Kim Halbauer, a Northern Kentucky native who built a career of more than three decades at Fifth Third Bank, will lead the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as board chair for the 2026-27 term.
The chamber announced Halbauer's election Oct. 26, according to the Kentucky Chamber's Bottom Line publication. She serves as Fifth Third Bank's Kentucky regional president, a role she has held since 2020. She earned a bachelor's degree in finance and business from Thomas More University in Crestview Hills.
Her rise through Fifth Third started in college. She joined the bank as a customer service representative and later served as managing director of Fifth Third Private Bank in Cincinnati, overseeing services for more than 3,000 clients and managing $12 billion in assets.
Halbauer succeeds Condrad Daniels, president of HJI Supply Chain Solutions, who served as chair in 2025-26, the Lane Report reported. Les Fugate of Brown-Forman Corporation will serve as chair-elect for 2027.
Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts called Halbauer "a tremendous leader for Kentucky's business community" in a press release.
Halbauer said she looks forward to working with business leaders statewide.
"The Chamber has an important role in bringing employers together, addressing the challenges facing our businesses, and advancing opportunities for Kentucky's future," Halbauer said, according to LINK nky.
Beyond the Kentucky Chamber, Halbauer's board service includes the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Leadership Louisville Center and Endeavor.
In her current role at Fifth Third, she leads the strategic direction and growth of the bank's commercial, wealth and asset management, and consumer businesses in Kentucky.
The chamber also announced newly elected directors for 2026-27. Among them is Larry Krauter of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Erlanger.
