Businesses and organizations share good news about new hires, promotions, accolades
Accounting
Kruggel Lawton CPAs, which has headquarters in South Bend, announced 12 promotions in 2025: Hannah Eicher to senior staff accountant, and CPAs Katie Grass, Erin Sessa and Michelle Stesiak to managers, all in the Elkhart office; CPA Pamela Kyle to senior manager, Shawn Lynch to senior staff accountant, CPA Nick Muller to manager, and Angela Regnier to senior staff accountant in the firm’s South Bend office; CPA Aaron Lambert to manager in the Goshen office; CPA Allison Allman to senior manager, and CPA Brian Hake to senior manager in the St. Joseph, Michigan, office; and CPA Clay Calkins to manager in the firm’s Portage, Michigan, office.
CLH, CPAs & Consultants welcomed twin brothers Matthew and Colin Flanigan as staff accountants. Both were interns at the Michigan City-based firm in 2024 and graduated from Purdue University.
Banking
Christopher Murphy III, executive chairman of 1st Source Bank and 1st Source Corp., was recognized with the Leaders in Banking Excellence award, the Indiana Bankers Association’s highest honor. He was one of four to earn the honor in 2025.
Adam Bujalski joined Notre Dame Federal Credit Union as senior vice president of commercial lending for the Michiana market. Melanie Pearman joined the credit union as a mortgage loan originator.
Horizon Bank, with headquarters in Michigan City, recognized Dee Piotrowski, vice president and senior technical project manager; Jessica Beals, treasury management officer; Pleya Nacht, assistant vice president and branch manager in Munster; and Josh Shelley, vice president and district manager, with the Go Beyond Community Service Award. The bank also recognized advisors Sara Exum, vice president of talent management and development; Scott Schryer, branch manager; Faye Sepke, assistant vice president and Crown Point branch manager; and Mike Yovanoff, vice president and group commercial portfolio manager, with the Beyond Ordinary Leadership Award. David Coyne was promoted to assistant vice president and branch manager.
Dan Temple was promoted to assistant vice president and manager of Interra Credit Union’s New Paris branch. Phil Wiens, who started as a college intern, was promoted to chief growth officer. Mike Blosser was promoted to chief commercial officer. Angie Pletcher was promoted to chief risk officer after 26 years with Interra, which has headquarters in Goshen.
Old National Bancorp’s Chairman CEO James Ryan III was named vice chair of the American Bankers Association during the organization’s annual meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Leeann Markovitz was appointed head of First Clearing, the Wells Fargo’s clearing and custody business. She has been with Wells Fargo for 30 years. She replaces Al Caiazzo, who is retiring after 40 years at the end of 2025.
Commercial real estate
Julia Turner joined Latitude Commercial’s office division as an associate broker after her graduation from Purdue University. Milo Trkulja joined the Crown Point brokerage in the industrial division with 15 years of experience in logistics. Justin Guerrero was named marketing coordinator.
Construction
The Engineering News-Record named Tonn and Blank Construction’s Hammond Family YMCA the ENR Midwest Regional Best Project in the Specialty Construction category.
Jeffrey Berglund was named president of Berglund Construction. The Chicago-based company has an office in Chesterton.
Ancon Construction based in Goshen earned four awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana/Kentucky during the 2025 Excellence in Construction Competition.
Economic development
Teresa Jarratt joined the Northwest Indiana Forum as the grants and operations coordinator. Most recently she served as the finance and grants management director at The Caring Place in Valparaiso.
Education
Purdue University Northwest faculty member Magesh Chandramouli, professor of computer graphics technology in the College of Technology, was named a U.S. Fulbright Specialist. Chandramouli will spend three weeks in December at Polytechnic University of Turin in Turin, Italy. Mathematics faculty member Grethe Hystad, associate professor of statistics in the College of Engineering and Sciences, was selected to join a team of scientists on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration-funded project aimed at developing new ways to search for life in the solar system.
Calumet College of St. Joseph President Amy McCormack announced her retirement in June 2026 after nine years in the role. She is the first female president of the Whiting institution.
Paige McNulty started her first year as superintendent of Tri-Township Schools in Wanatah.
Former Indiana Governor and Purdue University President Emeritus Mitch Daniels and former Dean of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute Gary Bertoline were named emeritus board members of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools in Indianapolis and South Bend.
Finance
Ezekiel Gonzalez joined the financial advisory team at Harbour Trust & Investment Management Co. in Michigan City. He graduated from Purdue University in May.
Laura Elliott of Chesterton was appointed president of InspereX, a tech-driven fixed income and structured investments distribution and trading firm based in Delray Beach, Florida.
CPA Drew Vesling joined the Kotys Wealth Professionals team in Valparaiso as a wealth advisor.
