Ben Baker is currently serving his second term as Dayton Mayor, having served two consecutive terms as City Councilman. During both terms, he served on the Bellevue Dayton Fire Board. Before being elected to the City Council, Mayor Baker served on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and its Main Street Board.
Mayor Baker studied telecommunications at both the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University. Upon completion of his studies, Mayor Baker joined a technology start-up in Cincinnati in 2004 and has worked in the technology-infrastructure industry since that time. A strong proponent of Northern Kentucky businesses, Mayor Baker is a member of both the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Covington Business Council.
In 2010, Mayor Baker relocated from Covington into a historic home on Sixth Avenue in Dayton, where he lives with his wife, Julie Stewart. The couple lives in Dayton because it offers many features and amenities they desire in a hometown, such as locally owned restaurants, a walkable, safe community, and an excellent school system. Mayor Baker is an avid Reds and Bengals fan, a music lover, and frequent traveler, having visited more than a dozen foreign countries and dozens of states.
Tarris “Troy” Horton, who is serving his first term on City Council, is the first Black elected official in the City’s history.
With a strong belief in inclusivity and the power of community engagement, Horton is committed to fostering positive change, empowering residents to actively participate in shaping their city’s future, and encouraging adult recreation and community bonding.
He envisions Dayton as a vibrant destination for sports and activities, attracting new businesses and fostering a sense of unity among residents. Horton is dedicated to representing the voices of all Daytonians, and he believes in the power of hard work and character as the keys to success.
Aaron Judd, a Northern Kentucky native, has been a resident of Dayton for 12 years. A graduate of Lloyd Memorial High School in Erlanger, he obtained dual bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Administration from Thomas More University, where he graduated with honors. He also earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Xavier University, focusing on International Business, and a master’s degree in Accountancy from Northern Kentucky University.
At Thomas More, Judd served in student government for three years and joined the Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity. After graduation from college, he held several leadership positions in his fraternity at both local and national levels and currently serves as the ombudsman for the Thomas More local chapter. He teaches business classes at Thomas More as an adjunct instructor and is a big fan of Saints sports.
Judd is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Scrum Master. He is the president of the Board of Directors for Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky (HONK) and works full-time as an auditor for a large aerospace company.
Judd and his wife, April, love traveling the world and trying new adventures. When not traveling or visiting April’s family in Canada, they enjoy visiting new restaurants, breweries, and distilleries, running 5Ks, or doing other fun activities together.
Serving on City Council is Judd’s first time as an elected official, and he is excited to serve his city. He believes his experience on nonprofit boards, in student government, and in various leadership roles has prepared him for this new role. His career in accounting and auditing will help the city’s budget and strategic planning processes, and his critical thinking skills will help him ask important questions to make the best decisions for Dayton and its residents.
Christina Kelly became a member of the Dayton City Council in January 2021 after serving as a volunteer and officer on the City’s Board of Architectural Review and Main Street Board. Kelly, an archaeologist, is the Cultural Resources Program Manager for Environment and Archaeology in Florence, Ky.
She also has held archaeological positions with Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. and Gray & Pape, Inc. in Cincinnati and the Chambers Group in Reno, Nev. She has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Northern Kentucky University and a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Montana. Christina enjoys gardening and can often be seen walking her dog around the city.
Jessie Lovins was born and raised in Dayton, graduating from Dayton High School in 2000. She is serving her second term on the Dayton City Council after being appointed to the board on March 2, 2021, to fill the unexpired term of a council person who resigned.
Before joining City Council, Lovins was an active member of the Civic Activities Board, including serving as its president, and she continues to be active in city activities and events.
She is Vice President of the Parent-Teacher Committee at Lincoln Elementary School and her 14-year-old daughter attends Dayton Middle School. She currently serves as the executive director of the Dayton, Ky. Housing Authority after working for more than 17 years at Meritor Inc. in Florence, Ky in the finance department.
Joe Neary is serving in his fourth consecutive terms on the Dayton City Council. Prior to being elected to City Council, he served as Chair of the Dayton Main Street Board and Civic Club, and as a member of the city’s Board of Adjustment and Board of Architectural Review. He also served on the Dayton Independent School District Community Advisory Committee and the St. Francis of Assisi Cemetery Preservation Group.
Neary is chairman of the governing board for the Fire Department Bellevue-Dayton and the PA Announcer for the boys’ football and basketball teams at Dayton High School. He also regularly volunteers for community events and activities.
Neary, who retired as an industrial automation sales engineer, moved to Northern Kentucky in 1985. He and his wife, Dee, have lived in the City of Dayton since 2006.
Beth Nyman was elected in 2020 and is serving her second term on the Dayton City Council.
Beth and her husband, Doug Sovonick, have lived in Dayton since 2013. Before being elected to the City Council, Beth was chaired the Dayton Main Street Board and volunteered for many Dayton events and activities. She and her husband also worked together to design the official seal of the City of Dayton and other promotional materials for Dayton.
Beth is currently a freelance artist. She formerly worked as an account manager at Deskey, a branding firm in downtown Cincinnati.