Q&A with Cierra Clymer
In its mission to recruit companies and grow jobs, the REDI Cincinnati team amplifies our region’s unique story to national and international audiences. This series flips the microphone for a look at what makes these passionate economic development professionals tick — and what they love most about living and working in Greater Cincinnati.
In this week’s “Meet the Team” installment, we talked with Cierra Clymer, an Ohio native and travel enthusiast whose introduction to REDI Cincinnati came through a mutual contact while attending Miami University. She came on board as a project coordinator and now applies her considerable talents to her role as Manager of Business Development and Project Management, focusing on REDI Cincinnati’s international project pipeline — leads, projects and wins.
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: I’m a native of Wauseon, Ohio (near Toledo) and a graduate of Miami University, where I majored in economics and international studies, with a focus in development, and minored in Spanish. I live in the Mt. Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, and I enjoy volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and local animal shelters.
Q: How did you come to be part of the REDI Cincinnati team?
A: During college, I worked for a local chamber of commerce in Northwest Ohio and knew I wanted to go into economic development, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. One of my advisors connected me with REDI Cincinnati board member Lisa Dankovich, who invited me to a networking event. I wasn’t aware of any opportunities with REDI at that time, but I went to the event hoping to get started working at the local or county level. Lisa quickly got me connected with the right people at REDI, and I landed an internship and was fortunate to get hired on full time after graduation.
Q: What has been the most satisfying thing about your job thus far?
A: This is simply my dream job. But if I had to name one best thing, it would be that it satisfies my desire to travel. I enjoy learning about other cultures, examining their ecosystems and helping companies grow.
A good example of this is a recent delegation my team attended that took us to several points throughout Europe. More than one of the companies we worked with on that visit have now come to visit the Greater Cincinnati region and are actively exploring opportunities here. It’s great being able to help a company find paths for growth in addition to working with our local business community to identify gaps where they could utilize the products and technologies these companies have the potential to bring to the region.
Q: What has surprised you most about working in Greater Cincinnati?
A: Without a doubt, it’s the level of collaboration we have here. The fact that we have access to some of the region’s largest companies, and there’s always someone we can call when we’re trying to help a company with tax strategy, financing or other needs. Leaders are always eager to help, and that gives us a real advantage with inbound as well as outbound delegations. That sense of collaboration says a lot about the region’s leadership, but it also says a lot about the type of people here at REDI who are making sure we stay involved in those conversations and are able to provide the most help where it’s needed.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: I spend a lot of time at the Cincinnati Art Museum and Eden Park — especially in the summer. I like going to Over-the-Rhine on the weekends, and my favorite local coffee shop is Bow Tie Cafe in Mount Adams. I like their iced coffee with hazelnut in the summer and their hot latte in the winter, also with hazelnut…always with hazelnut.
To learn more about the REDI team, please be sure to visit our website at REDICincinnati.com.