Government
Steve Segura assumed the role of chief communications officer for the City of Gary on Sept. 8. Most recently, he served as the multimedia director for the City of East Chicago.
Opportunity Enterprises President and CEO Neil Samahon was appointed to the Family and Social Services Administration’s Medicaid Beneficiary Advisory Committee.
Lake County Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr. and his staff were honored by the Indiana Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Management for the county’s stormwater management program.
Gov. Mike Braun made various appointments to boards and commissions. Nathan Schleman of Belstra Group Farms in Newton County was appointed to the State Fair Board. L. Scott Pejic of Pejic Law in Porter County was appointed to the Indiana Gaming Commission. Kristopher Krouse of the Shirley Heinze Land Trust in Porter County was reappointed to the President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust Project Commission. Mike Simpson of M.E. Simpson Co. in Porter County was appointed to the Great Lakes Commission. Linda Mauller of St. Joseph County was reappointed to the Board of Registration for Soil Scientists. Dr. Scott Thomas of Beacon Health System in St. Joseph County was reappointed to the Trauma Care Commission. Elizabeth Bergeron of Unity of Indiana in La Porte County was appointed to the Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission. Bruce Dickie of Marshall County and Selge Construction and Rick Smith of NIPSCO in Lake County were reappointed to the Underground Plant Protection Advisory Committee. Donald Goetz of Jasper County and DeMotte State Bank was reappointed to the Department of Financial Institutions Board of Trustees. Chuck Williams of CL Williams and Companies in Porter County was appointed to the Ports of Indiana Commission. Julie Tobey of the St. Joseph County 911 Communications Center was appointed to the Statewide 911 Board. Richard Hudson of the Porter County Department of Development and Storm Water Management was reappointed to the State Board of Registration for Land Surveyors. Andy Snyder of the La Porte Fire Department was appointed to the Secured School Safety Board. Kathleen Matuszak of St. Joseph County was reappointed to the State Board of Funeral & Cemetery Service.
Health care
Franciscan Health Olympia Fields President and CEO Raymond Grady was named president and CEO of Franciscan Alliance’s Lake County hospitals and clinics, including Franciscan Health Crown Point, Franciscan Health Dyer and Franciscan Health Munster. Grady is replacing Interim Crown Point President and CEO Barbara Anderson, who came out of retirement to take on the role after Dr. Daniel McCormick left the position earlier this year. Dean Mazzoni, who was leading Dyer and Munster operations, will continue as president and CEO of Franciscan Health Michigan City and Franciscan Health Michigan City at La Porte as well as La Porte County supporting clinics. He also will become president and CEO of Franciscan’s new facility under construction in Porter County as well as other Porter County facilities.
The Franciscan Physician Network welcomed new physicians, including family medicine physician Latifa Barti, and interventional spine and pain management physician Ashraf Hasan in Crown Point; family practice Drs. Jonathan Jones and Mohammad Wadud and Rheumatologist Ailia Ali in Dyer; internal medicine and sleep medicine physician Jin Young Hwang in Michigan City; family medicine physician Leena Aljobeh in Valparaiso; and hematologist and medical oncologist Jeremy Johns and psychiatrist Kenn Vattathara in Munster.
Powers Health welcomed six physicians to the Powers Health Medical Group: cardiologist Moneeb Asghar at Community Hospital, St. Catherine Hospital and Powers Health Rehabilitation Center; neurologist Ram Baboo at Community Hospital; interventional pulmonologist Abdulrahman Katabi at Community Hospital, St. Catherine Hospital, St. Mary Medical Center and Powers Health Rehabilitation Center; neurologist Daniel Kotfer at St. Mary Medical Center; pediatrician Mohammed Rashed at Community Hospital; and orthopedic surgeon Brett Schiffman at Community Hospital, St. Catherine Hospital, St. Mary Medical Center and Powers Health Rehabilitation Center.
Beacon Health System is changing its leadership model at three of its southwest Michigan hospitals. Greg Piper, vice president of Beacon retail services, will serve as interim president of Beacon Allegan Hospital, and David Bailey, president of Community Hospital of Bremen, will serve as interim president of Beacon Dowagiac Hospital. Both leaders will continue in their current roles and provide executive oversight for Beacon Plainwell Hospital during the change in leadership structure. Paul Hoffman, administrator for Beacon Allegan, Dowagiac and Plainwell hospitals, left after helping to integrate the hospitals into the health system.
Northwest Health welcomed physicians to Northwest Medical Group: general surgeon Reuben Rutland and pulmonologist Christos Deamont in Valparaiso; and cardiologist Sabaa Ahmed in La Porte.
