband is a recovering politician, for voice of you you may not know, um, and working across different governmental boundaries, and um, obviously there are different priorities that maybe you've had in your different roles. So I would love to hear maybe from a bigger picture, higher level across the region, how have some of these different roles um maybe manifested differently when you were at PDS that had a very different uh mission and focus as compared to what you're doing in the city of Carving Tumba right now?

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Yeah, so city roles are very uh localized issues because a lot of people see city, local government as their first point of contact when they have an issue, whether it's about trash or there's a pot go on my street. And these are the daily issues that affect deals' lives. So I feel like at the local government level, it's the day-to-day-to-day stuff that comes from all across, all across the city. So whether that was in the small city of Mitchell or whether that's in the big city of Cuttingdon, it's very similar in that capacity. Now I will say on a countywide score, it's it's a little bit different because you're dealing with multiple jurisdictions. So Kane County has 20 different jurisdictions. And so working in an organization that required coordination amongst 20 different jurisdictions, just a whole different Balbi. But there's uh but there's a lot of fun in a position like that too, because you're interacting with so many different cities from the Eau de Gore to the suburban to the rural, and the issues and the sentiments of the community in each of these areas is just so different. So it just provides a different set of experiences uh in a certain way. But I will say that every position has been such a fulfilling role because I I feel like again, deep down in my heart, I am still an urban planner. And so I love big vision, I love being part of complex issues and helping the community sort through that, which takes a lot of patience and time. And so I I still tend to focus on the development side. I still tend to focus on the community side, and every role has allowed me to do that.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

When you mentioned the different cities, I think in our three county footprint, or is it 36 or 37 cities? I always get a little bit confused. Is it I know Rick Cooper with Achiever Commerce is very good at that saying how many towns? I think it's 36, but correct me if I'm wrong. One of the best meetings I went to actually uh was with the Kent County mayors, how they come together. And uh to your point, having urban, suburban, and rural, it looks a little different for each mayor, but that they were really kind of working together, rowing together, or trying to grapple through a lot of the same issues, which in my opinion is one of the best reasons that northern Kentucky is rowing so quickly. We have these unique pockets, unique communities. You you live in Fort Mitchell. I'm further out in Boone County, uh, actually in an unincorporated part of Boone County, but uh close to union. And everyone is dealing with different things, maybe in a slightly different way. Um, but it it really makes us more diverse. And I think it allows us to challenge ourselves to think differently and we can learn from one another, which I've really, really enjoyed. So I'm sure you got to witness that firsthand. And now, of course, you're in the more urban study with Covington, which is on the rise, it's on fire. I go to church in Covington at Trinity Effiscable, our office is in the 18 KY Center, which is a beautiful building in Covington. I feel like I eat work and play and pray down in Covington, it's like a second hope for me. So, what is making you super excited about uh Covington right now and our region uh overall and maybe some of the things that are on the horizon, part in the pun, but that's intentional with what's coming around the morner for Cunnington.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

So if if we all, no matter where we live in this region, if we think about Covington or where the urban core of the region is, I think is pretty much common in Greenland that's in Covington. And Covington is the urban core of the success of that core, really is the success of everybody around the region. So there's just a lot of support for what is going on in the city of Covington, which is exciting to be a card of from a development standpoint. I mean you name it. It's happening right now. Everything from the uh the central Covington Riverfront site. We uh just in partnership with the County Catalytic and the Porto where we purchased the old roundhouse, the Searbacksite, yes, um, and tons of stuff happening in Latonia as well. So again, in Covington as a community, offers something for everybody. Whether you're a young professional, whether you're a family, or you're uh the boomer generation, I mean, there's something that Covington has to offer for everybody. And whether it's development, whether it's arts, whether it's just having a good time on a Friday evening in Covington, I mean the city has everything going on for it, and it's exciting to be a part of it.

SPEAKER_01 7:07

I think there's uh kind of a connotation of Covington as being a little quirky, very artistic. Um, we see a lot of small businesses where they are actually having murals installed, or maybe they're painting a la Emily Wolf in one of her many restaurants, um, just a sense of um kind of a village. I actually I've heard many parts of Covington being referred to as the village and how you're supporting one another, um, the vibrancy of it, how walkable it is. I'm excited just from the adjacency to the one in KY Center, the IRS side being developed and seeing that finally coming out of the ground now that the infrastructure is being built, and you can see the rise on where the different buildings will be. Speak to me about what that's going to look like as it's taking shape. I think a lot of folks have questions about what exactly is it going to look like as it's being developed.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

