Meet Kathy Ramson, 2020 UBCC President

BY MELINDA RIZZO

"The most important thing is to try to inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do"  -  Kobe Bryant

"Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it."  -  Wilferd A. Peterson

Kathy Ramson begins each day expecting to make a difference, and this Wilferd Peterson quote sums up her inspiration.

The new Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce board president is the network director healthy living and chronic disease initiatives at St. Luke’s University Health Network, and a long-time chamber member. She will serve a one year term as president of UBCC’s 19 member board of directors.

A critical care registered nurse and board certified nurse executive, Ramson has been with St. Luke’s since 2000 and holds advanced degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh.

About UBCC’s upcoming year, Ramson is enthusiastic.

“The stage is set for us to have a successful year with a strong executive director, staff and board of directors. Our board meetings have vibrant discussion with no empty chairs at the table,” she said.   

Ramson said UBCC’s plans include building membership and resources and forging more partnerships for the business community.

“We would like to build representation of non-profit organizations, as well as include our agriculture/farming community,” she said.

Ramson said effective leaders are skilled communicators – which mean they’re active listeners, too.

“Always find the time to recognize and reward [your colleagues and] ensure you are connecting to your team, and they are connecting to one another,” she said.

UBCC membership means St. Luke’s has a ‘seat at the table’ and a way to tap into the needs of the community directly, according to Ramson.

“It [membership] has always afforded me the opportunity to meet and partner with amazing business leaders and remarkable, down to earth people, whom I now call friends,” she said.

As with any membership organization, Ramson said member recruitment and retention are top priorities in 2020 and beyond.

Strengthening the “customer package” to current and future members is one of the ways to ensure UBCC remains vibrant.

And UBCC’s biggest strength?  “Our business community,” she said.

In addition to UBCC programs, downtown business support comes from Quakertown Alive! and the new Nature-Based Placemaking Program in development through Pennsylvania Downtown Center to develop connected trails, create green spaces and attract recreation enthusiasts along with related new businesses.  (For more visit our blog archives at https://www.ubcc.org/blog/archives/08-2019.)

Top on Ramson’s To Do list in 2020 is expanding membership engagement. “It’s not a question of ‘if’ [a business or individual will] become a UBCC member it is when, and on which committees to serve,” she said.

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