Dan Doherty was named CEO of Northwest Health — Porter, which also announced 2025 accolades: Employee of the Year: nurse Kimberly Sullivan, emergency department; Clinical Leader of the Year: Kris Springman, diagnostic imaging; and Non-Clinical Manager of the Year: Kim Land, director of medical staff offices.
Lake Superior Court Probate Commissioner Ben Ballou swore four Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults. The advocates are Blanca Aranda of Crown Point, Francine Gildon of Merrillville, Christopher Mignogna of Cedar Lake and Lauree Pondinas of St. John.
Law
Jacob Palcic was named a partner in Barnes & Thornburg’s South Bend office. The firm, which has more than 800 lawyers in 23 offices, promoted 16 lawyers to partner effective Jan. 1. Jacob German was appointed an at-large member of the 2025-2026 Management Committee. Tim Emerick represents the Elkhart and South Bend offices on the committee.
Attorney Karin Brown was chosen the Title IV-D commissioner, a Porter County judicial officer, to replace commissioner Lisa Moser who served Porter County in that role for almost 13 years.
Shelice and Michael Tolbert, of Tolbert & Tolbert in Gary, presented their first Ted Talk for TEDx Gary at Indiana University Northwest. The attorneys also were honored at the Gary International Black Film Festival with the Community Impact Award. The firm also hired two attorneys: Beverly Mack and Dita Guha.
Marketing
The Barbauld Agency was honored with a Bronze Award in the Summit International Awards program for its marketing and advertising refresh for Advance Financial Federal Credit Union based in Schererville. The winning project, “Bold Changes for Lasting Impact,” was recognized for its strategic and creative approach.
Nicollette Cardwell, director of marketing at Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Wightman, was named the 2025-2026 President of the Society for Marketing Professional Services Southeast Michigan Chapter. She joined the architecture, civil engineering, and surveying firm in 2022.
Michigan City High School student Alexis Gresham is South Shore Public Relations’ first high school intern. The internship is part of Michigan City High School’s work-based learning opportunity program.
Mergers and acquisitions
Hannelore Jones was promoted to Calder Capital’s first director of operations. Garrett Monroe was promoted to managing director of sell-side, and Sam Scharich to managing director of buy-side. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based mergers and acquisitions company also has offices in Indiana and Illinois.
Philanthropy
Unity Foundation of La Porte County President Maggi Spartz earned a Circle of Corydon Award during a ceremony in September. She also will be honored at Unity Park with the Maggi Spartz Promenade. Spartz plans to retire after 33 years of service at the end of 2025. After a comprehensive national search, the foundation chose Jeri Pat Gabbert to succeed Spartz as the next president and CEO. She most recently was the executive vice president and chief philanthropic officer for the Porter County Community Foundation.
Buffy Adams joined the Crown Point Community Foundation as the new vice president of philanthropy.
The Rev. Nicole Guns was installed as the first female pastor of First Baptist Church in Gary. In 2024, Guns was appointed assistant general secretary of the National Baptist Convention. She is the second Black woman to serve as pastor of a Baptist church in the state of Indiana.
Kim Olesker was hired as the next executive director of the Indiana Chapter of the National Children’s Alliance Inc.
Faith Spencer and Emmani Ellis were awarded the InnoPower Rising Star Award. They co-founded IronWorkz Corp., a nonprofit incubator for young entrepreneurs and small businesses. Charita Lucas, of Future Cycle Breakers, was named an InnoPower Innovator.
Almera Mahmood was appointed executive director of the Venture Club of Indiana.
The Graf Dairy Hero Foundation, which has a Heroes Gallery, Arcade & Museum in the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets in Michigan City, elected four new board members: John Vode, CEO of Precision Maintenance Solutions in Chesterton; Barry Nothstine, a Michigan City native; Don Stelluto, co-director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government at the University of Notre Dame; and Mark Bovenizer, president of the Bov Foundation based in New Jersey.
Technology
Mishawaka-based Schurz Communications appointed John Schurz as senior vice president of people and culture. He replaces Scott Schurz, who retired after more than a decade in the role. Schurz also formed Schurz Broadband Group. Diego Anderson will serve as president of the division.
Enrica Uhlen was named a sales development representative at Pulse Technology, which has an office in Merrillville.
Transportation
City of Gary Mayor Eddie Melton appointed three new commissioners to the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority, a seven-member board: Dr. Vanessa McCloud, president and CEO of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana; William Godwin, government partnerships broker with CivicReach.AI; and Tyrone Hamilton, a program mentor at the Northshore Amateur Sports Academy in Gary. Gov. Braun named Tom Collins Jr. the new authority chairman. Collins is the president and CEO of Luke Family of Brands.
Jamie Meyer joined Premier Truck Rental’s executive team as chief operating officer. The fleet solutions provider is based in Fort Wayne. •
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