At the end of the day, the the central Covington Riverfront site is in a sense going to look like it was always there. It has the street road that you see in the city of Covington, not what you see in suburban areas. It'll have the vibe of this walkable community, and of course the great views to Cincinnati. That doesn't hurt either. So the inner basis. But my force is keep coming to.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

And I know at the adjacency to Riverfront Commons is really important. Um, some of our park organizations are working through uh fiking lanes and making sure that there's accessibility more than just driving around, um, also walking, obviously with your feet. Um, but having a corridor that connects uh Covington to other parts of the river cities, and then using that Riverfront Commons walkway, it really is an opportunity to connect along the river as well. Uh, I'm so proud that Horizon's been able to partner in many different ways in this space. Again, I'm hearing a lot more about art potentially being installed along along the Wild Way, of course. I think Cove uh piece of art that we have, the sculpture that's along with the riverfront, I think has been well received by the community. If we see a lot of folks taking pictures, we all love a Cove. Um so I do think there's a lot of sense of growth and excitement uh in Covington in particular. And uh for me, how would you how would you describe Cummington and how it fits in the overall personality of northern Kentucky as a region? Because I think, as we said, each each community has its own kind of culture. Um, but I do think it breathes together. So I'd love to hear your perspective on do you feel like maybe Covington is leading the way, or are there other ways where it's an anchor? Um, would love to hear your thoughts on too.

SPEAKER_00 10:08

Yeah, I absolutely think that Covington is leading the way because back to the point earlier, Nancy, about there's something for everybody in this community. And that is not easy to do, and the city has been intentional about it over the years, well before I got here. And so I do feel like Covington is sort of setting the stage for MBLA community very accepting of people. If you want to walk, you can walk. If you want to bike, you can bike. If you love the arts, you can enjoy the artsy here. If you want just the restaurant sea, you can come down here over the weekends or the key things and have a great experience here. So it's very unique in that you can get so many different experiences just in one community. And so, in that manner, I do feel like we're we're leading the region. Uh, it is the urban core of this entire region. And as I've said before, I do think Covington's success means the region's success. And that's why he sees so many partners wanting to help us and be a part of this this journey with us, which is extremely, extremely humbling and encouraging.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

So I'm gonna pivot just a little bit. We love that you also serve on our Council of Trustees, our board for Horizon Community Foundation. Um, let's let's talk a little bit about philanthropy. And of course, Horizon is all about locality, so this impacts uh Cert New Covington and then Kent County and all three counties in northern Kentucky. Uh what about philanthropy uh kind of drew you to serving on the board or maybe serving on other other organizational wards in the community? What was that kind of spark that that drew you to that form of Pellow service?

SPEAKER_00 11:54

I I have always been one that has wanted to volunteer my time in causes that have nothing to do with my job, to be honest, or in areas where I don't get to dip my toes in because my job doesn't allow it. So my original in into philanthropy was through the Gippe Condition board. And I I remember when I was asked to join the board, I had no idea what that meant. And I was extremely terrified because I thought you had to have a deep pocket in order to be on a board like that. And I even remember saying, I just want to be honest with you, I don't have a lot of money. I don't know if I should be a part of this board. And they were so kind in helping me understand what it meant to be on a foundation board and what philanthropy truly means, which is not just money. So it started off with just really and and you always think like this has to be hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it's really what I've come to find is that it really is not about that. It it could be $30, or it could be your time that you dedicate to the cause that is that much more important as well. So that was my first experience in philanthropy, and it was extremely, again, very fulfilling. And the causes we got to support was great. And so when Horizon, the opportunity we had at the horizon opened up, Nancy, is the same thing. I was, I couldn't believe that you all wanted me out of the stage. And this it felt like, okay, now that I dip my toes in one area of education, Horizon is so comprehensive in terms of the causes that it supports. And I'm like, I want to be a part of that. And so it's been vapeful for Link as well.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

We're so fortunate. And I'm I'm glad you brought out the part about even small dollars making a big difference. Uh and you know, as a community foundation, that's why we exist, right? Is to to unite all of those resources to make career impact. Um, and I think you've heard us talk about at the board level, and those following along may not know. Um, but with our rapid growth, it's it's really wonderful to see that 60% of our gifts are $100 or less. So to know that if somebody wants to put in a small amount because that's what they're able to afford, knowing that that's going to be amplified, uh, whether it's for over housing or education or during the pandemic, but we all were on our Hollywood squares kind of zoo trying to figure out what was going on, people knew that we could make a difference by even just putting in $25 online.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Yeah, and more recently, when the city of Covington partnered with Horizon Fund during the federal shutdown, yes, because people needed food. And it was the quickest way for us to work with a foundation to make that happen for folks that were struggling. And so there's just so many different examples of how big and small efforts, just the way we work together as a community, we can bring to fruition.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

