Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Announces CEO Succession Plan
Brendon Cull Elected to serve as President & CEO, Succeeding Jill Meyer Effective May 15
Cincinnati, Ohio—The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Board of Directors announced its long-term CEO succession plan following a special Board meeting this morning.
Jill Meyer Will Step Down After More Than Seven Years as Chamber CEO
The Board accepted the resignation of Jill P. Meyer as part of a planned succession strategy. She will serve as CEO until May 15, 2023. Meyer joined the Chamber in 2015 as President & CEO.
Candace McGraw, CEO of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, and Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, said, “The Board celebrates Jill for her exceptional leadership during a period of time that recharged the organization to accomplish so much for the region. She’s a brilliant and visionary leader who believes passionately in the future of the Cincinnati region. While we’re sorry to see her move on, the Board is grateful that Jill so diligently prepared a strategic succession plan that keeps the Chamber’s strength intact as it moves into its next chapter of serving members.”
Meyer joined the Chamber in September 2015, leaving her role at Frost Brown Todd, one of the region’s largest law firms, where she was the partner in charge of the Cincinnati market. Under her leadership, the Chamber has tackled some of the most pressing economic issues and focused boldly on building a stronger Cincinnati to become a destination for people and businesses. With Meyer at the helm, the Chamber launched the Workforce Innovation Center, the Center for Research and Data, the Leadership Center, and Cincinnati Compass; brought the well-loved BLINK® experience to life; planted the stake for a regional transportation infrastructure vision and led the campaign to pass the first-ever Hamilton County-wide transit and infrastructure funding plan; and launched the Minority Business Accelerator Fund I, among many other initiatives. Meyer led the business community through COVID-19 and its after effects, and has been active in dozens of major community initiatives. As President of the Build our New Bridge Now coalition, Meyer oversaw the business community’s effort to advocate for the Brent Spence Bridge solution. The Bridge plan was announced by President Biden in December 2022.
“As the Chamber works through the final year of our current strategic plan, now is the right time for me to plan my next adventure. We have accomplished so much and this incredible Chamber team is well positioned to deliver even more. It’s been the honor of a lifetime to lead this almost 200-year old organization and serve our robust business community. As before I took this role, I will continue to be a tireless advocate for how business leaders can build this Future City,” said Jill Meyer. “Brendon has been my partner and the architect of so much of what the Chamber has accomplished over the last seven years. There is no better person to serve our members next and I couldn’t be happier that the Board agrees.”
Brendon Cull Elected President & CEO of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
Brendon J. Cull, currently the Chamber’s President, will become President & CEO, effective May 15. Cull joined the Chamber as Chief Operating Officer in 2016, was promoted to Chief Strategy Officer in 2020, and President in 2022.
“Brendon is a well-known, collaborative, and trusted leader who is passionate about the growth of our region,” said Candace McGraw. “He understands business, has deep knowledge of the region and how it works, and has relationships in all corners of the community. For more than two decades, Brendon has led at the intersection of business and civic life, inspiring his belief that our community can offer more opportunity to all when we focus on growing our economy, supporting businesses, and developing meaningful partnerships with civic leaders. The Board is enthusiastic that his skills and experiences will serve the Chamber well in the coming years.”
Prior to joining the Chamber, Cull spent a decade in the private sector leading Government & Regulatory Affairs for The Kroger Co. Prior to that he served as legislative director in the Office of the Mayor of Cincinnati. He has served in many volunteer leadership roles in the Cincinnati community, including President of the Board of the Mercantile Library and member of the Boards of SORTA, ArtsWave, and VisitCincy. At the Chamber, he led the execution of the organization’s two most recent strategic plans, was instrumental in passage of the Issue 7 transit campaign, and led the RESTART effort during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m grateful to the Board of Directors for their trust in me, and to Jill for the last seven years of partnership. I’m honored to lead a Chamber team that makes so much happen in our community,” said Cull. “Cincinnati is uniquely positioned because we have a highly engaged business community that is working to advance civic life and grow our region’s economy. The Chamber and its members are at the heart of that work, and I’ll wake up every day ready to serve that mission.”
