COVINGTON — As the Covington Business Council's new executive director, Kristi Nader hopes to promote the Ohio River city as “a prime economic opportunity,” for outside businesses.

        “Fidelity Investments and Ashland Oil saw that we had a great location in Covington with a great work force,” Ms. Nader said. “I want other businesses to recognize the charm of the city, especially the diversity of its residents and its architecture.”

        She also plans to continue the business council's recent advocacy role. As examples, she mentioned the group's recent legal opposition to the Kenton County payroll tax cap hike and its oppo sition to expansion of the county jail in downtown Covington.

        The 29-year-old Chillicothe, Ohio, native took over as the CBC's executive business director on Monday. Founded in 1974, the CBC is a nonprofit organization made up of more than 200 companies and other members dedicated to improving the business climate in Covington.

        Ms. Nader, a resident of Covington's Wallace Woods neighborhood, succeeds Beth Sewell, who had headed the CBC since September 1998. Ms. Sewell, who is expecting her first child in mid-June, left her CBC job to devote more time to her family.

        “Beth did a great job, and we are really sorry to see her go, but we're confident that Kristi Nader will do a great job, too,” said Cindy Shirooni, chairwoman of the CBC Board of Directors and a lawyer at a Covington law firm. “(Ms. Nader) already knows a lot of people in the city, so I think she's going to slide in pretty effortlessly.”

        Ms. Nader's Covington connections were a major factor in her selection, Ms. Shirooni said.

        “I have a personal stake in helping Covington become a better place to live and work because I choose to make this city my home,” Ms. Nader said.

Ms. Nader earned her bachelor's degree in economics from Bowling Green State University. She is enrolled in the Master of Business Administration Program at Thomas More College.

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