And I'm glad you mentioned that. Mayor Washington was fantastic when he reached out and said we want to help support the Northern Kentucky Food Support Fund, which is uh actually a topic that we had on another podcast. We we met with Andy Brunsman, you runs Be Concern, and who served as our quarterback, so to speak, with all of the uh food resources that we were providing to the different nonprofits and food pantries through that fund. And uh we just got the final, final report. And I am just so thrilled and to share, which you haven't forget, that we actually held over a hundred thousand Northern Kentuckians with that particular fund. And it was less than $300,000. So very efficiently run. Every dollar went to a food resource. And and Covington was a part of that. I mean, the fact that the mayor stood up and said this is something actually unbidded. I did not reach out to him. He reached out to me after he heard the announcement and said, we want to be part of this because we know our neighbors are struggling. That's tremendously our shift. He's such a great, great mayor, someone to work with. I'm sure you have a lot of fun in City Hall.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

Whoa, so you'll take a new city hall. So let's talk about that for a minute too before we pivot back to Verizon. The City Hall is going to be gorgeous. Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

We cannot wait to move it to the new city hall. It's scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Yes. And oh, by the way, we're transitioning to a new form of government as well. Up next year, should we all think just common things going on in the city? But um, yeah, the Civic Hall project's coming along great. It's a much needed resource for the community, for the staff, for the high level of expectations that we have set for ourselves. It's a space that's going to be reflective of our community. And so we're thrilled that we'll be in it by the end of the year.

SPEAKER_01 16:31

That's gonna be exciting. I'll have to come by for a visit. And I know it's going to be a lot more accessible for the community too. I've been seeing drawings of it. It looks dying. Like I'm I'm really excited to visit once it's finished. Uh for Factor Horizon, you uh were tapped early on, and I don't know if you knew this actually, maybe you did, uh, by our beloved uh Dr. Jim Petruba to serve on our grant-making committee when we first formed as a community foundation. And we were uh very intentionally looking at uh cost representation of our community in addition to board members, so that we could have our ear to the ground with what the community needs were and in making decisions for our community impact fund, which is our unrestricted fund, kind of like an endowment for Northern Kentucky. Uh and you you've been there since the beginning when we developed uh the filters of thinking through innovation and acceleration towards solutions. Equity was a very big conversation that we had. Talk a little bit about that from your perspective. Uh and God bless Dr. Vitruba for all the work that he poured to our community. And so uh that he he immediately said we need Charmali on our committee. So you were one of the first people that I called to ask to join, which we're so grateful you send it as you as Dr.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

Bodruva. I mean, I think all of us can agree. There's just not enough that we can say about him that will be reflective of what he did for this community. And so I feel like he's still watching over us. Yeah, and you know, can giving his message of being thoughtful, community, intentional. What causes are we supporting? I feel like he's still watching over us on those things. But the Grand Week K community was an excellent way for me to really understand how much this community does in terms of its causes. Just in the simple terms of reviewing those applications. Oh it.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

Yes, you've many, many. Actually, uh two years ago we had 92 applications. This year, we'll talk about that in a minute. It looks a little different because we're doing one larger grant, so it's still a lot. It's a big lip.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

For anybody to read through all those applications and to understand again how much our community is doing in so many different areas. It could be pharmacy, it could be transportation, it could be food, it could be culture, arts of culture, it could be recreation. I mean, just the I the whole ideas and the parts behind that was just incredible. It's just incredible the work that's being done in our community in all of those spaces. And to be able to review those applications and be a small voice in which ones potentially might bring the biggest impact to our community was was really good. So I'm thankful that I I got to be a part of it and I continue to be part of it.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

And I love that we decided we're not going to focus on a particular one area, not just education or workforce development or healthcare. We really have spread grants throughout many different types of activities that are being really generated in our local community. Uh, but I found it interesting when we've looked back over the years. So we're starting our ninth year as a community foundation, a lot of the uh grant making has gone primarily to education and healthcare is this second. So it's interesting to see overall just cumulatively where the impact is happening. Um, but I know each year we're reflecting on how is that innovation occurring. So whether it's bite trails again or the arts, uh, early childhood education, workforce, um, mental health seems to be something that is really popping up um more frequently now. How do we help youth address um being mentally healthy, whether it's in school or in life? And so to the idea of being able to respond more nimbly to what the community needs, I'm really glad that at the outset our our board said we need to not ignore ourselves too much at the beginning and make sure that we we respond to that.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

Yeah, and I I think I've come to appreciate that path a little bit more now that I'm as well. Oh, that's yeah, be awesome. At the beginning, it was like that's what most organizations do, right? Okay, here are your four objectives and here's your what you do the focusing, your area of focus, and that's it. And so it took a little while for me to understand why this path was great because the community's needs change, and we we went through COVID, then we might have a government shutdown, and you have to, so you need to be able to pivot and do what the community needs you to do. So I I really like Horizon's strategy now to to be there as a partner and help off where needed instead of here's what we're gonna do with them no matter what's going on.

