James J. McGraw, Jr.

Mr. McGraw is a Corporate Partner at Keating Muething & Klekamp. In addition, he is the President and Chief Executive Officer of KMK Consulting Company, LLC. His background is centered in business development, public utilities, insurance and non-profit organizations. His clients include national and international firms in the areas of real estate, financial services, energy, manufacturing and technology. He has been actively involved in business and related client consulting for 36 years.

Mr. McGraw focuses on business formation and transactions, acquisitions and divestitures, along with a variety of related strategic work for clients which include corporate growth strategies, organizational design, leadership development, capital formation, public/private partnerships, performance benchmarking, strategic planning and implementation of programs to attract, retain and develop business. Mr. McGraw has interacted with more than 3,000 CEOs and senior executives in the course of his work and has directed capital initiatives for clients totaling in excess of $500 million.

Mr. McGraw is also a nationally recognized consultant in the area of economic development. Mr. McGraw has represented corporations on a regional and national basis in the area of site selection and incentives structuring and negotiations with respect to the expansion and relocation of their facilities and workforce. Mr. McGraw has worked in more than 80 cities and regions across the United States, helping community and business leaders design and build some of the country's leading economic development organizations. He has been instrumental in the growth of these organizations in such markets as Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Irvine (CA), Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Naples (FL), Omaha, Orlando, Phoenix, Rochester (NY), San Diego, San Francisco, Scottsdale, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson and Washington, D.C. Previously, Mr. McGraw was Regulatory Trial Counsel for the Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. (Duke Energy), and served four years on active duty as Chief of Civil Law with the Air Force J.A.G. at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. 

Awards & Recognitions

• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
• Named Ohio Super Lawyer, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
• Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Notre Dame, 2003

Speaking Engagements

• Strategy for Strengthening Economic Development in Collier County, Board of County Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, September 23, 2011
• Economic Outlook for Tampa Bay for 2010, Annual Luncheon for the Pasco County Economic Development Corporation, January 29, 2010
• Controlling Your Region’s Economic Destiny Through Collaborative Leadership, Annual Dinner of the Delta Economic Development Corporation, January 21, 2010
• Maximizing the Value Proposition for Corporations and Charities in Corporate Sponsorships of Not-for-Profit Events and Facilities, Catholic Charities USA National Conference, September 2007
• Maximizing Tucson's Economic Blueprint for Competitive Market Advantage, International Economic Developers Council Annual Conference, September 1, 2007

Publications

• IEDC Leadership: The Bedrock of Regional Economic Development - More Important Than Ever, August 4, 2004

Mentioned & Quoted

• McGraw Practices What He Preaches, Cincinnati.com, August 19, 2011
• Winning the Future: Public Discusses How to Improve Collier's Economic Outlook, naplesnews.com, July 25, 2011

Professional and Community Involvement

• International Economic Development Council
• Urban Land Institute
• Irish Angels
• American Bar Association
• Cincinnati Bar Association
• Kentucky Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Agenda 360, Co-Chair, Economic Competitiveness
• BIO/START, Board of Directors
• Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, Board of Directors, Nominating Committee
• Cincinnati USA Partnership, Governing Board, 2004-2008
• Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Aviation Committee
• Athenaeum of Ohio, Advisory Board; Co-Chair, Estates & Trusts Committee
• Cincinnati Reds Community Fund, Founding Trustee, Advisory Council
• Greater Cincinnati United Way, Tocqueville Cabinet
• Mercy Health Partners Foundation, Inc., Trustee, Chair, Nominating and Governance Committee, 2003-2009
• Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ohio Valley Chapter, Trustee, 1994-2006; Major Gifts Committee; Dinner of Champions Co-Chair
• National Advisory Board for Executive Education at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza School of Business
• GIGOT Center, National Business Plan Competition, Judge and Mentor
• Notre Dame Law Association, Member
• Ursuline Academy of Cincinnati, Trustee, 1991-2004
• Regional Business Alliance of Southwest Florida, Inc.
• St. Vincent DePaul Society, Steering Committee
• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Advisory Council
• Mayfield Education and Research Foundation (MERF), Board Member, Development Committee Chair
• DePaul Cristo Rey High School, Development Committee Chair
• Downtown Cincinnati, Inc., Board of Directors
• City of Cincinnati, Job Creation Committee
• Mercy Health, Southwest Ohio Board of Trustees, Nominating Committee