A connected region is critical for residents, workers, students, patients and visitors in Uptown Cincinnati. Increasing the Greater Cincinnati region’s transportation offerings will continue to be a critical focus as the region continues to grow, retain and attract talent, and compete with other cities across the country.
UCI connected with Mark Policinski, CEO of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) to learn about his career journey, transportation challenges and solutions for Uptown and the region, and a glimpse into OKI’s future.
OKI is a council of local governments, business organizations and community groups committed to developing collaborative strategies to improve the quality of life and the economic vitality of the region and an organization that has worked closely with UCI since its inception in 2004. “OKI is a vitally important partner organization to us,” said Beth Robinson, President and CEO of UCI. “OKI is committed to developing collaborative strategies to improve the quality of life and the economic vitality of the region. A focus on transportation to connect our region is an important piece of Uptown’s success.”
What role does Uptown play in the regional transportation network?
Uptown is one of three Great Connectors of the region, along with the CVG and the CBD. Uptown has the second-highest concentration of jobs in the region. Approximately 50,000 workers go to and around Uptown every day. Uptown is the “hospital of the region,” and thousands of patients depend on using its life-saving services every day. UC is a center of learning, culture, and entertainment for not only thousands of students but for all eight counties in this region. Because Uptown is of vital importance to a wide variety of daily lives, those lives are linked to its development. That development demands a modern, efficient transportation system that is moored to the entire region, and not just a few square blocks of it.
When I was pitching the solution to the MLK interchange, I said that the transportation and mobility problems of Uptown were a regional transportation and mobility issue. I was certain that the region could not reach its potential without fixing Uptown’s transportation issues. That is how important I believe Uptown is to the region’s road network.
OKI supported and helped fund the new I-71/MLK Interchange. Why was the new interchange important to the region?
We provided the critical funding required to make the project a reality when the State and City of Cincinnati were $25 million apart in financial commitment and each side was entrenched. We needed the interchange to unleash Uptown’s economic opportunity for commerce and to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood communities. We fully believed in both the project and in Beth Robinson as the person to bring those opportunities to reality. Beth has certainly delivered.
I think it is safe to say the interchange has brought in billions of dollars in investment and enlivened Uptown’s communities. However, remember that OKI invested in MLK because of its regional impact. Of the approximately 50,000 jobs in Uptown, 12 percent are held by people who live in NKY, and 43 percent by people outside Hamilton County. The hospital's patients come from every county of the region. In addition, UC is a national university in the middle of our region. The MLK interchange is a regional catalyst in many ways.
“Has the interchange lived up to its promise to improve connectivity and spur economic development?
Under Beth’s leadership, a place of economic malaise has turned into an economic boom. Uptown is alive with new housing, businesses, and investment. I am sure that the communities of Uptown have had to deal with change, yet all indications are that this remarkable transformation has not engendered the lasting difficulties similar developments have experienced. Importantly, Uptown is a regional success story because its growth is accessible to the entire region. The access is universally better and the workers, students, patients, and the shoppers of the region are much better served. ”
You are celebrating your 18th year as CEO of OKI. What has kept you in the position?
I was a CEO in the private sector for many years prior to joining OKI. Two things keep me here: The organizational structure of OKI is uniquely, outrageously difficult, and yet we have been remarkably successful for 18 years. OKI has a Board of Directors with 120 members from three states with three different forms of government from all sizes of governments and has members of the private sector. OKI has tremendous authority over every major transportation project in the region.
The challenge is to ensure the exercising of that authority has the concurrence of those 120 people. Our success can have no better indicator than the fact that OKI governs by consensus; we have a single “no” vote about once a decade. Imagine approving $400 million in projects and investing another $40 million in projects every year and having no disagreement between staff and Board. Difficulty and success are great stimulants to a CEO.
Where do you see OKI headed in the next 5 years?
We must add even more technological power to all our work, particularly our transportation thrusts. There is no reason that OKI will not continue to be the best organization of its kind in the country. The staff has world-class talent, indefatigable energy, incredible vision, and relentless support from a great board of directors. The biggest challenge for any society now and beyond is harnessing new technology to benefit, not damage, all the people in it. OKI’s world of transportation is no different; transportation technology will change the country, not just our commutes.
One example is the coming explosion in the use of driverless cars. Just this one piece of technology could allow every member of society to be mobile. Imagine the impact on the elderly, the disabled and the poor. This transportation technology transition is going to be extraordinarily hard to ensure a multitude of positive impacts.
Can you tell us about the OKI Moves Transportation Study? What has been the most shocking discovery from the study?
About every eight to 10 years, OKI likes to feel the ‘transportation pulse’ of the region and the ways in which motorists are using our roadway systems. Specifically, OKI Moves is a study of household demographics, daily travel activities and typical transportation patterns throughout the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. This information is vital for us to understand the impact of growth, development, and other changes in our communities on the transportation system. Reliable transportation and viable travel options contribute to our region's quality of life and economic vitality, and this study will help agencies prioritize transportation improvements to best fit the region's needs. The information-gathering portion of the survey is ending soon, and we look forward to analyzing their results and plan accordingly.
Did you ever see yourself working with OKI for over 18 years?
No way. I took this job for two years and then I wanted to go back to being a CEO in the private sector. I was hired to be a CEO, not a transportation expert, engineer, or social planner. Initially, I was looking for a short stint because I was only interested in fixing OKI and not realizing its potential. I didn’t know the enormous impact OKI could have on this region.
I was here about six months, and I negotiated $600 million for projects in our local jurisdiction. That is potential and a powerful tool to help communities. What has kept me here is the great success we have had in remaking OKI’s culture; this unleashed the talents of the people of OKI who made us great. After a beginning like that, I never looked back.
What are some pieces of career advice you’ve received along the way?
First and foremost, I believe in the servant leader. These kinds of leaders can change the world, even though it may be one organization, one team member at a time. Also, you must aspire to do fantastic, meaningful things. Why lead people to mediocrity? The greatest leader I have worked with was Malcolm Baldridge, who was Secretary of Commerce during the Reagan Administration when I was the Associate Deputy Secretary. He led by what he said and how he treated people. He taught me that the most important goal of a leader is to build trust. Without trust, you cannot inspire your team to incredible achievements. He taught me the value of really listening to everyone throughout the organization, and to be wary of people who live by their titles, alone.
For more information, visit the OKI Regional Council of Governments website, Facebook page, or call 513-621-6300 to learn more.