SPEAKER_01 21:14

Yes, yes, yes, that we've been able to flex over time. And what I also love is that we have uh other funds like our food support fund or the pandemic pandemic relief fund that would complement some of our community impact fund grant making. I recall um after the pandemic, we wanted to make sure that we were balancing it so that it wasn't just being uh funding wasn't being invested in maybe just one area or with one organization so that it it really was responding to maybe over time, there was a long intel with uh the pandemic. And so how are we going to respond to that? And we want to make sure that we're being holistic and and really providing a strong foundation for all of our many not profits, but the important work that they're doing collaboratively, which does bring me to our uh hypothes. So we are doing something a little different this year. Um, would love to hear your opinion on that. We talked at the board level. I said, I have a crazy idea for uh this year's grant, which was to have one single grant uh for $115,000, which is a significant amount of money. We know it won't solve all the problems in the world or even one specific, you know, intractable problem. But could we innovate? Could we show a different solution that might be a good case for government funding to come in and help uh provide support as we scale it up? So uh it is a bit different of an angle this year. I'd love to hear your thoughts on as we've gone through our first review level with our letters of intent or approaching our application stage now. What what were your thoughts on that when we we really decided just to go put all of our eyes in wet basket?

SPEAKER_00 22:51

I I loved it because this really gives the opportunity for that one idea to make a huge leap. And so all these years we've done a little bit for a lot of people. And so now to finally be able to do that one and see how in fact and be in a shorter period of time and use that as a case studying moving forward. So I think that ideas was breaking out. Thank you. Yeah, so Papa Pak would actually stun at you, but I'm excited to see how we move through the process and figure it out. It in some ways it's harder, it's so much harder to pick one cause apparently to 10 or 15 that we could support. So I'm I'm interested to see how our conversations go, how we debate about these issues, and how we figured out what is that one cause that deserves the support. So um I think it's it's good to to walk through and see how this plays out.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

Yeah, I think it's gonna be fine. We had a lot of applications that are letters of attempt that were uh, well, intentionally collaborative. We asked them to partner with at least one other nonprofit organization, and many listed multiple, um, which was fantastic. And then there was some cross-pollination there. But I I think there could be any good number that might apply even again in the future. So I'm I'm thinking, you know, if this is successful as I think it will be, this could be maybe the next few years our approach that we take with the community impact fund. Uh, but I do like that the team, the group is is feeling, I guess, comfortable with with playing in the sandboss a little bit more with our making. Uh, so we're grateful that you're part of that. Would love uh as we kind of wrap up our time together. Uh what do you love best about Horizon generally? Big picture. We'd love to hear kind of uh your thoughts on that. And then and then finally, what what brings you hope for our future earth in northern Kentucky?

SPEAKER_00 24:45

Well, so what I love about Horizon again is the what I love about Horizon is the ability to phot and to really serve the community in the areas that it needs to be served. And I I I love the fact that it is truly a community effort. Yes, there are really a few folks behind the board of trustees or the organization that it really is a true community effort. And it is our local foundation. And it it has been set up that way, it was very successful that way. So a lot of people see when they think about philanthropy in Running Techie, they think about Horizon Fun, in my mind. And so I feel like the team at you and the team have done such a good job of just making the community feel like you're there for them. So that's what I really like about Horizon. In terms of hope for the future, it it is the next generation. I I know we have a long way to go with them, but I saw it as part of the pack generation. Yeah, I'm really hopeful when I see how empathetic and understanding and kind that generation is, even though it may not seem upwardly Sundays, but they truly are. And I'm really optimistic about the future of uh rolling technique because of the next generation.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Well, I'm optimistic about the future because you're in the role that you're in right now, and we're so grateful for your time here today. Uh, looking forward to continuing this conversation off of the podcast. Uh, but thank you to those who joined us uh and are listening today. This is Common Good for the Commonwealth, and we look forward to seeing you next time.