Launch Ceremony & Ribbon Cutting: Connect Clermont

Connect Clermont was built on a simple but powerful belief: when neighbors come together around a shared vision, our community thrives.

That belief took root in 1988, when community leaders Ed Parish and Bill Over convened a county-wide conversation about Clermont’s future. More than 350 volunteers joined in, producing a year-long visioning process known as Clermont 2001. The resulting report called on residents, businesses, and elected officials to pursue economic growth and quality-of-life initiatives over the coming decade.

By 2012, a new generation of leaders recognized how much the county had grown and how much more was possible. With support from Duke Energy, they launched the Community Agenda Project. More than 500 residents attended over 50 community conversations, surfacing shared values and ideas for moving Clermont forward. The outcome was ambitious: 23 community goals, condensed into four themes: Jobs, Education, Health, and Vibrancy.

To transform these goals into action, Connect Clermont was formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Guided by a board of directors and supported by partners such as Duke Energy, United Way, the Clermont Chamber Foundation, and Xavier University’s Community Building Institute, Connect Clermont became the hub for coordinating initiatives, channeling resources, and awarding grants to projects aligned with community priorities.

Today, Connect Clermont continues that tradition of collaboration and vision. What began as a blueprint for the future has evolved into an organization that celebrates and advances Good Work, Good Deeds, and Good News; three simple, community-oriented service areas that capture our mission to strengthen opportunity, service, and quality of life in Clermont County.

Because of the energy, generosity, and involvement of thousands of residents over the years, Connect Clermont is more than an organization; it is the community’s shared commitment to building a brighter future, together.