Chuck Session first heard of Brevard College, a small school in Western North Carolina, his senior year of high school in Indiana. Coach Meyerhoff, the head basketball coach for the Tornados at the time, was recruiting students from his high school. Session was ecstatic when Meyerhoff recruited him to play at BC on an athletics scholarship. “I have the greatest memories from my time at Brevard College. I was blessed to play with such talented players and had a great college experience. If I had the opportunity I would love to do it all over again,” explained Session.
During his two years at Brevard College, Session credits multiple professors and mentors. Dr. Edgar Evans was one professor he remembers fondly due to his experiential biology classes. Session remembers taking trips to the national forest to study Botany and then enjoying lunch with his entire class that Dr. Evan and his wife had prepared. After graduating from Brevard College in 1978, Session attended MacMurray College in Illinois, where he continued his basketball career and graduated with a Business Administration degree. From there, Session transitioned his leadership skills from the court to his place of work.
This summer, Session retired from Duke Energy and its legacy companies after a 42-year career, holding his final position as Vice President of Government Affairs for Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky. During his professional career Session held several positions in customer service, supply chain management, meter reading, and government affairs and community relations.
Not only did Session have a lasting impact on Duke Energy, but also on his local community. Session serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Gateway Community and Technical College, Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky, and Leadership Kentucky. He is also a member of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s Government Affairs Executive Committee and the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee. In addition, he was a member of the 2016 Leadership Kentucky class. From this leadership class, he was honored with the Lisa Murrell Award for his courage, selflessness, and dedication to the program. His continued leadership led him to be the 2021 Horizon Award recipient, which recognizes the extraordinary contributions of an individual who exemplifies commitment, integrity, and honorable service to Northern Kentucky based on community leadership.
Session’s successful career and extraordinary community service led him to a well-earned retirement in Northern Kentucky, where he plans to spend more time with family and friends and to continue giving back to his community through volunteer work with his church. Session credits his success to his faith, family, managing relationships throughout his career, and being a good friend and colleague. A quote he has lived by during his professional years is from Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Session explained that “relationships are so important when trying to build your career. Along with relationships, know that whatever field you want to pursue, know and understand the business like the back of your hand. This will position you to propel your career to new heights.”