A New Era for Grandview Heights: Insights from Mayor Greta Kearns

We are thrilled to host Mayor Greta Kearns of Grandview Heights, who joins us to discuss the transformative journey the city has experienced under her leadership. Since taking office in January 2020, Mayor Kearns has navigated substantial challenges, including a significant leadership transition and the global pandemic. Under her guidance, Grandview Heights has enhanced its technology and communications infrastructure, expanded social services, and emboldened its commitment to safety by investing in essential infrastructure projects. The city has managed to attract 20 new businesses post-pandemic, significantly increased its housing units, and enhanced its reputation as a vibrant place to live and work. Memorable Moments00:00 Building leadership, capacity, and operations amid challenges.04:11 Invested in talent, stable, proud, underinvestment challenges.06:47 Building relocation plans driven by essential services.10:29 Change embraced, benefits outweigh challenges in community.13:19 Upgraded tech infrastructure with broad reach, engagement.Embracing Community Change: "Change is hard. But on the whole, we have benefited far more than we had than it has worked to our detriment. And we really embrace it and welcome it. And we really don't have a choice, but I think I would much rather have a community like this who is open to change than to be stagnant." — Mayor Greta KearnsTop Takeaways1. **Leadership Transition and Continuity**: Mayor Kearns highlighted the challenges and opportunities of taking over leadership after a long-standing mayor, emphasizing the necessity of managing considerable staff transitions and appointments in key leadership roles.2. **Infrastructure Modernization**: The mayor discussed the significance of upgrading critical infrastructure, such as IT services and municipal buildings, to meet current demands and future needs, underscoring an era of building capacity and updating outdated systems.3. **Crisis Management During the Pandemic**: The discussion provided insight into how Grandview Heights navigated the COVID-19 pandemic without cutting services, transitioning to virtual platforms for public meetings, and managing city operations under unprecedented conditions.4. **Community and Economic Growth**: Mayor Kearns expressed pride in the community's growth, including the addition of new businesses and housing units, reflecting on how the city's economic and demographic expansion aligns with regional development trends.5. **Fiscal Strategy and Voter Support**: The mayor detailed the city's approach to financial management and the successful voter approval for funding new municipal facilities, highlighting the importance of community support in funding public projects.To run a successful business, you need resources, valuable connections, and community recognition. Business Inspires will provide you with the tools, resources, and examples to inspire you to create the business you envision.With more than 60 years as an integral part of the Grandview, Upper Arlington, and Marble Cliff communities, the Tri-Village Chamber Partnership is dedicated to a singular purpose - the success of the business community.Thank you for downloading, listening, and following Business Inspires, a Tri-Village Chamber Partnership podcast.This season is presented by:Grandview HeightsTo schedule a guest appearance or find out more about sponsoring Business Inspires, send an email to:Katie Ellis, President/CEO, Tri-Village Chamber [email protected] the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!Please leave us a review on Google!We'd love it if you could please share this podcast with your social media friends!Discover more podcasts like this at Circle 270 Media® Podcast Consultants.https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/kitchen-dance - License code: U9SOBWUIY0PUOLOYCopyright 2026 Tri-Village Chamber Partnership https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/