COVINGTON, Ky. — For nearly a decade, Tom West has been one of the driving forces behind Covington’s transformation. A steady hand guiding the City’s growth while fiercely protecting the character that makes Covington, Covington. Now, after a long and distinguished career, West has announced that he will retire as the City’s Economic Development Director in July 2026. 

West joined the City in 2017 and quickly made his mark, leading initiatives that brought more than $240 million in private investment and 5,000 new jobs to Covington. His department crafted the City’s first comprehensive economic development strategy, implemented policies ensuring a return on investment for taxpayers, and completely rewrote the City’s zoning code — now known as the Neighborhood Development Code — which has become a model for other communities. Under his leadership, the department also earned six Awards of Excellence from the International Economic Development Council. 

Currently, West is leading the City’s team as master developer of the 23-acre Covington Central Riverfront redevelopment project, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the City’s future while staying true to its roots. 

But for West, success has never been measured solely in numbers or grand projects. 

“We’re not just about the big wins,” he said. “The jobs are really important to the city, as a source of revenue. But I’ve also focused on the little wins, because the little stuff is what gives us our vibe. It gives us our character, our identity, our authenticity, and that is what attracts the big ones.” 

That focus on authenticity has defined West’s approach to economic development in Covington. “We have tailored all of our efforts to the authentic, quirky, and welcoming identity of Covington,” he said. “We never employed a conventional formula for economic development, which could have resulted in us becoming ‘Generica.’ We are unique. We embrace our grit as well as our glam.” 

That philosophy led to the creation of the City’s annual Authenti-CITY Awards, celebrating the businesses, people, and places that give Covington its signature flavor. Or, as West calls it: “Spicy Mayberry. Brooklyn of the South. Key West of the Midwest.” 

A Covington resident for much of his adult life, West first came to the City in 1992 after earning a master’s degree in community planning from the University of Cincinnati. He worked closely with community champion Ralph Haile and served as director of the Covington Business Council before moving away in 2006 — only to return a decade later. 

West was first introduced to the field of economic development at age 14, while working at a retail shop in downtown Danville, Ky. “That’s when I first became obsessed with downtown revitalization and how cities work. Then, with stints in tourism, events management, community planning, workforce and economic development consulting, running a business improvement district, and working in state government, I learned skills and formed a view of how all these pieces come together to make an amazing place.” 

Among his proudest accomplishments are projects that brought investment and opportunity to every corner of the city — not just downtown. “I am extremely proud of our rewrite of our zoning code,” he said. “It is a model for other communities and is serving Covington very well. I’m also proud to have been part of the master planning for the Covington Central Riverfront. As a planner, that is a dream come true. And in Latonia, we’ve made real progress, helping attract more than 400 jobs, reimagining a tired shopping center, and helping bring a construction trade school to the neighborhood.” 

Collaboration, West says, has been at the heart of that success. “We’ve partnered with every other department in City government, as well as organizations like the African American Chamber, Small Business Development Center, Esperanza Latino Center, Center for Great Neighborhoods, Northern Kentucky Pride Center, The Carnegie, and dozens more,” he said. 

Looking ahead, West hopes the city continues to honor the community’s vision for the Central Riverfront. “That means multiple developers, so it's truly a mixed-use neighborhood. A mix of architects and making sure that we open up opportunities for small, local developers, many of whom have been investing here for decades; that doesn't always happen in other communities.” 

As for what makes Covington special to him, the answer is simple and deeply personal. “There is one business in this community that I would chain myself to the outside of to stop someone from tearing it down or closing it, and that’s the Anchor Grill,” West said with a laugh. “To me, the Anchor Grill is the epitome of what and who Covington really is at its heart: welcoming, unpretentious, and unapologetic.” 

After nearly 47 years of work in the field, West said the decision to retire was bittersweet — but right. “Personally, I’m ready to sleep in when I want to,” he said. “Professionally, I think it’s time to hand over the reins to the next generation of leaders. It’s very difficult to walk away from something I’ve put my heart and soul into for so many years, but I truly feel that I’ve accomplished the one goal I had when I started — to leave Covington in a better position than I found it.” 

West’s imprint on Covington is unmistakable, from the skyline of investment and development projects to the intangible but unapologetic “vibe” that makes the Cov one of a kind. And for that, he’ll always be part of its story.